The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-19
TOPsy-TURvY NEW HAVEN.

While there should be none who would for it's present wholesale endeavors to weld it's trolley tracks together by the new and wonderful process, thus malI- ing travel far pleasanter, there are times when even the best of changes are inadvisable. It Is a serious matter to tear up tho pavement on any city street Not only does much inconvenl- ence result, but in the business sections 1t means a considerable financial loss because certain stores become less ac- cessible to the public More important than either Of these considerations is the undeniable fire-danger which exists as long as lt is difficult or impossible for the fire department to get It's pond erous apparatus to certain buildings because the pavement in front of them is torn up generally.
 There come times, of course when the advance of Improvements makes 1t im- peratlvc that certain streets be torn up, and, in the meantime, be closed to traffic While this Is being done, it Is highly imperative that there be all pos slble dispatch Such delays as there have been the past few months in con- nection with the repavement of State, Center, Meadow and Church streets arc serious matters and inexcusable. Some one should be held responsible. II Is silly excuse for contractors to offer when they have such an important thoroughfare as Meadow street torn up and topsy-turvy that they cannot get the necessary wooden blocks from the manufacturers to go on with the work. They should have seen to 1t that they had every necessary material before they began the work or they should expect to be fined by the city for their delay under contract provi- sions providing for such fines.
 The trolley company chose a most inappropriate time In which 10 weld It's tracsr together on Chapel and Church streets. opposite the Green, within the last few days, when al the same time adiacent Church street, from Chapel 70 ] George streets, was in the throes of a repavcment and retrackage upheaval and Meadow street, beyond and Center street, nearby, were only just recover ing from similar maladies of serious proportions. Had there been serious fire Friday or Saturday nights In the l Church street section of the city, the full import of this statement would now he more apparent The build inas In that section of the city are of such material and are so massed to- gether as 10 offer excellent opportuni- ties for the hre-fend The members of the city fire department realize this fact always The inspectors of the board of underwriters were impressed with 1t when recently here II was not surprising, then, that our hremen have had grave fears within the last few days as to what the results would have been, had fire started In this section
 Aside from this danger there have been the inexorabe delays to trolley traffic because of these many sinul. taneous upheavals It took certain cars all of half hour to get by the corner of Church and Chapel streets Friday night The trolley company is doing a conmendable work in welding It's rails together In many ways it may seem advisable to some who do not thoroughly study the situation that. fl the streets must be torn up to install certain Improvements, they all be torn up at the same time that the agony may be over with. But that Is a dan, gerous policy; 1t fosters exasperatine conditions and is inadvisahlc. There are city officials who should see to |, that such serious mistakes as these are not made, Why are they not doing their duty?