The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-14
ADVISORY BODY
RAPS ECONOMY
IN Street WORK
Blickwedel and Guyer Lead
Boards Attack on Condi.
ton of City Thoroughfares
This Year.
Mrs. Stephens Deplores Fail.
ure of Cleanup Campaign
to Produce Cleanly Habits
Among Citizens.

kAAseVAs6 N1GAAV1tSs
Nine Of the fourteen members Of
the mayors advisory board attended
the second meeting of the organiza.
ton last evening and discussed city
affairs from chuck holes in the streets
to the need of providing public toilets,
especially one at Eighth and Main
streets under the surface of the street.
Motions were adopted for presenta-
ton to the board of public works that
the advisory board recommend the
placing of trash recepticles on street
corners. wherever deemed advisable"
with the end in view of preventing
the unsightly nttering Of streets with
rubbish of all kinds; an investigation
to determine what local application
can be made of the state housing law,
and the sprinkling of the roads in Glen
park every Sunday morning and days
when large crowds assemble at the
park.
Adolph Blickwedel. who presided az
chairman after L. B. Nusbaum was
called from the meeting. and George
Guyer led an attack on the condition
of the streets of the city. Mr.. Bnck-
wedel asserted that the majority OF
macadam and gravel streets were in
the worst shape they have been for
many years and he declared that one
of the missions of the advisory board
must be to preach the doctrine of per-
manently improved streets, preferably
brick streets.
Guyer Raps Economy.
He said Richmond was way behind
its sister cities in the matter of good
streets and this defect would have to
be remedied il Richmond was to keep
in the procession. Mr.. Guyer asserted
that possibly the city in pursuing its
policy of economy was penny wise and
pound foolish. Economy in the ad-
ministration Of several departments
was admirable. but, in Mr.. Guyer's
opinion, this was no time to be eco
nomical in handling the funds of the
street department.
Mrs. Stephens, for several years
head Of the cleaning day movement,
said she was shocked at the filthy
condition the streets were now in.
which indicated that the frequent
lessons in municipal cleanliness had
not made very deep impression on
many citizens. THE way our streets
are Uttered up is a disgrace and
makes Richmond look like a country
town." she said. Her denunciation of
the general practice of throwing paper
and all kinds of rubbish on the streets
was SO strong that the board finally
passed a resolution asking for the
placing of trash recepticles through
the city. Seven are now in use but cit
izens fail to take much advantage of
them
Robbins Reseues Reporters.
Miss Bertha Larsh, secretary of the
board. provoked "a lively discussion
near the close of the meeting on the
| question of whether newspaper men
should attend the meetings Ques-
tions would be discussed from time to
time the solution of which might be
handicapped by premature publication,
she thought Isaac winburn suggest
| ed the presence of reporters might
| tend to prevent free discussions of
questions.
Mayor Robbins came to the rescue
of the newspaper men by saying it
had been his experience that II re-
porters were requested not to publish
affairs of importance until the proper
time they would not do so. while Mr..
Blickwedel remarked that he apprec-
| lated having city hall reporters in at
! tendance because of their familiarity
with city affairs. The discussion was
then closed. and the free and un-
trammeled press still reigns supreme.
| Miss Larsh also called attention to
poor housing conditions in Richmond.
| She wanted to know if the state hous-
! ing law could not be resorted to to
remedy conditions. and the board at
once adopted a resolution to have city
officials investigate this matter. Miss
Larsh called particular attention to a
house on Main street between Fifteen
! fh and Civfoapfh In G in
most dilapidated condition and in
habited by several families. Tenants.
she said. had been accustomed to
| dump ashes in the halls. Winburn re-
marked that as bad as mat house
was there were many others in a
much worse condition.
Oil Issue Up.
The oiling question, of course, had
to come up for attention and It was
the unanimous opinion that this work
was done much too late this year and
that street oiling would never be salts
factory until the city did the work It.
self 1t was the boards opinion that
next year only such streets as would
take oil we'll should receive applica-
tions and that the work should be done
by the city street department. The
| oiling would then be properly applied
and would be a benefit rather than a
detriment to the streets. therefore an
economical policy for the city to pur-
| sue.
Mr. Blickwedel expressed the opin-
ion that there should be several pub
lie toilets in various parts Of the city.
He thought the city. should at least
provide one for Eighth and Main
| streets.
J Mr. Hubbard brought up the ques-
ton of tree planting. He said this
work should be done next October
and a committee composed Of Folger
Wilson. Mr.. Hubbard and Mrs. Steph-
ems was named to investigate the mat
ter. Hubbard said Richmond now had
between $4,000 and $1,000 shade trees
each valued at $50 but there were
many sections of the city where more
trees were needed.