The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-01-14
THE COUNCIL DISCUSSES
REDUCTION or LIMITS
Matter Talked over last Night and VIII
Como up for Final Action at tho Next
Regular Meeting

I .' A"i'"' "'n H''llNE OK ihr council
I VAS held last evening ,o consider tho ad.
Visibility 90 amending the charter. Therr
werr a number ~ heavy uxplytrs prra.
cnt ani all tho couucllmrn were Iu th.ir
seats After Mayor HrrEman had slated
tho object of tho meeting. a general DIS.
c1ss0n cosuel as TO the proposed ac.
t.Oa.
AZ the special meeting held a Tow days
ago ,hc mayor appointed Z committee 90
examine into and report tho wishes OF
tho property holders %, the city on tho
cTort 20 reduce tho limits of tho munici.
palIty. Tho committee. by its chairman.
Mr. sehcrurckau, reported last nlrht
setting tor that {, had met number ot
taxpayers az tho Chamber of Commerce
on Thursday evening and that tho ma.
jorty wvrc In favor % reducing tho lin.
l,H Tho report recommended A certain
reduction, and was received and placed
on dlc.
The committees accommodation -.
eluded from tho city an but narrow
strip along tho river. leaving out Van
Duscn's and Taylors Astoria Str. Park.
e. member Of the committee. said he
thought that tho recommended tons would
not NEE, with general approval. but
that tho llmiu should start Ia The con.
t,r % Van Duhcn'h Astoria. running
thence south TO a line parallel With tho
south Of tho city water works. and from
there In a westerly direction ,o tho
water works. and from there south 20
ioungs river taking in tho peninsula
This would reduce tho present area of
the city about onc-half.
Jtziugcr who started tho movement
said his attention was iirst called 10 tho
necessity OF smaller city limits by A
trip 10 Astor addition some weeks AZ,
the people IN that vicinity having pct.
toned the council for road Ho said a
road there would cost between r0o and
1000 and that conditions would not jun-
tfy tho expenditure OF that amount In
some cases he explained. under present
conditions. the city would have 10 build
roads six miles from the city hail. Tho
city had agreed 10 turn over 20 the county
court for road purposes the money col.
lrcied from poll taxes and he thought tho
people In the outlying districts would
got better roads under the new order OF
affairs than n tho city was compelled 10
construct tho highways. Ho was in favor
Of reduction OF tho limits OF the city.
expressing tho belief that the paople
would get better roads. and that the city
would b. better on from a financial stand.
point
Mr.. scherneckau said It was estimated
tho property which would be- excluded
from tho city II tho committees report
were adopted would amount 10 about i600
acres which Is assessed at 20 an acre. A
lQ-mlll tax on this would derive TO the
city ti.0J.
Mr. Utznger said ho had talked with
many real estate dealers regarding the
matter and that they were nlmoB, unan.
lmOusly In favor Of H.
James w. Wech who was present
was called upon FOR an expression. He
WIS In favor OF materially reducing the
city limits. The district which II Is pro-
posed TO exclude Is composed OF what h
known as "wildcat" acreage, which. he
alleged, was being sold by an Astoria real
estate dealer to people in the Inland EN-
plre. greatly to the dotrimont OF the city.
Ho said the council could not make too
great a reduction to suit him, as by re-
ducing the llmltg all expenses would be
reduced. He was In favor OF either max
Ing a big cut, or else Of taking In all the
country on the west side Of the bay
H. O. Van Dusen, who represents the
owners OF n vast tract at the eastern
extremity OF the city. stated that II |
made no difference whether his property |
was excluded from the city or not He
said the Van Dusens had paid $40 year |
taxes on their property for the past 10 |
years. which would be lost to them II |
the city limits were reduced; but as tho |
would increase In value with
the advent Of manufacturing enterprises,
he would be satisfied with smaller limits.
G. G. Fulton was also In favor OF re-
lucIng the area Of the city The council
men from the Third ward were strongly
opposed to It, however, and Brix moved
that the matter be indefinitely postponed
The vote was as follows: Ayes, Agren,
Brlx, Goddard, and Hansen; nays, Clln-
on, Parker, Scherneckau, Utzlnger, and
Welch. The motion was declared lost and
he cfffort to defeat the proposed action
Jailed.
II was decided that the matter 80 over
III the next regular meeting, when It will
Je presented In proper form for final ac-
ion.