Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-25

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j and X streets, l know of no other stree
having been graveled beyond Fifteenth
street."
Trustee ghlin-"Wby have 70,
waited till now? Why have you no
brought up before this Board this amend
ment TO the street law?"
Judge Beatty (sharply)-"B ecause I an
not the guardian of the members of thi
Board It's your business to know III,
law ~
Trustee McLaughlin-"Then, why 4,
you come here with it at this time?'
Judge Beatty-"Because l am the sttor
rights are menaced BY c-rtain proposed &C
ton by this Board. l have right here
the same as IN any court of justice, tt
represent taxpayers"
Trustee McLaughlin-"Yes but if yor
knew so much about the law, you should
not have let the Board go wrong"
Judge Beatty-"I did not feel at liberty
| to come here and advise the members o
this Board as to the course they should
| pursue until l became an interested party
Had l done so, l suppose you would hav,
! told me to go about my business and wal
| till l was asked. What we ask now is tina
this matter of improving l. street be laiG
over short time until we can see what is
best to be done, or what the city may de
eide to do as to meeting a part of the eX
pense."
Trustee McLaughlin-"We are going or
in our own way, and if we do wrong you
can stop u.s."
Judge Beatty-"You are not all the
| Board"
Trustee cLaughlin-"Well, am one
of them. and have considerable to say"
Judge Beatty then said that if the city
| would agree to do part of the work it would
| be only right to let the matter rest awhile
| and let the Trustees and people discuss the
| question and if possible come to terms. He
| and his clients had been bulldozed, bat
| they did not want to be forced to obs,ruct
the improvement of L street. Turning
| to Mclaughlin again, the Judge said:
when you, Mr.. Mclaughlin, shall have
| done one-half as much for this city as
have done, then you may talk. Your in
terests lie where the most votes are. | am
so years old. and my record shows that |
have labored long for the Interests of Sac
ramento. And my clients are liberal, rea-
sonable citizens. They are willing to do
what is right, but there is point beyond
which patience ceases to be virtue. The
law is plain that you've no right to go ahead
in the face of our remonstrance."
AS Judge Beatty paused for breath. c. L.
White approached and addressed the Board
de said be did not appear as attorney for
any one, but as property owner. 1t YVES
desired to have | street improved, and he
and others were afraid the Board might
take some action in the L-street matter
that would prevent the CARRYING out of their
desires regarding l street. They wanted
the latter improved either by covering it
with bitunlinouS rock or gravel. II had in
former years been found difficult to deter
mine to just what extent the city should be
liable for the cost of street Improvement
Then the Nrooman Act was passed, and
last year the Legislature amended it, as
Judge Beatty had read. so that now the
city can pay for any portion of street work
out of any fund-eyen the one under Judge
Beatty's control, the bond fund. The pres
ent City Attorney bad filed an opinion with
the Board TO the effect that the city could
not do this. This was a mistake, as there
could be nothing palmer than the fact that
the city has the right to pay for such por-
ton of the work as the Trustees may sec
fiG to order.
Trustee McLsughlin-"Cauw we take the
money out of any fund ?''
Mr.. White-"Yes, sir, any fund that's
what the law says"
Trustee McLaughlin-"Well, then, I'm
willing to take it out of the bond fund"
Trustee Wolf-"Then, I'm with you"
Mr.. White-"So far as l. street is con-
cerned, we hope to see it improved, and
think you should allow some portion of the
expense, say one-fourth or one fifth i
the Board would adopt some such rule
then the property owners on different
streets would vie with each other in the
matter of street Improvement"
Judge Beatty (excitedlyl-"Yo said the
Board could use money in the bond fund
They can no more take money out of the
bond fund than they can steal it out OF d.
Q. Mills bank. Ours is not city fund
the city hasn't put any money INTO it"
Mr. White-''No liberal bondholder has
done it, the city has given it to you"
Judge Beatv-"The city hasn't paid a
cent of that money in ten years. 1t came
from Mr.. Meyer and other bondnoIders"
MIR. White-"Well, the city can pay one.
fourth or one fifth Of the cost of street
work. Il cannot pay for the intersections
exclusively, but its portion of the cost of g
whole block, which would amount, how.
ever, to about the same thing. Every well
informed person is aware that improved
streets are of more importance to the city
at large than to the individual owner:
| fronting on any particular street. The
grayeling of | street would be of little
practical value to the property owners, bu
| we are willing to pay our share of the ex
pense and let the city profit by it. 1t is
| business proposition, and we want thu
| Board to come to an understanding as t
| what extent it will assist. There should b;
! three or four streets improved out 10 tht
| city limits, and this could be doae for abou
$50 900. If the L street people are so self
ish Is 10 want ali their work done by tht
| city, then let the city help the I-street PEG
lyala md # ~. :,
one-fourth OF the expense. Then wei
have these streets graded out to the limit!
of the city. But don't give it ali TO L stree
| and leave US out III the cold.n
| Trustee Mclaughlin said the city had
| levied her taxes and there would be nj
money with which to pay for street worl
| on such scale.
ID. A. Lindley here joined in the discus
| sion and took occasion to remark that tn,
CITY had he right 10 issue certificates of in
debtelnsss 10 the extent Of $4,000. ant
that from $4,000 to $4,000 would do al
| that was necessary.
! Trustee Wolf said the Board had ne
| right to issue oonds without submitting the
question TO 4 vote of the people.
Mr. Lindley replied that he had the as
surance of eminent lawyers that the Trus
tees had the right.
| Judge B satty said the city had no righ
to go in debt one dollar. The Trustees
had levied the taxes for the year and can
no: now make another levy.
| c. A. Luhrs wanted to know if the PEG.
pie could not do the WORK and the city pay
back the money later on.
| Judge Beatty replied that the city could
not legally do so. He then went Gu tc
| say that the Funded Deb. Commission
could not help the Trustees by leaning it,
money 20 them. He said lo ever, thai
such lean could be effected on oond.
voted By the people, and the Commission
could in that way help TO the extent of say
$4,000, but the members OF the Commits
sien did not propose 10 commit a felony
as had been suggested.
Mayor Comstock suggested that the fur
Their consideration of the subject be post
poned and the matter referred to Stree
Commissioner Mclaughlin.
This brought Judge Beatty again to thu
front. He said ne was opposed to leavin,
anything to Mr.. Mclaughlin.
Trustee Wolf, however, moved that III,
matter go over one week, and that it be re
ferred TO the Street Commissioner, and i
l ras Sn nr,iora5