Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-01-28
SHALL THERE BE NO MORE
PAVING?

1t was painful to lovers Of PROGRESS il
u beautiful little city 10 read the otho
day that the paving company had store(
Its machinery, and that no more paving
could be done here, until the court passcs
upon the petition for the permanent i'll.
junction to prevent the city council from
collecting from the property owners two
thirds of the cost of the paving whicl
has been completed. 1t IS painful t.
contemplate the half-inished block il
the rear of our beautiful new markc1
building-an advertisement of the fac
that the wheels of progress have beer
stopped ii Brownsville-for a time, al
least.
Perhaps the law may be on the side o.
the opponents of the assessments foI
street paving, which the city council
seeks to make against the owners of the
abutting property Oh those streets which
have been paved. There may be som
legitimate grounds for opposing the cX
tension of the street paving.
The Herald is no lawyer, and woulC
not presume to put its opinion on til
legal phases of the question up aeains
those of the lawyers who have said thai
there are legal obstacles to the collcc
ton of the assessments.
Probably the complaint that cheaper
sand was substituted for the qUalit,
stipulated in the contract may be Ell
tirely reasonable and valid. The Her
aid disapproved the substitution, an(
has criticised the city for accepting such
substitution. Still, the final answer tC
the question as to whether this will make
the work less durable or less efficient
should be obtained from some competent
and disinterested paving expert. And. if
such authority should so decide, then
future paving contractors could be held
to this provision. The fact that a blund
er has been committed should not cause
us to put the brakes on the wheels Of
progress. Mistakes can be remedied. OF
at least need not be repeated.
1t is a fact that, in all other Texas
cities, the cost of street paving is borne
principally by the property owner. The
law provides that even as much as three
fourths of the cost of such improvement
NAV be assessed against the abutting
property. The Brownsville city counci!
assessed only twO-thridS of the cost
against the property owners. Corpus
Christi. however, has gone the full limit
and assessed the full threc-fourths. That
enterprising city, by the way, will spend
100000 for paved streets, and the prop
erty owners will be required TO pay three.
fourths of that amount. Yet we have
1o,uI of No nhinnfinp M thnIp lnpt
against the assessment.
Perhaps the court may uphold the con
tention can not legally collect the as
sessment.
What then? Are we to nave no more
street paving in Brownsville?
Shall Brownsville stop short in the
matter of public improvements if the law
does not force the citizens to pay for
them?
There was no law to force our citizens
TO put up the big bonus which they paid
only a few short years ago for the sake
of having a railroad built here. But they
did if, and the wonderful growth and
nrosperity of the town and country since
have made all feel that it was the most
profitable investment they ever made.
The tremendous advertisement which
Brownsville has gained by reason of its
spledid paved streets alone IS ample re-
turn for the investment. Visitors here
always remark Immediately upon the up
to-date look which the street paving give
the town. Far ahead of other towns
this size. better paving than even Hous-
ton or san Antonio" your ne buildings
make a great showing, but what strikes
me as best of all Brownsville's improve
ments is your splendid street paving.
These are a few of the oft reiterated re-
marks heard from the strangers within
our gates. They prove that the street
having is one of our greatest a~sseSts.
The advantage of the paved strets over
the unpaved ones needs no argument for
proof. just go OF any rainy day and
drive over both, and then render your
own verdict.
Yes, we all admire paved streets. and
we all want more of them. We voted an