The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-07-13
THURSDAY, JULY IS, 1916.
Re-surfacing Streets.

When is Hpavement pave
ment" and when is a dirt road a dirt
road? This question is being asked
right now by lot Of property owners
who are interested in knowing whether
or not the city is going to take care OF
what they consider "paved" streets.
Most people have had the idea that
when the street assessment committee
got through holding hearings and de-
eide to 90 ahead and pave, we mean
improve, a street that all that remained
to take the cares of road building OF
the minds Of the property owner was
to pay the special assessment levied by
TIE city. Now it seems that In some
cases an improved street is not an i'm
proved street. The trouble about it all
is this: A street may be improved
without the city assuming the necessary
expense Of keeping it improved, !" but
when street is "paved" then the city
has some sort of an admitted obligation
to keep it "payed."
Where the dickens they draw the line
between improved and paved streets
still remains to be seen. Attorneys for
the most part stall around for a few
minutes light pipe, look wise and run
through the index of the supreme court
decisions and then they lay off for the
day without deciding just what a paved
street is. Some of them say that a
street to be permanently improved }"
must have concrete base put under it.
In some cases it is admitted that streets
are permanently improved" when the
men living on them have a pull with
the council. At this suggestion ellis
Honor" would probably come down
with the gavel and declare the sugges-
tion out of order and he would prob
ably be right, but lot of people in the
city would like to understand Just what
steps they have to go through to get
tt cir street improved so that there
would be some obligation on the part
Of the city to take care of it. All of
item labored under the delusion that
when they paid the special paving as
sessment they bought an insurance
policy against bad roads in front OF
their homes. They have found out that
there was q reserve clause to the policy.
A lot of streets in the city for which
the people have paid out lot of money
are getting to be just about as bad as
they were in the days when they were
little more than foot paths or cow lanes.
The people themselves would like to
have them improved, but they believe
that the city should pay for the i'm
provements. On the other hand the
aldermen look wise and suggest that the
people get petition and agree to pay
for repaving of the streets.
Undoubtedly lot of men who own
property on Main street are ashamed
OF the appearance of the street. They
have blushed so much over it that they
nave reached the point where they
would go down into their pockets and
pay for repaving passing, let us say
that this is blushing some.
People owning homes along streets
which are improved with macadam
roads want something done with them.
The only trouble is that the citv de-
clares that it is not liable for the main
tenance of these roads and the property
owners declare that they believed that
the city was when they paid the bill
for building them.
Let's have the matter settled one
way or the other. If the people must
pay for repaving, let 8 get down to
cases and pay. Why not have the CITY
go to it and cover one stretch of the
Eacadam roads with asphaltg Then "a
its attorney holds assess the cost of II
TO the property owners. Let the prop
erty owners refuse to pay and then in
perfectly friendly suit go into court
and thrash the matter out. Carry If
right up to the supreme court and oct
from that court decision on when an
improved street becomes a "paved ),
street. When this is done, the people
will not allow any sleek alderman to
pun the wool over their eyes in the
future and they will demand that when
streets are improved they be e'paved',
so that they will stay paved.
Inc proposition is one that affects
nearly half of the improved street; in
the city today. If the people must foot
the bill, they want to foot it in q man.
ner which will be agreeable to them as
roofing any bills can be made agree
aoie' When they pay the second time
Tor the improvement of tba S+roo+s
.ney want to have it mentioned in the
pond that the further Improvement
snail be paid for by the city.
Let's nave someone start something
TO show just what can be done.