The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-21
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. NOTES
Street Building and CIcaning.-Ordi
nanccs Which Assist i'm Securing
Cleaner Streets.

iiidtteF now much money is spent in
the effort to keep the streets clean. no
matter how energetically the work is
amount Of machinery used, this work
| cannot be as efficient as when the de-
partment is assisted with the passage
and enforcement of ordinances which
Will make it an offense, to litter UP
the streets, sidewalks and public
places. Too much stress cannot be
lald upon the expression, the en-
forcement of the ordinance" 1t will
| avail nothing if all the ordinances in
the world are passed, if they are not
vigorously enforced. There are or
dinances on the statute books Of
nearly every city which, if enforced.
would nearly, if not wholly, solve the
problem Of clean streets.
The first thing to do. is to look up
| these ordinances You will perhaps
find, some which you never dreamed
were law in your city. A strong eff
fort should be made to secure the
rigid enforcement Of them. The po-
lice and other authorities are not very
much to blame for the non-enforce-
ment of them, if the general public
does not particularly care either one
way or the other about the matter.
One Of the best ordinances which
mas ever been entered upon the stat
ute books of city and one which to-
day Is to be found upon almost every
one Of them is the anti-spitting ordi-
nance. Hardly any one measure has
been productive of the same amount
of good results in the cleanliness Of
sidewalks and public buildings, trains
and street cars, to say nothing of it's
sanitary value, as this one, and yet in
exceedingly few cities is this ordi-
nance vigorously enforced today. How
often in your own city do you see men
tnOughtlessly eXpectorate tobacco
juice or disgusting collection of mu-
Gus upon the sidewalk, when per-
haps not ten feet away there may be
posted a warning that such an action
is an offense punishable by a five-dol-
lar fine and within stones throw
there may be patrolman standing
on duty There is too often hesi-
fancy on the part of patrOlmen to
make such an arrest but they will
do it if the pubic sentiment Of the
community demands it.
Another ordinance which has pro-
duced good results in many cities is
one which makes it compulsory upon
house-holders and proprieto tors Of bus
iness houses to deposit the refuse
from their establishments in uniform
garbage cans and set the same in con-
Venient places where the garbage will
be collected by the street-cleaning de-
partment. penalty is provided n
such an ordinance for throwing re-
fuse upon the sidewalks or into the
street by the householders or pro-
prietors. The purpose of having gar
bage cans is that they are easy to
handle by the collectors and, without
this provision, all sorts of unsightly
boxes. barrels and other receptacles
would be placed on the sidewalks or
in the alleys. The ordinance also pro-
vides that these garbage cans shall be
covered.
An ordinance providing for a fine
against refuse droppers will do much
to stop this carlessness. This ordi-
nance comes under the same class as
the anti-spitting ordinance. Such a
measure should make it a misdemean-
or for anyone to throw or drop any
paper, fruit parings or other waste
material on the sidewalk or into the
street. The city should provide gar
bagc receptacles at street corners and
in the middle of the city blocks for
such refuse. They should be prop
iiN ihbclitu anu PdlIltcu. uc ldDtl-
ling should state what the recepta Gle
is for and also state that fine is
provided for those who do not observe
the ordinance.
The practice Of throwing hand bills
about the street is fast being stopped
and also the tacking of cards on tele-
phone. telegraph. light, and power
poles and fences. An ordinance pro-
viding a penalty for such offense will
greatly relieve such nuisances. The
bare poles along a city's sidewalks are
unsightly enough without having
them stuck up with all kinds sizes
and colors of advertising cards and
streamerS. Ono Of the most productive
IA-.l, -