Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-03-27
CITY WILL EMPLOY
ENGINEER AT ONCE
To, Take Expert Charge of Sewers
and Paved Streets Construction.
3 Put Wires Underground.

A competent sewers and streets en-
gineer will be employed Immediately
by. the city of Richmond to have
charge of the construction of the new
sewer system and paved streets. This
was decided upon at joint meeting
of the City Council and Citizens Com
mittee late Wednesday afternoon.
Thus one more important step was
taken in the movement to obtain this
important and far-reaching improve
ment for Richmond in the near future.
A special committee was named
composed. of Mayor L. P. Evans,
Councilman C. B. Terrill, from the
Councilmanic Board, and T. K. Hamil-
ton, from the Citizens Committee, to
take steps toward securing compe-
tent engineer to come to Richmond
and assume entire charge of the work.
The engineer selected will be expect
ed to lay out a plan of sewer con-
struction and street paving and act
for the city in handling its construc-
ton and other ways. Of course, he
will be directly under the supervision
and act only with the authority of the
Council and Citizens Committee in
matters before him. But an expert
along technical lines is needed to take
hold at once, that the plans may be
pushed to get the work started at
once. Many believe that practically
the whole job can be done before next
winter. Of course, some action will
have to be taken Immediately in re-
gard to White Way, and require the
lighting and phone companies to place
their wires underground in the main
business section of the city.
Commendation of this suggestion is
almost universal among the people
and taxpayers of the city. A White
Way and removal of the unsightly
phone poles from the main thorough
fares go hand in hand with new sew
|ers and streets. Unless these things
are done, one well known citizen ex-
pressed the opinion that Richmond
might present the appearance of man
wearing a dress suit and pair of
rubber boots.
Officials of the telephone company
are said to set up the claim that it
would be impossible to place the
phone wires under ground without go
ing to the expense of installing new
system of wires complete in the city.
They say it is alleged, that unless
this is done, all service would have to
be discontinued while the change is
being made. In regard to this, it has
been suggested that the city might
possibly be divided into zones for tel
ephonic purposes, and only certain
areas be cut off from communication,
while the wires are being placed un-
der ground in that section. In this
way, only a few of the people at a
time would be deprived Of telephone
service.
Whether this would be feasible OF
mot is not known, but the fact re.
mains that modern up-to-date cities
now have the phone and lighting
wires underground in their business
sections, and Richmond citizens seen
ito think that they should have this
Improvement along with their new
sewers and streets.
Incidentally it has been learned thai
towns like Winchester, Danville, have
what is known as the central energy
phone" system, which means thai
when you want connection with Cen
tral you simply take down the receiv
ed from the hook, and do not have t.
ring the bell In order to install thi'
system, it is said, tozbe absolutel!
necessary to install a new out
fit. Cities which enjoy it, are said tt
pay slightly niger rental for theil
phones. This matter came up, herr
Ionce before but came to naught ant
many seem to regard the present as |
propitious time to press the matte
Iagain.
The City Council met in formal ses
sion at the conclusion of the confer
lence of its members with the Citizens
Committee, and formally approved tn
action that had been taken. It wa
also decided at the regular council
manic meetings that special EN-
Iploye of the city will be assigned +
the rock crusher in order that Stree
Commissioner Altman may devote al
lof his time to his duties on the streets
It is planned by the officials that prac
Itically all of the improving and re
construction work on the streets dun
! ing the year will be done on side an
outlying thoroughfares, in view Of tn