The Cairo bulletin., 1906-08-19
THE MATTER OF GRADES.

To one who tries TO take broad
gaugel view of The street grade prop
osition- holding the view hat the i'm
provement OF the streets of the city
in the matter Of sewering, filing and
paving, is of such paramount import
anee Thai nothing should be permitted
to prevent il, or to check the move
ment now going on in that direction
to such one II appears that altogether
too mach importance Is attached by
]. some people, to the matter of street
grades.
OF course, 1t is important II Is necea-
sary that the grade of street shall
be legally established before the
street is permanently or substantially
improved; and for this purpose the
ordinance which the city's counsellors
have been preparing and which the
Board OF Local Improvement has be.
gun to consider, must be agreed upon
and passed before any further steps
can be taken with respect to surface
improvements on streets for which
there is now no established grade.
And here some trouble will be met
with, but only, perhaps, with respect
to Washington avenue. which has no
legally established grade north of
Eighteenth street Various conditions
prevail along Washington avenue from
Twenty-first street northward, which
have grown gradually during the las
twenty years, and permanent improve
ments have been made by citizens, IN
the way Of sidewalks, yard walks and
yard filling. and because there was no
legally established grade for the
street. there private Improvements
have been made at somewhat varying
grades. The result is the people re.
siding along the avenue differ as TO
what should be done about the street,
the center of which is now higher
than most of the walks and private
improvements on either side.
However It should not be impossible
to reach an agreement here. A street
grade, especially where the street IS
not permanently improved, is not a
sacred thing. A shovel full of dirt
can not be So important and holy
an object that, TO have it or to take
Il away, may work everlasting saliva
ton or eternal damnaiion 10 any man
or set of men. or to the community
The fixing of a street grade is. TO q
great extent. an arbitrary act and
those In authority are expected to bo
guided by what is best for those i'm.
mediately affected and for the com
munity In general Nowhere in law
is Il contemplated. and no justification
can be found la any example or rules
Of art or utility in build ng ritie.. where
the streets OF any particular street
must be as level as a billiard table
from end to end and from lot lire 10
lot lire On the contrary. variety IS
generally regarded as contributing ia
rather than detrscting from the beauty
Of a street as well as Of a landscape
a dead level" is never inspiring. Ever
the ordinances of the city in 70 IA
as they establish any grades ccntem
plate variety when they declare. an
page 800 Section S27. the grade.
hereby established shall operate onll
upon such portions OF the streets an
avenues 10 which they apply, as ar
trio- fhe grades hereby established
and that where the NATURAL
GROUND is uD TO OR ABOVE AZ
r-ade her~hv established said nqturs
ground shall be the lawful grade
n is naf;reiv safe o. assnH,~ TIA
~ waiter vii be satisfactorily
fHsted macng the men who have
under consideration and whose dot
il is TO settle il. Doubtless it will b