Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-22
MAIN STREET PAVING.
Four Petitions Out For Information Concern
ing the Wishes OF Property Owners
Views on the Question as Heard
EXPRESSED.

The paving question seems to have struck
Main street yesterday commanding more
than usual interest. For some days the
movement, which seems to have originated
on Waco avenue and then spread to Mar
ket, has been overshadowed by other ques-
lions and compelled to take a back seat.
Main street that came in for light consid-
Grafton at the end Of the first agitation
seems to come up first this time and in a
way that is said to mean business.
AS will be remembered sometime ago
Councilman Buckridge introduced the city
council to the question and spoke of the
various streets under consideration. He
thought to cell out in definite form the
wishes of Main street property owners
from Lincoln to Park and entered on
plan to effect that work AS result it
would seem that the public improvement
committee which has the matter in hand
will be compelled to give some attention
to it.
Yesterday four petitions were in circula-
ton among the Main street property own
erS which called for the names of all who
favor granite blocks for paving the street
from Lincoln to Park. 1t was stated last
evening by one of the gentlemen handling
a petition that he had found all those he
had approached to be favorable and with
one or two exceptions had put their names
on the list asking the council to take def
mite action in the matter The exceptions
favored the scheme but asked further time
before giving an expression in black and
white. The others were reported as meet
ing with about the same success.
Some of the councilmen have been Civ
ing the question attention since the action
in council and seem quite willing
to be guided by the wishes of
the property owners if they find out
what they are. The arguments for
and against paving seem to
play very unimportant part as
compared with the single question of what
the property owners really desired.
The query that was first introduced
when the paving was mentioned referred
to the present laws of the state on that
sort of city improvements. At that time
some feared the present laws were not adj
vantageous to such work, being indefinite
and subject to different constructions,
which could, it was feared. interfere
greatly with the real work of paving.
ObJeCUlOn III Il measure seems 10 nave
lost some of its force, as it is argued that
the same plan and construction can be
as has been adhered to by Others
1t is also added that it is very doubtful if
any change in the laws on the question
will be made at the coming session, which
to a certain degree has assisted in weaken
ing the argument favoring delay. But
it is also added that it is very doubtful if
the council can be prepared to act on the |
question intelligently before the work Of the |
coming session of legislature is known |
and as a result the trouble about the law
sesns to attract less attention than form |
erly.
A councilman whose record as such has |
been marked with conservatism was heard |
remark Yesterday that if the city was in !
need of paving it would possibly be good
idea to do some of that work in the near
future. 1t could be done at a less cost |
now than two or three years hence and at
5he same time be more of an accommoda
ion to the laboring classes of the city. He
seemed to think this feature of the CUES
ion should be given attention. He also
that the street railway company
was favorable to paving Main street
Their part of the work would amount to
and the consent of the COM
,any in his judgment showed that they
we're in keeping with the spirit and ag-
5ressivenesS of the city.