CANTON OF ST. GALL. REPORT BY CONSUL ROBERTSON, STREETS. The streets of the city of St. Gall are surprisingly bad, when it is considered how constantly they are being worked upon, cleaned, repaired, etc. With this, however, the large falls of snow and rain and the general climate here have much to do. The laws governing the building inspection and repair of the streets are strict and strictly enforced. The making of the streets is given out by the municipality either to regular employés, and under municipal direction and supervision or to outsiders under contract according to regular specification, general rules, and estimates. The latter plan is generally preferred. The streets are either macadamized or paved, and the sidewalks macadamized, paved, asphalted, cemented, or tiled. One kilometer of macadamized street, 12 metres wide, with two gutters, and sewers underneath these gutters, will cost 22,000 to 55,000 francs, and the sidewalks per square metre as follows: (a) Macadamized with stone bed and covered with gravel (b) Smooth paved (c) Asphalted.. (d) Cemented.. (e) Tiled (plates of Sinzinger material). The building of streets with sidewalks, gutters, sewers, etc., raises the values of the adjoining properties from 3 to 10 times over original ones, and in somes places even as much as 30 times. Streets of the so-called first class which are used by heavy teams receive a quarry stone bed from 15 to 30 centimetres thick, and a covering of river gravel from 10 to 15 centimetres thick. Those of the so-called second and third classes which are used for light teaming receive a stone bed of quarry stone from 10 to 18 centimetres thick, and a covering of river gravel from 6 to 10 centimetres thick. For the stone bed is used only very hard sandstone (gray-blue sandstone). Gravel is sometimes used as a concrete. For covering streets there is generally used river gravel mixed with some sand. Sometimes, to save expense, quarry gravel is used. The sidewalks are built in the same way as the streets, only that the concrete will be but from 6 to 8 centimetres thick, and the covering of very fine gravel, from 3 to 4 centimetres thick. A square metre of street stone bed, 30 centimetres thick, purchase, hauling, and laying included, will cost, according to the country from which the material is brought, from 2.80 to 3.20 francs, and the same for sidewalks from 0.80 to 1.10 francs. For covering the building department pays per metre from 5.80 to 7 francs. The paving of streets is made as follows: (a) Streets of first class.-The stones are cut out of sound quarry stones, the upper part being made very smooth, and the dimensions are either 15 by 15 centimetres or 12 by 15 centimetres. The height is from 16 to 18 centimetres, and the stones ought to be cut as sharp as possible. Under the pavestones is laid a sand bed 18 centimetres thick. The joints of the stones when laid should not be more than 1 centimetre apart. (b) Streets of the second and third classes. The pavestones are cut from the same material as in the case of streets of the first class, only they are smaller at the top. The height is the same, as well as the bed. (c) Sidewalks. For these, small pavestones are used, and they may be of different colors. Underneath is a sand-bed from 12 to 15 centimetres thick. The cost of building streets in the city of St. Gallen varies according as to whether the latter are made on level ground or on hillsides. For instance, taking six of the town streets here, 7 metres wide, macadamized, the cost of a running metre, with sidewalk, gutters, sewers, expropriation of the land, etc, is respectively: Dufour street, with roadway of 5 metres and sidewalk of 2 metres Francs 98.80 85.50 Winkelried street, with roadway of 5 metres and sidewalk of 2 metres..... 114.00 111.00 101.50 86.70 A square metre of a paved street costs from 100 to 130 francs. The cost of building the streets and of expropriation of the necessary land are paid by the city, but the adjoining property-holders having houses built along the streets pay upon the total cost sometimes as high as 60 per cent. The cost of repairing the streets is paid by the city, and amounts, per year per square metre, for macadamized street, to from 0.80 to 1.10 francs; for paved street, to from 0.50 to 10 francs. In the case of paved streets, the cost of repair for the first few years is very smail, but when the stones begin to settle or to wear out the cost of repair increases very much. Experience has shown that it costs much less for the repair of streets paved with small stones as compared with that of those in which large stones are used. HIGHWAYS. The country roads of this portion of Switzerland are especially good, and receive constant attention. The expenses of building and repairing the post or state roads are paid by the national government. Those for the cantonal roads are paid by the canton. |