The morning call., 1893-01-12
NEW STREET LAW
An Act Regulating Street
Extensions.
SOME OF IT'S PROVISIONS.
Radical Changes From the Existing
Statute Mass Meeting of Mis-
sion Property-0wners.

A large number of Mission property
owners assessed for the extension of Nine
teenth street met at the corner of Twen-
tieth and Guerrero streets last night and
signed petition TO the Legislature request
ing the repeal of the present street laws
under which extension schemes are pro-
iected.
A. p. Van Duzer presented the draft Of
bill which is to be presented TO the Legis-
lalura as a substitute for the law now in
force, 1t provides for the laying cut. open
ing. extending, widening STRENGTHENING or
closing up, in whole or in part, of any street.
square, lane, alley, court or place within
municipalities, and 10 condemn and acquire
any and all land and property necessary or
convenient for that purpose.
'The principal feature Of this proposed
act" said Mr.. Van Duzer, in explaining its
provisions, us that it will repeal the pres
emf law for opening, widening and extend
ing streets, and thus invalldate ell proceed
ings had under it and which have not yet
been finished. This act will knock out the
scheme of the Supervisors TO extend Nine
teenth, Twentieth Twenty-frst. Twenty
second, and Twenty third streets. Tor which
you have been assessed.
I'm cases, however, where more than one
half of The lands in any report and Plat
proposed to be taken for said streets shall
have been decided to the city, at the date of
the passage OF this Gct, then said improve
meats shall not be affected by this act; but
in all other cases the assessments, plats,
and reports filed by the extension commits
sioneTs are declared to be null and void and
all laws authorizing their collection are
hereby repealed, and all the moneys col
lected under the provisions OF said act shall
be refunded to the persons from whom the
same were collected, IN the same manner as
taxes which have been twice collected, and
the said commissioners are hereby removed
from office.
"Ihe bill Also" said Mr.. Van Duzer.
provides for the appointment Of the
| Mayor Tax Collsctor and City Attorney as
an auditing board TO audit the claims OF
! extension commissioners appointed under
| the existing law in order that they might
not lose remuneration FOL services rendered
| thus far"
| Ex-Judge Wheeler addressed the meeting
upon the subject of the law, which. IN his
opinion, would have beneficial results The
/ present law, he declared. is an outrage upon
| property-hoders and it should have been
repealed long ago.
Experience has shown to u.s." said he,
| "that we cannot entruSt too much power 10
! a Board OF Supervisors, especially when
| certain weghty influences are brought to
| bear in the interests Of corporations a.
| against the property-owners. The pro-
! posed law will regulate street extensions so
! that the rights of prOpery-owners afle cted
I by improvements Will be respected"
Tie act was unanimously indofsed.
Alfred Clarke then spoke at length upon
the proceedings in the Board Of Supervisors
! relative to the adoption Of the report of the
! commissioners for The extension OF Nine
! teeDih street.
This band of robbers" said he, referring
| to the Street Committee Of the board which
! has just retired from Office, ''plotted in Sc
| cTet TO rob Us OF our property. Whenever
/ we came to protest against the wrongs
! inflicted upon US deaf ears were turned to
! orr pleadiDgs. Such men as Taber and
! Wilkinson were the wolves while We were
/ the lambs. They have all but eaten us up.
| Laughter,
Mr.. Clarke then spoke Of Mayor Ellerps
! honesty while serving as mem Der of the
| Board of Supervisors.
He tried To stop this imposition upon US,
but Taber and Burling's machinery was too
we'll fabricated and he could not do il. Had
all the members Of the Street Committee
been men lise Mayor Ebert tie outrageous
| report of the Nineteenth-street extension
commissioners would not have been carried
through.
A resolution was then introduced by Mr.
Clarke calling upon the Mayor, v no was re-
Gently sued in connection with the city. IN
injunction proceedings relative to the Nine
teen h-strset extension, 10 file an answer
admitting the allegations Of the complaint
TO be true.
TIE resolution was not apparently
relshed by the majority. who considered
that Mr.. Clarke was attempting TO use the
prOpeTty-Owuers present for his own adj
ysncement. he having privately sued the
city for an injunction restraining the Street
Superintendent from collecting the assess
ments for extending Nineteenth street.
Mr.. Atschnl moved that the resolution
be referred 70 the executive committee.
Mr.. Van DuZer stated that the resolution
| should not be adopted, as it would be
ridiculous 10 request the Mayor TO admit
| the truth Of the allegations made in Mr.
| Clarke's complaint OF which he had no
! official knowledge, and with which he had
| no more to do than the man in the moon.
Let US do nothing ridiculous" said be,
"let Mr. Clarke fight his own battles and
We will fight ours. Our most important
! business is to secure the passage of this
act"
When the question OF referring Mr.
Clarke's resolution to the executive CON-
mittee was put it was carried with a rousing
vote.
John II. Grady introduced another reso-
lntion protesting against the proposed re-
moVal Of the Pestnouse from its present
| location to the Aims ouse tract, which was
| adopted.
The petition 10 the Legislature was then
submitted for signatures, and all present
took advantage OF the opportunity to sign
| the document.