The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1902-03-22
The Sidewalk Question.

u resolution requesting the DOard
of Aldermen to rescind their
hasty action in reference to the
building of sidewalks, the pre-
vailing idea being that the new
Board to be elected next month
should be permitted to deal with
the question in conformity with
the wishes of the citizens as ex-
pressed in two public meetings
recently held. Both these meet
ings favored a bond issue and the
building of permanent and dura-
BILE sidewalks, while the Board,
on the eve of going out of Office,
advertised for bids for building
$4,000 worth of. plank sidewalks,
thus not only disposing of almost
all the years revenues that had
not already been budgeted, but
providing for tlimsy and epheme-
raj improvements when substan-
tial and permanent ones had been
demanded. It is not therefore to
be wondered at that, although
Judge Perrault and District At
torney Garland warmly endorsed
the Boards action, the meeting.
by vote of two to one, demand
ed the repeal of a measure so un-
responsive to solemnly declared
and reiterated public sentiment.
We have been advocating the
improvement of our sidewalks for
more than thirty years, but we
are willing to wait a little longer
if by so doing the work can be
started right, that is to say, under
a well digested, equitable and sys-
tematic plan and along proper
lines. Hence, the action of this
meeting meets with our hearty
approval, if for no other reason
than that a further delay in the
beginning of the work will give
our people, including the new
Board, little more time to study
this important question.
One thing about this meeting
that struck us with amazement
and dismay was the fact that all
the speakers, both those who ad-
vocated a bond issue and substan-
tial improvements and those who
insisted upon depicting the town
treasury to build f1imsy and un-
slightly plank sidewalks, were ap-
parently of the opinion that the
town, the government, should
make free gift to the abutting
proprietors of these improve
ments, whether they be of great
or of little value. Such plan is
quite new to us and, as far as we
know, untried, and many grave
objections to it could be urged.
We know that a radically differ
ent plan has been followed in
many cases perhaps all -a and
that this plan is the crystaliza-
ton of the best, most searching
and profound thought of the
broadest and most enlightened
minds in this country. This plan,
therefore, is the BEST that has
ever been evolved from the finite
mind of man, and it embodies the
principle that the abutting pro-
prietor must bear larger portion
| of the cost than his less favored
fellow-taxpayer who has an infe-
rior pavement or no pavement at
all. To make a free gift to cit
izen in such a case is to smother
public spirit, for then every other
citizen, while doing nothing to
help himself or his town, will SUI
pinely wait until the government
gives him, too, a sidewalk at pub.
| lie cost. To our mind, this would
be paternalism Of the worst sort
The plan followed in Baton
Rouge, where similar improve,
ments are now being made, re.
quires the payment by the abut'
ting proprietor of two-thirds OF
the cost, and it is working admir-
ably. When the residents along
a certain block petition the Board
for such improvements, they are
built under governmental super
vision, and one-third Of the cos
is paid out Of the proceeds Of the
bond issue made by that city las
year. By this plan, no citizens
who desire such improvements arr
deprived of. them and no favorit
| ism is possible. Substantially uh'
same plan is being followed il
/ Shreveport and, we believe
throughout the country; and 81
far from imposing an intolerabl'
hardship on the citizen, publi
spirit has been aroused to sucl
an extent that the authorities ar
taxed to their fullest ability to re
lspond to the demand of all tn
applicants.
J, The present Board, after matur
deliberation, adopted an ordinanc
, embodying this feature, but, yield
! ing to noisy though not genera
| demand, repealed it. The vot
by which a resolution requestln
its repeal was adopted stood e.
actly nine to eight. The peopl