Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-05-22
KICKING A GREAT KICK
Property Owners Protest
Against Proposed Happy
Valley Improvements
The Council Urged Not to Rob
the City's Peters to Pay
Its Pauls
The Twenty-third Street Prop
osition Pronounced Ode
cidedly Ridiculous"

After the proposition to purchase the
necessary right-0f-way for the extern
sion of Mill avenue was paralyzed by
Mayor McKenzie's influence last
Wednesday the council passed a series
of resolutions favoring the improve
ment of portions of Harris, Knox and
Douglas avenues, Twenty and
Twenty-third streets, in order to ac-
commodate the people residing in the
Gise and Eidridge additions and
vicinity of the Mill avenue extension
as proposed. 1t was expected by the
council that some portions, at least, of
the improvements suggested would
meet with opposition, and it is already
quite evident that that expectation
will be realized. The following COM
munication from a well-known citizen
and property owner in Happy Valley
undoubtedly embodies the ideas of
others, which will probable find further
expression in formal protests to the
council:
EDITOR HERALD-The recent action
of the city council declaring its inten-
ton to improve portions of Knox, Har-
ris, Douglas, Twenty-second and
Twenty-third streets, meets with the
disapproval of four-fifths of the prop
erty owners on the portions of said
streets which are sought to be inn
proved. There is at this time no neces-
slty for the improvement of said streets,
al II. 4 L..
used, except by pedestrians, after they
were improved. There is no teaming
east of Twenty-first street except on
| Donovan avenue. The localities named
are already provided in the main with
sidewalks, which are sufficient for the
present need.
The fact cannot be called in question
that eight-tenths of the property which
would be subject to grade tax on these
streets is owned by men Of limited
means, many Of whom are seeking en-
ployment and finding none, and who
would be wholly unable to meet any
part of said tax. At the present prices
Of real estate in these localities, the
grade tax arising from the improve
ment of said streets would in many
instances nearly equal the value Of
the abutting property. The result
would he that many men with families
who are now struggling to make q liv-
! ing and tide over the hard times would
be caught, and consequently would be
compelled to sacrifice their property for
which they had paid "a handsome sum
in order to get enough money to take
them and their families to some other
section of the country.
"Retrenchmentn seems to be the
watchword of the present city council,
| but where does the retrenchment cCme
in when the council proposes u compel
certain streets to be improved, which,
after they were improved, would be Of
no benefit, and the pianking of which,
| instead Of being worn by the wheels Of
vehicles and the hoofs of horses, would
| but simply lay and rot under the down
pour of the Puget Sound rain. Re-
] trenchment does not only consist in
curtailing expenses which are paid from
the funds, but also i'm guarding and
protecting the interests of an intelligent
constituency, and refraining from sad
ding upon the people any great
and Unnecessary debt or obligation.
1t is to be hoped that the council, in
its wise discretion, will not undertake
to doom the Imperial City by robbing
Peter 10 pay Paul, or, la other words,
taking a mans property for grade tax
on some highway where a wagon
would not be seen once in two weeks,
and from the proceeds Of said property,
remunerate the contractor and laborers.
In regard TO grading and planking
Twenty-third street, it must be said
that the proposition, to say the least,
IL decidedly ridiculous. There is a
strip of acreage crossing Twenty-third
street at a point east Of Min avenue JOG
feet I'm width, which the owner has
made arrangements to enclose with a
good lawful fence. When this Is COM
pleted those living on Twenty-third
street at a point east Of the north line
of Mill, I'm Order TO reach Harris ave.
nue., would have TO go north TO Knox
to get out, and those residing on
Twenty-third street at a point east OF
the south line of Mill, in going to
Knox street, would have TO go south to
Harris in order to reach 1t. Not
withstanding the fact that Twenty.
third street Is completely blocked
which is a great inconvenience and q
detriment to all the property on that
street, yet the city council, which has
the means at its command to enable II
to open said street and make it thor
oughfare, refuse so To do. In view o
this fact, and disregarding all othei
reasons, the property owners OF
Twenty-third street have Just anc
sufficient ground to oppose the i'm
proyement Of said street in its presen
shape and at this time, which will b,
! zealously done. CITIZEN.