El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-12
A PLAN FOR STREET Improve
MENTS

A comprehensive system of street
improvements ought to be adopted st
once in this city. The improvement OF
the prin cipsl business streets ought to
accompany the rebuilding of the street
railway lines. or course with regard
to a few streets, that is now impossi ole,
owing to the expressed determination
of the Traction company to begin re-
laying its tracks at once. But San
Antonio street will probably not be
affected by these plans, and that is by
ell means the street most in need of
Improvement.
If the city administration had exer-
cised or would exercise any business
foresight, provision would have been
made that any rails hereafter laid in
the streets of Ell Paso, whether over
old lines or new, should be of the latest
grooved pattern which are now being
used in all cities that are car. full to
maintain the beauty and usefulness OF
their streets. Tbs grooved rail does
not obstruct in the slightest degree the
passage of any vehicle, and there is no
danger of accidents to bicycles or light
baggies, % nearly always exists when
a,y form of the common T rail ia used.
This matter can still be controlled by
inserting a provision to this effect in
such franchises as may hereafter be
granted.
Now with regard to street improve
ment, the HERALD has repeatedly de-
monstra,e ed the fact, as recognized by
every lawyer and other citizen who
has given any thought to the question,
that under existing laws no COM
prehensive system of street or side
walk improvements can be undertaken
If the cost is designed to be borne en-
tire ~ by owners of the abutting prop
erty. This plan, while seemingly fair
enough to the parties concern, d, has
been repeatedly Knocked out in the
courts, and all the principal Texas
cities, not 10 speak of cities in other
states, have practically abandoned
It.
The only way by which the streets
and sidewalks of Ell Paso can be put in
Q condition commensurate with the i'm
portance and beauty of the city in
other respects is by issuing bonds for
building and improving streets and
sidewalks. and levying q general tax
to pay for main tanning them.
This ia a great departure for Ell Paso
aud involves q very large amount Of
money. The HERALD would not be IN
favor of und ertakinR it unless provision
were made that the money should be
expended where 1T would do the most
good to the people generally-that the
fund should be economically admins
tered and expended accordip to pre-
vtously prepared schedule, which
should treat fairly the different sections
of the city as far as possible.
This is the HERALD'S plan: Let the
chamber of commerce, after mature
deliberatiop, decide upon schedule
OF streets and sidewalks to be i'm
proved within the next five years. be-
ginning with the most ed portions of
the principal streets in the heart of
the city, and extending gradually out
ward along the main lines of travel
After this is approximately determined
on, let the chamber Of commerce,
thr ougb select &C NJ mittee, get ten
tative estimates from ss many differ
ent firms Is possible, aud for different
mat erials, covering the nece est airy paw
ing. After The total has been scaled
down to reasonable amount the mat
ter should be taken in hand by the
city council definite schedule
pre- pared. and bond Issue provided,
to be subject to the sche oule ab-olute-
ly in every particular. he tax
payers would then vote on this propo-
sition IS whole.
Should the bonds be passed the coun-
oil would then formally advertise for
bids on the work scheduled for the
first year, and as soon as this matter
could be adjusted, work could be begun
and carried on to completion. The