The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-09-04

benefit to everybody and make the
city more pleasant to live in. By all
means let us have Them"
~
Mr.. Edwin Wayland: 81 think
good sidewalks and streets the very
thing, and the city needs them badly.
Nothing will help the city 80 much"
~
Mr.. J. H. Collett: eyes, sir; /
want to see good sidewalks and streets.
They will do more good than railroads.
I favor making property owners put
down good sidewalks"
~
Mr.. R. Y. Bandy: "Of course 1
favor good sidewalks and Streets"
*a*
Mr.. William Burt, of the Burt Shoe
company: ~ am most decidedly in
favor of good streets, good sidewalks
and beautiful parks. l think Austin
should have all them"
~
Judge Fillmore: The judge was
seen, and abiding to the subject of
street improvements and to an edi-
torial in Sundays STATESMAN, said
Touching Art. XIII of the city
charter referred to in your Sundays
issue, make the following sugges-
tions from which you can see that it
is practically dead letter. Ordi-
nary stone curbing will cost not less
than 80 cents per running foot and
work and material for balance Of a
sidewalk not less than rs cents per
running foot-the cost for an ordinary
inside lot $46 and for a corner lot
(46x12S) STA, so that the value of
an inside lot would have to reach
81 600 and corner lot SIT 400 before
anything could be dope under this
provision which restricts to per
cent. This provision in the char
ter was never intended nor ex-
pected to serve any pdrpose ez-
cept to secure uniform sidewalks
for Congress avenue and portions of
Pecan street, hence / renew my sug-
gestion for change in the city char
ter which will at least allow citizens
the privilege of making permanent
street and sidewalk improvements.
am opposed to any general tax, or
the creation of any debt which would
be burden upon the whole city, for
the reason that at this time it would
be utterly impracticablei in view OF the
ST. 400, 600 debt about to be created.
Without this l would oppose it for the
reason that the city never would I'M
dertake to sidewalk and pave all the
streets, and to undertake anything
less, with the income from general
tax for this purpose, sidewalks and
streets would be built only in such
sections as could bring the
most influence to bear upon the
city council, jobbery would
be inevitable and the cost of the i'm
provements would be much more
than it would be under the personal
supervision of each property owner
interested. AS soon as the work was
over the responsibility of the city
would end.
The provisions OF the new charter
OF Houston would suit our case, with
some slight notifications.
1t is now but few months till our
legislature meets, and our council
should be urged to make move.
Austin will never take her place in
the front rank OF Texas cities with
one idea as basis, even though that
idea be the "dam" idea.
Should such an amendment
be adopted it is very probable that
only few sections of the
city would at first take advantage of
it, but it was one of those things that
would gain 80 rapidly on the public,
that it would be but a question OF a
few years until it became universal in
the densely populated parts of the
city. If we wait until the city issues
bonds, (and 100000 would scarcely
answer the purpose), or until property
away from the Avenue and Pecan
street is worth 800 and $3.50 front
foot, before doing anything in this
direction, our great grand children
will not live to see anything better
than ragged, ungainly streets disfgur-
ing city which only awaits the slight
touch of the artists hand to make 1t
the gem of the Southwest"