The Republican journal., 1910-12-01
CONCERNING THE STREETS.

Ten years ago the expenditures on
highways, ETC., were $7,504.93; last year
$14, IA. The salary of the street COM
missioner for 10000, including team,
was S51666. For 19O9-1O the street COM
missioner was paid $94372. The highway
appropriation for 1910 was Sill, 900, and
for State road 81, 100. That the streets
and sidewalks were in better condition
generally ten years ago than they are
today is evident. This year piece of
State road has been built on Bridge
street that begins at High street and
ends in a mud hole, or rather in series
of mud holes. 1t stops short of con-
crete culvert, and the greater part of the
appropriation seems to have been ex-
pended in the immediate vicinity of
building in which the mayor is largely
interested. The mayor has declared that
no more sewers are needed, although the
south end of the city, where there are
many fine residences, is without the sew
ers included in the plan made for the city
by Parks & Wheeler; but he had sewer
built in connection with this piece of
State road and created new Office, that
of superintendent of sewer construction,
to provide for one of his followers. This
superintendent had from two to six men
digging the trench for the sewer, and the
CITY engineer, at so much per diem, was
also on the job, and the street commits
ssioner, who was paid nearly one thousand
dollars for his services last year, was also
at hand Is it any wonder that the ap-
oropriation was soon exhausted and the
State road ended in mud hole.
Go where you will in the city and sub
a1rbs and you find evidences of neglect in
the roads and walks. High street from
fhe top of Primrose hill to the Mcclellan
residence has bed rocks showing above
the surface, is full of ruts, and in wet
weather the mud is deep. Church street
from the Brooks House some distance
down is and has been in bad condition for
some time Many of the cross streets
are covered with loose stones and on one
of these streets the mud and dead leaves
from the ditch were recently thrown INTO
the middle of the road to be transformed
Eov the first rain storm into the nastlest
Kind of mud On Court street and on
Miller street sections of the sidewalk lay
at such an angle that when snow and ice
come they will be dangerous to walk
over.
The spite ditch on Waldo avenue is not
the only evidence Of spite work. Under
former administrations Street Commits
sioners L. L. Robbins and J. F. Wilson
built sections of State road on Northport
avenue that were underdrained and given
"a good coating of gravel. Everybody
except the present city officials knows
that graveled road is dry in wet wealth
er and that in dry weather the dust is re-
duced to a minimum. In the spring of
1909 the road machine was used to scrape
the mud and sods from the bitches and
leave it in the middle of the road, which
was left in such condition that for some
time travel was diverted to the back
1ng reference to dirt roads, with what
has gone before, it looks as though there
has been deliberate attempt to discred-
it and destroy the good work done by
others.
For another object lesson go to the
public park. Mr.. Howard F. Mason,
practical and experienced road builder,
built the roads in the park and graveled
them thoroughly. They were as wide as
the conditions demanded; but the mayor,
who does not like Mr.. Mason, put the
road machine in there, nearly doubled
the width of the roads, and covered the
gravel with earth. They have since
grown up to grass and weeds, with
wheel tracks zigzagging through the
dirt, permanent Disagreement of the
park. 1t cannot be said that this condi-
ton is due to the failure to secure an ap-
preparation of $500 to provide employ
ment for one of the mayors followers, as
these roads were accepted by the city,
are under the care of the street commits
sioner, and are to be maintained from the
appropriation for highways.
If a young married man who gets a
salary Of S23 week saves S. of it every
week, how much will he save when his
weekly pay is increased to $50 Boston
Globe.
That cannot be decided mathematical
ay- 1t depends altogether on the man, and
the wife.
The Nova Scotian lumbermen and fish
c2rmen are reported to be in favor of