Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-04-22
President Seidell and Mayor Doyle
Gave Advice to Council.
avidlity.
dNIUIIy.
CLEAN STREETS.

IbEAN SI UDCI %
The city streets have not been kept
entirely in the condition desired by
the mayor of the city. The street de-
partment has been seriously hamper
ed during the year by the notorious
lack of funds. 1t must be remembered
that the unpaved streets require at
tention and that much labor and
money have been expended upon them
during the year. Very little complaint
has been made of them and in general
they have been maintained in first
class condition. The greatest dissat-
isfaction has come from the paved
streets. There can be no good excuse
for not keeping them all clean all the
time except perhaps. during the win
ter months when their frozen condl-
tion forbids it. This ideal has been
reached upon few residence streets
where the triftic is very light and
| where the work has been done by the
owners of the abutting prop
erty through private contract.
| The great trouble with the
others last summer was the
lack of system with which the work
was done. Spasmodic effort is exceed.
ingly wasteful. If the pavements
were carefully swept by hand and the
mud and soil removed from them and
then flushed thoroughly early in the
spring it would require only one flush
ing per week and the use of the hand
carts in picking up waste paper, drop
pings, etc, to keep even the busiest
streets in first-class condition. | can
not urge too strongly the necessity
for the systematic work to be ener-
getically directed. The work for the
entire season should be mapped out
in advance. The cleaning force should
streets cleaned OH the same night
each week by the same squad. The
experience of the past summer has
proven that flushing with water is
the cheapest, quickest and most eff
fective method of cleaning any kind
of paved streets. Water is the uni
versal cleansing agent, of streets as
of other things. The sanitary condi-
ton of flushed streets is ineXpressibly
better than those which have been
swept,as millions of disease germs are
borne away by the water. Flushed
streets scarcely need sprinkling. The
necessity for clean streets is one Of
the prime rea sons why the city should
own its own water works.
CLEANING AND SPRINKING AS
SESSMENTS.
The condition of the city streets is
a matter of general interest and the
expense of caring for them by clean
ing and sprinkling should be met by
drafts upon general fund A great
deal of unnecessary expense and work
is caused by the various sprinkling
ordinances and the special assessment
of abutting property. The money
should be raised by direct assessment
upon all the property within the cor,
be used for no other purpose than
that for which it was collected.
UNLAWFUL OCCUPATION OF
STREETS.
In several of the business street:
of the city owners of buildings have
extended them into the street and ar,
occupying for private purposes a striI
of the city's property two or more fee
in width and as long as the frontag g,
upon the street of the particular prop
erty. | am informed that a buildiny
now being erected will have front o
solid masonry built two feet into Mail
streets. BY the decisions of the Su
preme Court of the State it is proba
BILE that an uninterrupted and advers
= possession of these strips of the cit,
, streets for twenty-one years will Civ
the squatters Il prescriptve title t
them. | therefore recommend tina
the Solicitor be instructed to compe
the owners so occupying to accep
leases from the city, of land so oc
cupied, at nominal or other renta
= as the Council may deem best, or t
evacuate the land. l recommend thi
:, in order to protect the citys title t
its streets.
. PUBLIC HEALTH.
The city is to be congratulated upo
= its excellent sanitary condition due
y large measure to the efforts of an II
telligent and enthusiastic board ,
health and the officials directed by |
There have been very few cases of il
Y fectious diseases In proportion to pop,
lation and the exceeding low rate
y mortality per capita has been vel
= gratifying. Akron is one Of the healt
! lest cities in the entire country.
The Akron Water Works Compar
is now at work upon system whiC
y will provide pure and clean drinkir
water for the city in ample amour
g The Board of Health has worked e
y ergetically through the whole year
II bring this about and is prepared
n fight relentlessly until the desired er
o is reached, The council and comm
q sioners should cooperate with them
it this whenever possible.
r PUBLIC SANITARIES,
'e heartily recommend the establis
=.