The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-05-09
CITY LEGISLATION.
Special Meeting of City Council
Transacts Much Business.

There was a special meeting of the
city council Tuesday evening and
business was ground out from the
same in a machine like manner that
made great inroads upon the accum-
ulations of months and the clerks
desk WIS fairly well cleared.
DfsOrderIy Ordinance.
The first work of the evening was
the proposal of a disorderly ordi-
nance which is to repeal ordinance
No. s9Ll and in its stead place upon
the ordinance books of the city an
ordinance that will enable the mayor
TO control a certain class of law break
ers in the city. The new ordinance
makes it an offense against the law
of the city for any person or persons
to be proprietor OF, to own or operate
houses of prostitution or gambling, or
to keep places that are resorted to
for the purposes above mentioned.
The ordinance goes further and makes
the offense of being an inmate of a
place of that sort or of resorting to
the places for the purposes mentioned
equally offensive against the ordi-
nance. Another clause of the ordi-
nancerefers to the street walkers who
are on the streets in their solicita-
tions. 1t also makes it unlawful to
engage in selling or drinking beer in
GROWERS in the alleys or public places
of the city. The fines imposed by the
ordinance are not to exceed 500, or
thirty days in jail. The ordinance
gives the mayor power to regulate
the evils touched upon as never be-
fore in the history of the city. The
ordinance was referred to the proper
committee and will no doubt be re-
ferred for passage.
Tax Matters.
a number of tax matters were
brought up during the evening for
adjustment and the fact was devel-
oped that hereafter the city council
viii have nothing to do with tax af-
fairs brought up unless the matter is
clearly a case of error. The assess
ments having been finally passed up
on by the board of equalization will
henceforth stand as final. The tax
appeal matter had become to be a
nuisance in the council. Very often
it was the case that an hour or more
would be occupied with tax cases, and
it is not legal for the council to touch
the taxes after the board of equaliza-
ton has adjourned. There were quite
q number of affidavits filed with the
council showing inability of some sort
or other, and exemption from road
tax was asked and granted.
New sewers Wanted.
There were numerous petitions pre-
sented asking for sewers in various
parts OF the city, and it is stated that
the residents along the route of the
Improvement are DESTROYS of taking
tappage so that the cost of the sewers
viii be comparatively small.
@. b. McCulloch asks for a connec-
ton at the corner of B street and
Fifth avenue. Other sewers desired |
are as follows:
On B avenue between Market and
A streets.
Extension on South / street 125 feet
RcrQss the Sam Jones property; "a
inch thing to be placed.
On North First street from X ave-
nue. to connect with the north end Of
sewer now on that street.
On A avenue east between Ninth
and Eleventh streets.
On @ avenue west from d street to
the Iowa Central tracks.
On Tenth street between B and @
avenues and thence east on Q ave-
nue. to Eleventh street.
The sewer committee will investi-
gate and report at next meeting.
New Sidewalks.
There were a number of sidewalks
petltioned for and referred for con-
domination. The walks win be looked
after by the sidewalk committee or
BY the councilmen in each ward and
Hnal action viii be taken at the next
The walks discussed were
~ follows:
The sidewalk commissioner recon-
nendD the condemnation OF the fol-
owing wake and the placing Of per-
nRaent walks: J.