The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-24
THE MESS IN Our STREETS.
TEAR ZIP THE PAYMENTS;
LEAVE EN- UP; WHO CARESr
Take YsuP Own Time--Nobody VIII Hurry
Ysu-Asphait Companies Largely to
Blame. but Onlcial Neglect and In.
difference Let Holes Remain for Months.

bish and other refuse At the Street Clean
ing Department Il is estimated that ten
per cont. Of this mess is composed OF stun
from torn up thoroughfares.
In other words, the city carried away.
in 1909. no less than l7O,7o2 carloads OF
matter that had its origin in disturbance
Of the surface Of the streets. 1t costs
fraction over IS cents to get q CARLOAD to
the dumps. making total expenditure
for the year Of over So3,0OO. That was
for 1901. Tho expense Of clearing up the
Same mess for this year OF 1908 will be
very much greater, because, first. OF the
citys growth, and, second. Of the
fact that. irrespective Of the subway dig
cling, tho streets Of New York from mis-
cellaneous causes wore never In 90 chaotic
. condition from breaking the surface OF
the sidewalks and pavements a. they have
been for the past six months.
What the actual money cost OF this bar
baric state Of affairs may be cuts small
figure compared with the public incon-
venienoe, to say nothing Of the unsight-
linees Of having the streets in chronic
condition suggestive Of the Modoc lava
beds. New Workers. have been long suf-
ioked over the highway monstrosities with
Characteristic American good humor under
municipal impositions that In some cities
would all but provoke riots and revo-
luton.
There are indications in the air. how
aver. that the worm will turn at last.
Jokes about New Workers developing
abnormal leg muscle, about their quail
f,cations for Alpine clubs and cliff scaling
all these merry quips are beginning to lose
thar SAVIOR. The situation, If one may
Judge by the tenor OF comment heard on
every hand, has lost its humor.
And IL the conviction that fully ~ per
cont. OF this CONTINGENCIES in the streets
u the result of neglect. slovenllness or
worse, there has grown an indignation az
the intolerable state OF affairs which Is
pressing home upon the authorities re-
sponsible number OF questions to which
answers are irnperatively demanded. Inc
explanation that tearing up the stTeet 10
inevitable as the result Of new buildings,
increasing demand for electric, gas and
steam service and the rapid growth OF
the city Is not accepted. Why is it that,
for instance. Second avenue from Houston
street to Twenty-second street remains
torn up from the early part OF April 70 the
middle OF September? The answer given
by the DEPARTMENT that it it is g., ar the
Then comes the query. Why does not the
asphalt company cease it's work OF laying
down new asphalt streets until IL mas
caught up2 What is the sense Of reasphalt-
ing Twenty third street when there are
areas running almost into the acres o.
ripped up, untouched chaos in forty or
hundred other places in the cityr
THE fact is" a gentleman connected
with the Street Cleaning Department SAID
Yesterday, that streets are left torn up
Tor months when the repaving OF tne en-
should have been question n,e % n Sonany
Viii not 60 to a given point to close up
4 single opening. 1t costs too much money
to move its equipment The consequence
Is that tho company waits until there
are a number OF dug-up places to repair
in that vicinity-until just such conditions
arc established as make the streets OF New
York the outrageous spectacle they are az
this moment.
when that has come to pass, then the
paving company will go deliberately with
it's numbering machinery and blockade the
street. for days maybe, Wnen ~ neea ~, 40.
the opening were closed up, as 1t should be,
the moment the work which necessitated
an opening was completed. In London
the plumber or corporation that makes
application to tear up the street does not
get permit except on agreement TO Keep
continuously at work night and day until
the Job is done and the street restored TO
it's normal condition. Further than that, a
narrow time limit is fixed in each case,
within which the person tearing up the
street must have his work done. Ii ne
does not have it done within that speclned
time summons is sent out agaimst nun
and he is arraigned and fined, There Is
no tolerance for the dilly-dally and delay
and slovenly negligence to which we nave
been forced to become accustomed here
in New York and which make the condition
Of tho streets disgrace to our civilization
What is the process here! Inc plumber
or the subway corporation makes applica-
ton for permit to tear up so many square
yards of pavement. The permit is granted;
Then the work is begun and dawded
through at the individuals or the cor.
porations own good leisure. Night WORK.
There is not in nine cases out OF ten even
decently expeditions day work. 1t drags
on and on, in the good old plumber way,
until. at last, in time it is done. Then the
proper department is notified that the job
is completed and ready for repa vement
In one instance that came to my knowl-
edge. that of gas company, there was
delay Of seven days between the notlnca-
ton OF the department of the completion
Of the work and the notification OF the
paving company by the department to
begin repaving.
"What harper sl then you may judge by
what Is before your eyes all over the city
Presumably the paving company waited
until there were a lot more jobs In the Same
neighborhood before it even began work.
AS for the rents in the pavement that
are the results of wear and tear, the paving
company gets no pay for repairing, these
It is part of the contract that it do this
nending. 1t takes its own time about
doing it. have been interested in watch
ing one hole of this kind in West Fortieth
street. between Fifth and Madison avenues.
II remained untouched for months until a
newspaper printed picture of il and then
I noticed that preparat ions TO repair it
were begun forthwith.
In the absence Of galleries for the
electric, gas water and steam mains, It is
inevitable that the streets be torn up
II Is not necessary that they be torn up