Arizona republican., 1905-01-13
PHOENIX. ARIz., JANUARY 1s. 1904
A Negligent City Government.

4 Negligent City UoVernnenI.
 During the past three days the city council Of Phoenix has come in for general and severe criticisms from citi- fzens. because of the horrible condition of the streets and crossings. And we have heard no criticism that was not just The negligence Of the city gov ernment is wholly ineXcusable.
 Yesterday there was a pretense cf looking after some of the crossings on Washington street. but the crossings in the remainder of the business district were totally neglected. Stilts or bal looms were required in order to make a crossing without being engUlfed in mud.
 Why these conditions are encounter ed after every big rain in Phoenix mo- body has been able to explain, but it is always the same. whether the ad- 1ninistration be democratic or repubH- can. About election time there is no difficulty in getting gangs of men to work on the streets, but in rainy weather it would seem impossible to employ anybody.
 There should have been fifty men at work on the streets yesterday, and we can not believe it was inn possible to induce at least enough men to work to make some of the crossings passabie. Not only do business men sustain losses through the enforced absence of GUS toners. but the general public is put to great inconvenience. During most of this week women have found it inn possible to visit the business section os town-or any other section, for that matter.
 And the grounds surrounding the school buildings have been on a parity with the condition of the streets. At tho Central school building, for exam pie, little children have been forced to wade through a lake of mud in order to reach the building.
 Not only could this state of affairs be easily remedied, but 1t could be avoided in the future by little fore thought and a little public spirit on the part of the city council. Over and over again during past years the coun- cil has been urged to make plentiful use of disintegrated granite on the crossings and streets. The city owns the granite banks. which are reached by two railroads, and the city also owns teams, if hauling by wagon is deemed more economical. Why is not the granite used in sufficient quantity to make it amount to something? And why are not the school grounds cOv cred to such an extent with gravel as will change the premises from an inn passable sea of mud to a presentable and habitable locality?
 The present council, like the coun ciIs which have preceded it, is too much given to the 'manana" business. The sun will shine by and by. it is true, and it will dry the mud some day. but Phoenix is not supposed to be a country crossroads.
 Councilmen may complain that they receive no salary, and have no time to attend to public business. Then why gre they so anxious to run for office? It is to te observed at every city cleo IiOQ that numDer or good citizens, democratic and republican alike, do a lot of logrolling to be elected to the council but it is the sad experience of the people that it makes little differ ence who is elected. Things go on in the same hap-hazard way.
 It would be a benefcent thing for Phoenix if a city council could be elected some time which would have the nerve to spend some money and improve the streets in a systematic and lasting fashion. It would cost something, to be sure, to cover the streets and crossings of the business section with gravel, but perfect mac adam would result. The subsequent saving in the cost of sprinkling would, in three years, offset the cost of mac adamizing the streets.
 And thereafter every heavy rainfall would not cause citizens and visitors to life their voices in a chorus of la mentation over muddy streets and crossings.