The herald., 1897-12-08
No Agreement on Hitching
Ordinance
D0WNEY AVENUE RESURFACING
POLICE COMMISSIONERS TRANS
ACT LITTLE BUSINESS
City Finances in Good shape-Report
Of Treasurer Hartwel1-Final
Street Inspection


gagged the attention of the city officials
for more than a month, special session
of the city council will be held this morn
Ing at 10 o'clock. 1t can almost positive
ly be stated in advance that the action
Of that body will be to so modify the
present ordinance as to permit hitchlng
in the business center of the city for not
more than twenty minutes at time and
prohibited district. This latter provi-
sion may be changed, but up to the time
of the closing of the city hall yesterday
there were majority Of the members of
the council who were in favor of it. The
pressure that is being brought to bear
upon councilmen to vote for or against
the measure IL surprising. The unfor-
tunate aldermen are, in their opinion
the frying pan or jumping into the fire.
Whatever action they take they will dis
please number Of prominent persons,
and for that reason some of them may
change their minds before the time
comes to vote on the measure.
There has been no hesitancy on the
part of those opposed to the present ordi-
nance to appear before the council or the
board Of public works and demand a
change. On the other hand many Of the
persons who really desire the existing
ordinance to remain in force have re-
Trained from appearing to support 1t and
when asked to do so and make their de-
sires known have refused, saying that
they owned property along the streets
mentioned in the measure and while they
were In favor of no hitching. their ten
ants opposed the measure, and. it was
therefore not polite for them to take
any action which would cause any feel
Ing between them and their tenants.
Some Of the persons who have signed
the appeal to the council to modify the
measure have privately talked with
members of the council and told them to
pay no attention to their signatures, be-
cause they had signed for the reason
that they did not desire to offend their
tenants.
Knowing these facts the members of
the council who are conscientious In
their efforts to do the greatest good for
the greatest number are In quandary.
They would like to please both sides, but
there Is no middle ground that can be
taken. The number OF persons who have
appeared to oppose the present ordi-
nance d. larger than the number who
have appeared to favor 1t and the cOun-
cilmen have about decided to try the
twenty-minute plan. 1t is probable that
both sides will be largely represented at
the meeting this morning and the whole
matter may be gone over again.
Councilman Baker will advance q
that combines most Of the
points suggested by those who agree that
some modification Of the present ordi-
nance is necessary but who cannot agree
as to the form of the changes needed. 1t
has been suggested that the ordinance be
so amended that persons transacting
business be allowed to hitch during the
time they are actually engaged in trad
ing, provided they hitch their teams in
front of the stores where they are deal
ing and that time limit of twenty min
utes be placed on the hitching of teams
belonging to the merchants they being
required to hitch only in front of their
own stores unless transacting business
with another merchant.
Mr.. Baker suggests that there might
be SO many teams in front of one store
that some customers would find 1t i'm
possible to hitch there. He will advance
the proposition that such hitching be
allowed on the same side of the street
as the store and that all hitching be
limited to fifteen minutes. AS to the
enforcement Of the ordinance he is of
the opinion that If the proper efforts
were made the measure could be as
easily enforced as any other law.