The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-02


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 a cost of ........ .................. Al ,SS6 9S 1O,S22 square yards brick gutters
 at a cost of ...................... 2,7S0. 62 1S,245 square yards brick street
 paving at a cost of............. 30, 4Ss. or 1 Grading and macadamizing ..... 59 S06 39
 Total ...... ........ ......... .S22s, ,s56 56 1 There is no one item in the above list I that brings more speedy returns in the way of public comfort and convenience ] than the construction of good sidewalks; {; nor is there anything else that adds as much, in proportion to cost, to the per- manent value of the contiguous proper ty-this fact being generally recognized. I urge a liberal extension of this work l during the current year. 1 I do not doubt that you will concur l with me in the conclusion that the work most imperatively needed is the extension l of certain storm water sewers, partieu- i larly the sewer now discharging at Sec l ond avenue and Fourteenth street and 1 the main trunk sewer on Eighteenth street, south; also the construction of a sewer to drain the portion of the city l immediately north of Eighth avenue This work is necessarily very costly un- der normal conditions, and at current l o'iees of labor and building ma- terial do not recommend it's prosecu- ton.
 Dust and mud will remain our constant enemies until our streets are paved and in this connection 1t is of interest to note that ordinances are now pending provid- ing for extensive work in this direction.
 The ordinances proposed contemplate the paving of the streets and avenues named below, the number of square yards estimate of cost. and kind of paving being noted in each case.
 Third avenue from Eighteenth to Twcn- l ty-first streets; Fourth avenue from Eighteenth to Twenty-first streets. six blocks 15,0OO square yards, bitumfnous i macadam, cost BPS, 500; Nineteenth street from Third avenue to Sixth avenue: Twen- tieth street from Fourth avenue to Park avenue five blocks, IS, 333 square yards. asphalt, cost S3S, 800; Morris avenue from | Eighteenth to Nineteenth street; Morris avenue from Twenty-second to Twenty- fourth street; First avenue from Eff teenth to Eighteenth street Second ave- hue from Seventeenth to Eighteenth street; Third alley from Eighteenth to Nineteenth street; Eighteenth street from Avenue to south side of railroad right of-way; Eighteenth street from Morris to Fourth avenue; Twenty-second street from Morris to Second avenue, 15 blocks 4I333 square yards, vitried brick, cost | $S2, ,S33
 It will be observed that this project in cludes twenty-six blocks at an estima ted cost of s149S33.
 While the ordinance specifies the special kind of paving In each case, this feature or 1t Is open to amendment by majority vote of contiguous property owners, az It Is direct assessment against the prop- erty improved.
 Each kind of street paving has It's faults as well as its virtues. and the selection should of course be made of what is more suitable to each locality.
 Streets.
 As the street department has by a na- tural process of evolution been extended so as to include the scaveneer work street cleaning and sprinkling, it now ranks in importance second to no other branch of our public service
 The following statement of expenses covering the several branches of his de- pertinent are reported by the street com missioner:
 Street expenses and material. ... .s15. 665. .7s Paving and repairs .., .. .. l. 426. 70 Garbage removal ...........,.,. 4 BRA 69 Sweeping and sprinkling ........ 3.572. .8 Stable and teaming .. ............. 16, S64 65 Total .$42. Al. 50 Included in this total Is
 the purchase of gar
 bage removal outfit,
 consisting of 90 mules,
 12 two-horse wagons,
 carts. ............$5, 300 .00 Ten Q0) mules ........... 1,000. .00 Two @ sprinklers .... 800 1000
 $7,O00.00 Add to this sundry
 credits due for serv-
 ices of roller, etc. $6, 656. .13-$13, 656. IS Total operating expenses. .....$ BPS, TBS. .57 For several years past l have persist ently urged that the garbage work be taken out of the hands of contractors and given over to the street department This change was finally made by your order, going into effect on the first of May last It has subsequently been con ducted at an average cost of $946 per month The monthly payment on the con tract basis was $1. GOO, for the removal of garbage alone. This insignificant differ ence in cost was not the reason for urging the change. The more thorough and sys- tematic manner in which desired results have been attained amply vindicate your wisdom in the course adopted.
 Heretofore the street sprlnkling has and business men who have collectively contracted for the work. Under this plan it was mperfectly done, as here and there sections of a street were left dry and dusty. Relatively, large part of our