El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-17

In this section in such great quantities.
With unpaved streets in the business
section it Is impossible to keep this
duet from flying, and the result is an
annual loss to merchants and private
citizens of sufficient amount to pay for
the cost of maintaining clean paved
streets Sc Veral times over. To anyone
who has seen the effects of asphalt
street pavement in other cities in max
ing for cleanliness and morality, no ar
Rument il needed as to the general
desirability of such improvement.
AS to the method to be pursued in
obtaining paved streets, that is ques-
ton for the taxpayers to settle. If the
property owners will agree to build
streets and sidewalks and pay each his
prOportionate part of the cost. that Ia
pu bio berefaction, for which they
should receive full credit. 1t is I'M
doubtedly true that when any improve
ment OF this sort is made the abutting
property owners receive far more
direct benefit from such improvement
than do the citizens at large. How
ever, under existing lave. assessments
for such improvements against owners
of abuitlng property cannot be col
lected by the city except with the con-
sent of the property owners.
Some may say, when it is proposed
to issue bonds and levy general tax
for street and sidewalk Improvements,
that John Jones, who lives at the ex-
srenity of North Oregon street, ought
not be compelled to contribute as
much toward the improvement of San
Antonio street, as ought James Smith,
who owns property sbutting upon the
section of San Antonio street to be i'm
proved. This would be q sound pro-
position II San Antonio street were
the only street in the city to be i'm
proved. But before long Jones will
want Oregon street improved, and un-
der the plan proposed, Smith of San
Antonio street would then reciprocsse
the favor by contributing his share to
improve Jones's street.
1t is believed that these matters
would even themselves up, and that in
the course of very few years the
cost of improving the principal bust
ness and residence streets of the city
would fall equitably upon all the
property owners. This would be true
even in the case of the owner of
property lying upon al unimproved
street in the outskirts of the town, be-
cause while his assessment would be
small, owing to the compar atively low
taxable value of his property, he would
still be getting both direct and IN
direct benefit from the improvement
of the N ain streets.
The safest and fairest way to 60
about a comprehensive scheme of
street improvement is to prepare .
schedule in advance covering, say, five
yesrs, and providing for the improve
ment, first, of the principal business
streets in the heart of the city, and
then gradually extending into the re-
sidence portions along The main travel
ed streets. Bonds would then be is
sued and voted upon, conditional up
On this schedule.
The question of material is a very |
important one. Vitrified brick has |
been suggested as a suitable pavement
Tor San A ntonio street. Those who are
best informed upon the subject hope |
hat no pavement will be adopted ex-
,ept the best quality of cement asphalt.
Modern asphalt pavement is not much
Affected by such heat as FL Paso ex-
,erienoes In the summer. Every city,
n the other hand, that has tried
'isriaed brick, especially on much
raveled streets, has found it entirely
Houston's experience with vitrified
rick was costly. Her brick pavements,
aid at great expense in what was sup
'osed to be . careful and scientific
manner, are now full of holes and ruts
nd are being replaced with asphals as
Ast ss possible. Aside from the diff
Guilty OF keeping the brick pavements
a repair, they have been found very
ncleanly unless they are flushed and
wept thoroughly stfrequent intervals
1t is to be hoped that Ell Paso will
OF make any costly and unsatisfactory
The modern cement sur
aced asphalt is the cleanest and most
urable pavement known for all streets
xcept those of great cities having
onstant traffic with mammoth trucks.
THE best remedy yet provided for
trikes and lockouts-in the interest of
9th capital and lsbor-has been ap-
lied in far-off New Zealand, where COM
uls Dry arbitration was introduced by
w five 4aAra ago. and where In consa.