Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-19
THE CITY SHOULD DO II

Laying of Curbs, Sidewalks and Pre-
 pairing Grades an Important Matter.
 Ib the sidewalk committee appoint
 ed by the aldermen get together and
 agree upon something which will
 meet the case, it will be the best
 move ever made towards getting the
 streets of Waterbury in shape so that
 money expended on them will not be
 almost wasted. When a street is
 graded the city should set the curbs
 and pave the gutters before the work
 men leave the job, and as 1t Is out
 of the question to get this done by leaving 1t to the property owners it
 ought to be plain to everybody that 1t would be policy for the city to at- tend to 1t and charge what is fair against the abutting property. It
 will be money saving scheme for everybody. At the present time, al- though the city does not buy large quantities of blue stone curbing, 1t
 gets 1t at something in the neighbor-
 hood of 50 cents foot, while 1t costs private individuals 75 or 80 cents a
 foot. With these facts at hand what objection can anybody have to the proposed new order of things. There Is another thing, too, in this connec- tion that great many don't notice. Almost every poor man puts down blue stone curbing, but most men of
 means use cement, which serves the purpose just as well, although 1t does not cost over 50 or 55 cents foot. If the present board of public works
 can bring about change which will give the property owners the benefit of those reduced prices and the pub lie better streets and sidewalks, ev- erybody will say that the outing they took some time ago was worth con siderably more than 1t cost.
 It is not likely that the committee
 on sidewalks will decide to lay a walk
 on East Main street near Proprietors' common this summer, as 1t would eat into the park appropriation to such an extent that there would be very little money left for continuing the improvements now going on at Ham, ilton park. The appropriation before 1t is touched Is none too large for a years work, not to mention the fact
 that money is taken out Of 1t for odd
 things, and although walk is needed
 at the point mentioned the commit tee will undoubtedly allow the mat ter to go over until next summer.
 Although the people who reside on East Main street and are accustomed to use that thoroughfare are pleased to see the street cleaned, still they would prefer to leave it unswept if they are compelled to endure all sum-
 mer what they have been putting up with the past couple of days. The sweeper pushes the dirt towards the
 gutters. but in doing 1t raises such a cloud of dust that pedestrians are a sight when they reach the center. The dust covers their colthes and
 what escapes their clothes they are
 lucky if they are not forced to swal-
 low it. It makes 1t most unpleasant for those who walk to and from town,
 and something should be done to abate the nuisance.
 Section 2 of the sidewalk ordinance of Worcester covers the matter fully.
 It reads as follows: Whenever any sidewalk shall have been laid out
 and established. the street commits
 sioner shall grade the- same, ,g set the curb stone, pave the gutters and con struct sidewalks of such material as the city council shall deem expedient. It shall be the duty of said commis-
 sioner to keep an exact account of all expenses and outlays required or in-
 cured by him in constructing each
 sidewalk abutting upon any estate, and report the same in writing with
 in thirty days of the completion vf the same, with the names of persons
 chargeable with the whole or any part of such expense. to the auditor. who shall at once report the same to the city and 1t shall forthwith pro-
 ceed to assess upon the owners of
 the several estates abutting upon
 said sidewalk their just and propor-
 tionate part of the expense of paving said walk. Said report shall contain in separate items the expense of pay ing the gutters. setting the curbstone
 and paving the walk.
 Sec 3. The expense of construct ing or repairing any sidewalk laid
 out and established as aforesaid. or any sidewalk heretofore established,
 shall be assessed upon the abutters, but no part of the expense of grading the street, setting the curbstone or paving the gutters shall be assessed, but shall be paid by the city"
 The Worcester charter also pro- vides for the construction and main tenance by the city of temporary footpaths in front of vacant lots where public necessity and conven- fence do not require permanent
 walks. thus insuring good footing in all parts of the municipality, even in the very sparsely settled districts. After reading the Worcester charter
 one does not wonder why there has been SO much trouble with the walks
 in this city. where until quite recent ly the whole burden of construction and maintenance fell upon abrsters The city fathers should bestir them-
 selves and do something about thls
 sidewalk question. It is even more unjust than the water rates. so that
 after all perhaps there was good req son for all that has been said in criti-
 cism of our system of conducting
 public affairs. These are things that
 were handed down to us from people
 who had to do with them when Wa terbury was small town. They may
 have been all right at that time, but 1t Is certain that they are not what
 is wanted just now. and the city can
 not expect to be what ereryhody