The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-29
NEW PLAN ADOPTED
City Council Determined to
Have Good Sidewalks.
PASS A NEW ORDINANCE
Knocks Out the Objectionable
RemOnStrance Clause.
PASS A NEW ORDINANCE

At the regular meeting Of the city coun-
ell last night a new plan was adopted by
the city. regulating the construction of
sidewalks, it having been decided to
operate under the state law empowering
cities Of the frst-class to pass their own
sidewalk laws.
The law under which the city hereto
fore has followed provided that a remon-
STRANGE signed by over one-half Of the
property owners along where sidewalks
are proposed shall take precedences over
the petition asking for the walk About
the only material clause from the present
plan is the abolition Of the productive
clause, and all the requirements now
necessary is a petition from twenty-five
property owners.
There have been several cases where
remonstranoes have been filed aga.ns;
the building OF walks where they were
needed badly, but the council was IN
able TO do the work Under the ordin-
ance passed last night, the council can
build walks wherever they think they are
an absolute necessity
Two ordinances providing for the is
suance Of public bonds to pay for the con-
st:uctioH Of the neg sewer in sewer dis
strict number /, was also passed The
ordinance provides for the issuance OF
what is known as installment bonds.
There will he ten of the bonds ard ore
will mature each year for ten years. The
amount Of the contract is $1,000 and each
bonds vii! be for 500.
The committee on police and prisons
favorably reported the motion instructing
the city electrician 10 install five police
call boxes at different points 10 be desig
mated by the police de \ rtnent. one Of
these phones was put in at the corner Of
Main street and Douglas avenue some
time ago and it has proved very satls-
factor An elect-ict light is placed on
the police so that whel the clerk at the
station want TO talk to an Officer he rims
Up. the same as with the ordinary phone,
and an automatic switch IS connected 50
that the lamp is lighted and the officer
on That beat knows that he is wanted
The Committee also made a COTTON that
the chief Of police be Instructed to buy
hats for the parchment.
The fire ard water committee reported !
motion 10 have the water mains EXTENDED |
on the west side OF Douglas south of Oak |
street to Maple, then west on Maple to !
Elm. The Deosle living in that part of /
town have peudoned the council to have /
the mains extended and the committee I
moved that the petition be granted.
The health commimttee reported that /
they had seIected~the old sand pit at the I
corner OF Eighteenth street and En-
poria avenue for dumping ground. The
street runs through the pit and il was
understood that the owner of the ground
was anxious to have it filled up
Under the head Of public improvements
several motions were made. The commit
&c moved that the city engineer be in
structG- to nil up the ditch on the north
side OF Central from Sherman avenue to
the river, and TO put in thing. i is nee
essary 10 I'll this ditch because the new
street car line viii <-ke up a large part
Of the street and as the ditch is about
ten feet wide, there viii not be enough
space for the passage OF teams.
They also recommended that a six foot
tight board fence should be put up on the
north side and a picket fence on the east
OF the lots just east Of the city building
that belong to the city. and that the space
should he used as material yard.
Notions were made to have the hedge on
the north side Of Harry street cut down
and to have the trees on the south side
of Central avenue from Wichita to Main
cut down. The trees were at the side
of the street but nov the street has been
widened. aad they stand close to where
the street car line will be laid.
The Ere marshal reported that he had
West Douglas avenue and had found
them to be in an unsafe condition and
had ordged them to be torn down or re-
moved
A petition from tse residents who live
on Fourteenth street near the Little river
was read to the council They stated that
the river had washed away the bank at
that point and was damaging property.
and would soon commence TO wash away
the street. They asked that pilnE be
driven. so as to prevent further damage
A motion was made and carried TO grant
the petition.
A motion was made that as soon as the
St. Francis hospital should pay their /
taxes amounting. to S7l75, that amount
should oe refunded 10 them by the city.
The council decided 10 open Bailey
street from Market street to Lawrence. =
and passed motion that three disinter-
,sted househol5ers should he appointed
% appraise the value of the land which +
would be condemned and bought BY the Y
.ity I'm order 10 open the street. [
Sidewalks came up for considerable dis
suss.on ! petition was read for a per- {
uarent sidewalk on the nr~th side Of (
FIRST street from Indiana TO Washington y
lvenue. The petition was granted = e
petition also read was 4 iemonstrance z
,saiast the AuiiG.ng OF the walk. signed D
~ all the property owners ii one block. &
Nfter considerable discussion the cn6-'cil
its vote on the petition and q
referred both petitions to the councilman
from the Third ward. The contract fer c
oujldins cv,nent walks was amended 70 j
Laird & Co. at 10 4 cents per square
'oot. ard % cents per cubic yard for ssnd :
ipiing. and the contract for cinder walks s
70 A {. FsAer. at Z So cents per llneal il
foot ,
After awarding these contracts the Z
council went ;a,o executive session c
TESTING The LICENSE LAW 3
-