The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-30
BUILDING BETTER CITIES
By Frederic J. Haskin.

waste last year was 5000, ,000 gallons per day. This scheme costs s20.0o0. but the ianvestment earns seventy i've to eighty perceant High pres sure water systems have been installed in New York. Boston, Philadelphia, against fires in the eongested dis tricts.J
 Street pavements are being improved constantly. In many localities asphalt is regarded as most satisfactory. In others. wooden blocks treated with q preservative. bitulithic paving-a mix ture of tar and stone-and cement are l used. Cement as a street pavement Is favored in a number of western cities. Wood is used in New York on account of its comparative noiseloss- ness. Macadam streets were first oiled in California. Since then this, practice has spread over the country to many municipal highways.
 Before long, 1t is predicted, munich pal sewage. instead of being dumped into the waterways by the billion gallons to pollute the city water supply, will be spread upon the land as a fcrtilizing agent, after being rendered harmless by chemical treatment. This plan is being operated in Toronto. Canada. A similar plan fig being talked of for Baltimore, where the first muni-
  constructed. New Orleans is spending several millions on a new system.
 The municipal lighting problem has practically been solved one of the latest agents being the flaming arc light Of 5000 candle power and up- wards. Los Angeles, Denver and other cities are turning their attention to making street lighting ornamental as well as useful. Detroit Is one of the cities having towers up to 200 feet Ugh bearing powerful electric lights. Besides electricity, municipalities are lighted by gas, acetylene. gasoline and benzine.
 The disposal of street sweepings arbage and other refuse is becoming an art. Cleveland has a model muni- cipal garbage reduction plant. In many cities contracts are let and the garbage is rendered and tons of valu- able oils put on the market. Street sweepings are burned, ashes and other r, use picked over and material worth many thousands of dollars saved. The rest Is used to i'll waste places, is burned or is dumped into the sea
 New York has recently established a bureau of municipal research and fin- ances. Data and statistics are en- gazing the services of corps of ex- perts troughout the country. One of t..e things they have not yet worked out is uniform system of municipal accounts showing besides ireciepts and expenditures. The sources of revenue, amounts invested in per- manent improvements. and cost of gov ernment. At a Louisville conven- ton of municipal accountants this month a census office .xpert submitted a uniform balance sheet which many hope will be adopted. Tn the matter of city taxation there is nothing very new, except the single tax on land values, after Henry Georges idea. This w-s tried for the first and only time In an American city or town at Hyatts- vile, Maryland, near Washington, but pronounced unconstitutional.
 The police and fire departments. playgrounds. juvenile courts, and othor features of municipal improvement have kept pace with the general for 'N .rd march. Attempts ave been made to abolish the smoke and bill board nuisances. improve railroads and other public utilities. and amend municipal building laws, but much remains to be done
 Copyright, 1908. by Frederic J. Has.
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 TOmOrrOw-Modern Business Ingenuity.