Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-20
PlEReON SUGGESTS
klNO STREET MARKET
PLACED ELSEWHERE
Continued from page I

speaking, as l am, II " embarrassing
to attempt to make any remarks be-
fore a Club whose members are usual
ly treated TO high -c,ass oratory, but,
I take II, when / was asked TO talk
to you about the Department with
which l am connected. you desired
information and facts. rather than en-
tcrtainment, thsrefSre. I appreciate
this opportunity Of saying few things
OF the activities Of the Street and
Sewer Department, what 1t ie accom-
plishing. what It II trying to accom-
plish. and what 1t would appreciate
your help to accomplish.
have often thought that our De-
partment, and possibly all the depart
ments Of the city. should have a pub
licity agent, or at least sec TO II that
either by word of mouth or through
the courtesy OF the press, the tan
payers, whose interest we arc tryinr
10 serve. would more fully understand
what " being done with the money
which we receive. We. OF course. give
out information, from time TO time
about sxtensive improvements: there
Va always sufficient notice about the
sale OF bonds. but from contact with
many OF our people. | am under the
impression large majority do no
realize the routine and extensive worl
which is carried on by the Street an,
Sewer Department.
One .of the routine services AFFORDED
by this Department - that of re
moving ashes. papers and other ma
terial discarded By our homes an,
business places. We are well organic
ed 20 do this work and unless ther,
are complaints about the service, n,
ono seems 10 realize It is being done
y few figures which I compiled som,
months ago show AZ follows:
Tho work Of removing ashe.
involves a weekly collection OF ashe,
and housekeeping refuse from approx
imately 22Jo0 properties During 1872
1851 truck loaos, or los. .296 cubi,
yards OF material were removed an,
the ashes spread upon unimprovs,
streets and used for fills. and the pape
and rubbish burned disposed of, at
cost OF $e7,259.0l, or a cost of 62 cent
per cubic yard and an average cos,
per weekly collection, of less than 81,
cents (.o6D per property. Ever
weeke collection. during tho year wa
completed. that is the entire cit
received n weekly collection OF ache
and rubbish. and with few exception.
! (due to weather conditionel, the col
! lections were made on scheduled day,
and We had but forty-three registere
complaints OF non- collections durin
the year.
Many OF our citizens do not ACRE
with us. l know. but we consider ths
our streets are clean. especially whe
compared wi n those of many 9th,
cities, and we are continually beir
told they are by visitors and travellir
men. II ie not the natural accumu,,
ton of wastes and dirt from publ
traffic th-t cauoe the uneis h illness
ihe street,. that. feel sure, II We,
generally kept clos ned OF; It fs rath,
the unnecessary littering with ruhbis
and paper which could be avoided ,
easily II each person would do h
part.
The street cleaning 70 done by har
and by machine bruon,s and wat,
nushers and cost for last year ssl
oss-sS, representing an eXpenditu,
for this item Of approximately $3.50,
per mile. or sS4ss per city block.
Can't Do All At Once.
1t is impossible TO repave all Of "
streets at once on account of I,
money necessary TO do 20, but ye o,
, oeavor TO repair our streets as far
our money will permit US 70 do a,
TO keep them In as good condition
. possible This repair work is Going
, continually. Last year We cover
l1s blocks Of the ma dan, streets wi
, surface treatment of stone and tn
VIA, and we intend TO give them a
, other application during this sunni,
, which will put them in a good conc
ton FOR sometime and remove the du
q annoyance to the residents on :
street and relieve the department
the expense OF sprinkling with wal,
. which is costly. with no lasting !
suits. We contemplate resurfaci
with asphalt many Of our old bri
and belgian block streets, upon whi
, there are no trolley tracks. tt
! makes very inexpensive and sat
factory Improvement.
The repairs 10 streets last year ct
see.07l.7s. These funds are deriv
from what is known as the "Strt
8 Paving Tax" a slight tax upon prc
: critics abutting on streets which W.
n paved prior 70 January l, 1918. a
which will continue for ten years II,
!. that date.
= Another routine service of thi. Z
3 partment Is that Of maintaining c
n sewer syDtem. Wilmington is abe
30 per cent severed. and in this
r spect is very much ahead of a sr,
!. many other cities which / could ms
ton. We have 1Ss miles of m:
sewers TO which are connected v,
many more miles Of branches to prc
critics. The only sections Of the c
E not severed are those over TIL
street bridge. west of Greenhill a,
!" nue. and north of Thirty third stree
o Another service coming under
q street and Sewer Department is q
{. " lighting the streets. AS you kn,
= Wilmington has DO municipality owl
lighting plant We contract for I
8 service. but it 10 our duty to see q
I. the contracts are lived up to--tl
+ each lamp gives the service for VIII
d. we are paying and that the city is
ID well lighted as IS possible with
h FUNDS at our command for that %
" pose. The cost 10 the Departrn
y. to- 1921 for street lighting was s.
527.s1.
Wilmington is not lighted as well
z; we would like 10 Sc It, especis
n IN some Of the residential sections.
! compares favorably with a mum
9 OF cities of our class. and we are
: iuS this st lees cost per mile OF sire
o and less cost per thousand than aJrr
Q any city within a hundred miles
so of Wilmington.
King Street Project.
y We have inst coptractad ,,-;+t,