Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-03
The MAYORS VETO.
The City Executives Objection to
Granite Pavement.
A Lengthy Review of the subject OF
Paving, the Materials Used and Cost
OF the same.

An ordinance passed by your hOnOra>
BILE body, March IS, 1889, entitled IAN
ordinance for the Improvement of Second
avenue from the east line of Twentieth
street west to the west line OF Fourteenth
street, and for levying special tax there
for" does not command my approval
and Is returned with the following OBJ
Jections:
The ordinance was introduced without
previous preliminary notice and passed
without the customary reference to a
committee. Nevertheless, it may be
fairly inferred that no alderman was taken
wholly by surprise. inasmuch az the es-
sential parts OF the ordinance had been
informally brought to the notice of the
council at prior meeting The subject
matter had also been previously publicly
discussed for considerable length OF
time by property holders and citizens
directly interested. Not so much there
fore, from the fact that an ordinance was
passed, as from the character of its
provisions, do doubts arise whether or
not il received that careful and deliberate
attention which is due to the character
and Importance of the proposed improve.
ments.
The authority vested in your honora-
BILE body to pass such an ordinance is I'M
questioned. The possession Of statutory
authority, however. may be ample in a
given case and yet the exercise of sIch
authority may be polite or impolitic &C:
cording TO circumstances. II appears TO
me that in making ordinary local i'm
provements the course of established pre-
cedents may be safely followed as gen.
eral rule, while in entering upon new and
special improvements such as in this city
street paving would be, and which is in
tended as the outline and commencement
of future growth of special improves
ments, 1t would be proper and polite to
first ascertain the need and then mainly
to be governed by the expressed wish of
the msjOrity of tax payers affected there.
by. In this particular instance such in
formation as came before the council in
dicated willingness on the part Of
respectable number of Second avenue
property holders 10 have the council pro-
vide for paving the street, but whether
with granite or with some other material
was not clearly manifest. Whatever
doubts may have existed at the time the
council was celebrating upon the ordin-
ance In regard TO choice of material the
subsequent action of property holders
directly interested, in memorialiZing tie
mayor to interpose his veto, leaves no
doubt in my mind that large majority
OF owners representing much the largest
proportion of frontage held by tax PAYERS
are decidedly averse TO paving with
granite. Whether the same persons, the
same number OF owners, would be op-
posed to any paving whatever within the
proposed limits on Second avenue has
not yet in any decisive or intelligent
manner been made known.
The present ordinance explicitly pro-
vides for making the pavement with
granite and for obtaining the larger part
Of the moneys to do the work by special
tax to be imposed upon the adjoining
property. which tax would be additional
to the general taxes paid in common by
all tax payers of the city. Such being
the case 1t seems only Just and equitable
that the council should give due weight
to the wishes of those who would be
specially burdened with the extra tax.
and that they should afford them reason
able opportunity to make known the
character and extent of the improve
ments they might desire and the amount
OF extra cost they would be willing to as
sumo. Such course would be prudent
and would strengthen the efforts of the
council in enforcing the ordinance. 1t
would he an index to the sentiments of
the parties most deeply and directly in
terested. If the proposed improvement
was generally held in favorable estima-
ton it could be adopted without fear of
obstructive measures, and il there was q
pronounced opposition not directly in
conflict with public necessity and the best
interests OF the city such proposed special
improvements might with proprietv be
left in allegiance until their necessity be.
came more imperative and their utility
more apparent.
A retrospect OF twenty years woulc
show numerous enterprises undertaken
here in the city which at the outse
promised substantial ben Gifts. but which
failed to realize the hopes that were en-
tertsined, and so. the theory Of increas'
ing property valuations by paving Of
streets, long in advance Of the require.
ments Of an ordinary thoroughfare, 10 In
my opinion decidedly more illusory than
substantial and prudent. 1t has been re-
presented to me that there are
several instances of property holdings
embraced in the present proposed inn
provement where the extra cost OF paw
ing with granite, the expense of building
brick sidewalks already ordered within
the same limits, together with ordinary
taxes, insurance, water rates, and annual
repairs would be a larger sum than the
amount OF two years annual rental OF the
property. II this statement be true, il
would be very novel and refreshing
mode of increasing citizens wealth by
making the tax on his property greater
than his revenue.
During the past two years 1t has beer
the steady policy OF the administration
to pay the accruing interest and to annu
ally pay some portion Of the principal OF
the city debt, TO continue the construc-
ton and development OF q system Of un'
derground sewage. TO provide against in.
undation from the river, and to improve
the principal thoroughfares OF heavy
traffic In the city leading towards the
center Of business in such q manner as
the funds appropriated for the purpose
would permit. To this end very consid
cradle sums have been expended upon
the Milan roadway and Ninth street, and
upon Fifth avenue and Elm street. A
continuation Of the same policy would
embrace filing and raising to grade
Twelfth street, which leads to the city
cemeteries. Fifteenth. Sixteenth, Seven
teenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth and
Twentieth streets, and also Third,
Fourth, Fifth and Sixth avenues within
the same territory. By comparatively
inexpensive system of tram railway and
cars the material for grading up streets
and sidewalks could be brought from the
bluffs at a moderate cost. and when the
work was accomplished there would be