Our Streets Need Repair

They Are Being Allowed to Get in Bad Shape

WHICH COSTS CITY MORE

Than It Would to Go Over Them Each Year, and Fill Up the Depressions

There has been a growing feeling of dissatisfaction among the citizens with the care of the streets of the city. Occasional vent has been given to it in communications to the papers, but it is more often heard in private circles. It is not a feeling against any officers or set of officers. Neither are the men who express it a unit on what should be done or what remedy should be put in force.

The objections to the present order of things may be summarized. It is said that the streets are full of holes, that it is difficult to drive with safety over some of them; that in muddy seasons, the mud is very deep; that the streets are not as good as the country roads.

That the streets have not always been so, citizens who have been here for some years are sure. That they need not be so, these citizens are equally sure.

The amount of money expended by the city on its streets is as large as it ever has been. Where, then, is the trouble?

In the first place the city has been paving certain streets, and although the cost of this paving is generally thought of as being paid by the adjoining property owners, Main street is the only paved street where the property owners paid all but the street intersections. On Huron, Ann and State streets, the city, in addition to the intersections, paid 20 per cent of the cost. The city at large pays approximately a third of all street paving.

When a street is paved it costs much more to keep it clean than it did to keep it in repair before it was paved. Paved streets have their uses, but the taxpayer who thinks when a street is paved, "Well, that street is in good shape, there is that much less to  take care of," fools himself.

When a new street is paved, the city ordinarily pays $15,000 at least of its cost. Hence it comes that some people are saying that it might be well to stop further paving for a while and put that amount into general repair of the streets.

The trouble is, they say, that a street is repaired. Then nothing is done for some years to the street and it gets into bad shape. A few dollars spent on it each year would have kept it in good shape. But the hollows are allowed to remain and when next the street is touched it is in such shape that it has to be done over again.

There are streets without number in the city which two or three loads of gravel would put in shape, which soon will be in such condition that a dead set for a big appropriation to repair them will be made. If the streets were gone over each year and gravel thrown into the depressions which collect water they would be kept more easily.

The best example of road building in this section has been the Saline gravel road. This was kept up by a toll company. About $500 a year was spent on it, or about $100 a mile, which is less than the city spends per mile on its streets. It was kept up cheaply because it was not allowed to get out of repair. It's the old adage of a stitch in time applied to road building. The Saline gravel road was not originally a good road. old settlers will tell you that it was the worst road in the country. That farmers living along it were continuously called upon to bring out their oxen to help the travelers out of the mire. Nobody started to draw a load of wood to the city with less than four or six oxen on it.

It was an intelligent use of gravel which made this road. It is an intelligent use of gravel which can make the streets of Ann Arbor model city streets. Gravel so rounds and all depressions carefully filled so that the streets will shed the water instead of holding it until cut into ruts, or until big holes are washed.

Our streets are on deep gravel foundations, the best in the world. Properly surfaced the streets could be cheaply kept in good shape.

These are some of the things that can be heard about Ann Arbor streets. A haphazard method of caring for them should give way to some intelligent method.

Death of James Donnegan

A familiar face will be seen on the streets of Ann Arbor no more. A good workman will shoe horses no longer. A kindly hearted, cheerful man will be greatly missed. James Donnegan died at his home on E. Ann street monday night after several month's illness with stomach trouble. Mr. Donnegan was 51 years of age and leaves a wife and two daughters. He was  well known in the city having carried on a blacksmith shop here for a great number of years. 

The funeral was held Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock from St. Thomas church.