The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-16
BROAD STREET AND DUST STORMS.

BROAD STREET AND DUST STORMS.
little wind on Thursday afternoon turned
Broad Street of a sudden into the similitudc OF
a crowded desert suffering from a sand storm
So far as the biting. driving. ullimpregnating
shower Of grit and dirt was concerned. the
comparison is exact. 1t becomes imperfect only
the conditions that make sand storm in
desert least clearly af1iction did not
obtain in this sudden covering Of people and
stores. OF eyes and mouths and hair, with the
refuse OF dirty streets.
Richmond has recently entertained tubercu
losis convention, in which much stress was laid
upon the danger to the public health even in
such matter as careless street sweeping. VIVA,
shall be said Of the dancer from disease germs
when long streets are swept from end to end
by gale converting The entire air into the
medium for the rapid spread of every particle
of filth and dirt and refuse which negligent
policy letting the streets alone permits 10 hide
it's time to do its iniury2
The city has, or is supposed to have, stree,
cleaning force. 1t has the water and the sprink
tory discharge of their duties the citizens are
made periodically aware of the existence of these
indifferent exeeutants q IA highly IN portant
duty. The Fall and early Winter have been
seasons Of practically nrelieyed drought Yet
if the street cleaning force has done more
than cart awaysa few loads of rubbish and stir
up for resettlement Il little dust, no one has
been aware Of it. II the sprnkling wagons have
done more than enthusiastically take a weary
way along few streets, they have taken tht
dead Of night for their tour of duty and nc
one has been advised of the fact that they were
/ Ion the job"
The intoierabeness OF such conditions Is bu
I emphasized and not created BY the disgracem
! Illustration OF THURSDAYS small wind playing
havoc. Broad Street. the particular sufferer
is il is true. occupied by hundreds Of merchant.
whose business goes far toward making the
business Of the city. and whose taxes to grea
degree support it's administration I, is true
! that i'll many instances their goods were dam
aged, their natural trade run away from thei,
doors. the shoppers of the holiday season mad,
should be made as pleasant as possible, But th,
wind that made the disgrace apparent did no
cause the disgrace Itself That exists in tn,
almost studied negligence Of the city with re-
speet TO It's streets; in the utter complacency O.
the administration at the existence of piled.uf
dirt; in the entire disregard of lax perform
/ ance of prime duty for the health. the comfor
and the property OF citizens
Richmond has Mayor, and the Mayor has
at the least some power of initiative in respec
to failure OF such a duty, the abatement o,
such n nuisance. The Vfrgiu,au. If we recall
the circumstance correctly once had occasion tf
commend. the prompt determination of Mavo,
Richardson not to permit the exhibition of tbe
Johnson-Jeffries prizehght pictures II Womb
now like TO be in position to applaud an ecua
determination on his part to abate as well as
prevent a nuisance---a nuisance that in this
instance. IS not only irritating to civic pr,de
but distinctly a menace to civic health