The Detroit times., 1908-05-25
DETROIT HIS PICK
Of CITIES OF
THE WORLD
JOS. BOYER, HOME FROM TRIP
ABROAD. SEES NOTHING TO
COMPARE WITH OUR TOWN
cRlTicIsEs PAYMENTS.


I'm glad to be back" says Joseph
Boyer. president OF the Burroughs
Adding Machine Co.. who has return
ed from 10 weeks touring abroad
While away | visited most OF the
capitals OF Europe. but would rather
live In Detroit than In any city saw.
doubt II there ts any other city In
the world that nature has endowed SO
generously as ours. don't mean that
In every single respect we are ahead
OF European cities. because in some
important matters they have a long
lead on US"
The asphalt streets, for instance,
on the main thoroughfares In Lon.
don and elsewhere. are far better
than ours. They are very much bet
ter made and SO much better main
tanned than our Woodward-ave.. that
there is no comparison. There Is
probably ten times more trafflc on
the Strand In London than on the
busiest part Of Woodward-ave., yet
the asphalt paving on the Strand is
very nearly perfect and I understand
is kept In that condition practically
all the time,
Il looked into this matter a little
bit and believe their superior streets
are due to two reasons First, they
are made much better with splendid
foundations; second, they are looked
after very carefully at all times.
Police inspect Streets.
Il was told that In some of the Eu.
ropean cities. II not in all of them.
the streets are under tho supervision
OF the policemen. to the extent thta
each officer Is expected and required
to report when there Is any indica-
ton Of section OF the paving needing
repairs, and when the least indication
OF weakness appears. repairs are
made Immediately.
When repairs are necessary. they
are attended to promptly, with char.
acteristic thoroughness, and the new
material Is fenced about and given
ample time to set and harden before
public traffic Is allowed TO cross II.
You know how It is with our streets
A hole appears and sometimes no at
tention is paid to It. with the result
that II rapidly widens and may extend
from car-track TO curbstone before
repairs are made.
IF the Strand, and streets In other
European cities which very
heavy traffic passes, are maintained
so splendfdly. there can certainly lie
no reasonable Justification for our
thoroughfares ever getting 80 bad.
Woodward-ave., south OF Boston boule-
ward Is by no means perfect but north
of that point II 10 In such awful shape
as TO be almost impossible"
"On Monday we are having 80 bank
ers from Texas spend day In De-
troit as our guests. We wanted To
take them In automobiles TO the golf
club for supper. but are ashamed TO
drive north on Woodward-ave., and
hence were obliged to make arrange
ments with the Country club"
Don't Give Streets Fair Chance.
In one respect we don't give our
streets a fair chance. believe we
make great mistake in allowing
them to be dug up 80 frequently for
the laying OF pipes, etc. have re-
peatedly noticed street that has
been duly resurfaced and Just a little
while after, long trench was cut
through It. OF course, In time the
trench was filled up again and the
street surface patched, but a street
surface after being 80 cut and patch.
ed Is not nearly as good as before.
"Of course. | don't know all the
handicaps under which our street dc
partment may labor. but I am sure
that It Is not thoroughly efficient. The
condition OF the streets tells the
story At this moment have I'm
mind near my Office wo streets
across which trenches were run by
private parties. The work was done
more than year ago but there still
remains on one OF these streets a dip
or groove In the pavement, perhaps
two or, three inches deep, and foot
and a half wide. and on the other a
hump or ridge about as high as the
other Is deep. One of these was BY
letter called to the attention OF tho
street department and no reply was
ever received, and the defects are not
yet corrected.
II believe the people In Detroit have
no idea how many thousand dollars
of unnecessary expense they are put
TO each year because our streets are
not properly laid and are not after
ward properly taken care OF.
Maybe this seems like criticism
but II is sincerely made. like and
admire Detroit immensely, but IL
seems a shame TO me that an import
ant matter like our streets Is neglect
ed"