The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-12
TOUR OF CITY OFFICERS.
SAY THEY HAVE LEARNED MUCH
OF VALUE To SEATTLE.
Treated With Marked Courtesy ~
the Authorities I'm All Cities WIS.,
fted-Mr. Thomson Discusses Tin
erary with Correspondent.

Special Dispatch TO the Post-Intelligencer.
WASHINGTON, Dec. H. - Condi-
tons in various cities of the country are
so different that each can learn some
thing to it's advantage in the way OF
municipal management and economy II II
will Investigate the experience OF the
others At least this is the opinion OF
the committee of Seattle citizens which
has been making an official visit to sew
eral Eastern cities and which recently
left washington for home. The commit
tee believes 1t will be able to make rec
concentrations to the common council
and citisens of Seattle which will. II
adopted, save many thousands of dol
lars to the city.
The visiting delegation made up OF
City Engineer Thomson. Councilman
James and Superintendent Of Streets Lit
tie, has taken a month for Its trip.
1t has been more extended, however.
than at first proposed. and the members
found much to investigate. Mr.. Thom-
son said while here that the committee
would have volumes to report on its re-
turn and many principles to apply which
will result in future saving to the city
of Seattle.
Mr.. Thomson is particularly interested
In the subject Of grade crossings and
pavements; Mr.. Little in the street clean
ing and sewerage systems of the cities
visited. and Councilman James in the
methods in force of granting and con-
trolling franchises to municipal advan-
tage.
The itinerary of the committee after
leaving Seattle. November IA, was: Chi
cago; for the National Good Roads con-
vember 10 to Is; Detroit, four days; Cleve-
land. three days; Pittsburg and Allie
gheny, Pa, two days. The committee
for Philadelphia, intending to start for
home from that city.
While in this city Mr.. Thomson said,
regarding the trip:
Taxing Chicago first. of course, the
conditions there are entirely different
from those OF Seattle, but we could learn
much from that big city. The main thing
the handling and separation of grade
crossings. Track elevation or street ele-
walton. one or the other. has been brought
20 very successful solution in. Chicago. We
learned great deal there which will pre-
pare us to begin early. and early is the
right time In a city's growth to begin
to plan on this subject, to take care of
our grade crossings before out grades
are established. so that will not cost
US two or three times as much as Is
necessary to change them.
method of street cleaning interested us
most Detroit Is one Of the cleanest cities
'In Cleveland We gave our greatest at
tChAtou W tilc ptE Aink systcHi. lHc CITY
owns several large cemeteries, maintain
ed as SUCH but at the same time made
into beautiful parks on the same plan as
the National cemetery at Arlington.
across the river here In virginia-made
beautiful by driveways, walks and beds
of flowers These places in Cleveland. sur
prising as II may seem, are very popular
as parks. The graves have no mounds
over them, and are arranged In groups to
occupy as little space as possible. A
large part OF the area in the cemetery Is
left unoccupied, and there are shady rest
ing places provided for the people"
Mr.. Thompson. in speaking OF Pittsburg
said: ut is a very, hilly. dirty, uncom-
Portable place. and the streets are narrow
and badly paved. They have a great
streets clean. We were much more in
terested in Allegheny than Pittsburg. and
found the former city kept scrupulously
clean.
1--WE have been treated with the great
est consideration and courtesy by the au-
thorities OF all the cities we have visit
ed. and nowhere more so than In wash
ington where the district commissioners
have shown us over one of the best gov
erned cities in the United States. We
are greatly pleased with the national capt.
tai. and have received some very valu-
able hints with reference to municipal
construction and maintenance. We have
found no two cities where paving condi-
tions were the same. and working on
the causes OF failure. we have amassed
this subject. Taking our trip all In all
we are very much pleased with what we
win be able to lay before the city au-
thDrftes on our return"