The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-04
SOME KNOTTY PROBLEMS
COUNCIL PROGRAM TODAY is FILLED
WITH WElGHTY MEASURES.
The Question Of he Non-Attendance Of
influential Citizens at Sessions OF the
Council EHcites Some Comment.

An interesting council program is yet for
to-day meeting at O'Clock. This are
statement suggests matter that has been
frequently remarked Of late and that Is
the nonattendAnce OF citizens, prominent or
Otherwise. at these sessions OF the city
council. During the discussion of the fran.
chise extension problem not man ap.
peafed upon TIE scene who had Aot some
direct Interest in the matters penling be.
fore thosd meetings.
People who wish to defeat legislation
which is against tLelr interests us,nlly be.
come prominent ut such meetings IL lhey
attend no others. There are men In this
city possessing sucG influence and power
among the cit.z, MS of Houston chat their
presence on such occasions would greatly
strengthen the hands Of the administration.
Tue privilege Of the floor would readily be
! recorded them and an expansion IT shaIr
views might do lnuch ia the direction cf
securing wise ana much needed acts in the
part VI the city council. This is lust as
hute rs tnat tue presence OF lawyers or
Judges iii certain minor courts as mere
spectators has often secured CONVICTIONS
where noue would nave peen possible In
their absence.
me houi Of meeting Is n Convenient che
from ! to q y. tn, amt no sacrifice of busi.
ness interests would be involved I'm deyut.
ing an hour or two MS 'pectators Of the
| sessions OF the city fathers The gentle
men making the remarks, OF when the
/ ahrve Is out an extract. did not mean TO
! imply that tn council needed any sulveiI-
| lance hut, on the contrary, that the iepre.
| sentatlye' OF the different wards would
! Zee. encouraged and supported by the pres
! ehte OF leading members 81 their constIt-
uency, ms they would renllze hat heir
/ l9hcrs were appreciated and that they bad
the sympathy q the best citizens.
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SESSION.
| 1t is quite possible that the street rail
way proposition for n settlement Of the
differences with the city may come IN
again In soroc form. There are rumors
that a new proposal will come from the
| company, and It has even been proph SIZED
| mat the management will accedc TO the
J dtys requirements as embodied I'm city
| Attorney Stones draft of an ordinance COW
! ering the matter There Is no pxpe,tn-
tiun shat any measure which does not con
! tain the forfeiture clause provided In that
Instrument will receive the mayors sane
ton. SO much light has been shed upon
tho various aspects of the ase through
the columns of The Post that no plen OF
ignorance can be urged on the part of any
citizen.
The report OF the ordinance committee
on Alderman Miller's measure to repeal the
hack stand ordinance Is expected and in
regard to this ubject the public is also
wen Informed MS to the pros and cons.
Those who studlously prepared the ordI-
nance which is now law and voted for
its passages At all stages If It's consldera-
tion are stlll Of the original opinion that
IT is the best measure possible Tor the in
tercstS Of the city NJ large, and the only
opposition hrs come from those directly
affected Other ordinances affecting the
preservation Of the asphalt pavements ana
the regulation If street traffic are also
expected in the near future,
Tho reports Of the city engineer on the
matter Of surveys defining the boundary
lines Of IKE city proper, and which affect
so many titles to lands held to be within
the city's limits, and assessed accordingly,
viii have the effect Of settling many tax
cases now pending before the varions com
mittees and the city attorney.
repor. Is aso expected from the city
engineer upon the best method and cost
Of cleanl; s ont the bayou. both above and
below shepherds dam, affecting both the
purity OF the water supply and the health
: of the city through the cleansing OF the
navigatcd channel by removing sources OF
conta animation Recent rains have provi-
dentlaliy corrected 4 portion of the evil
but that Is only temporary relief The
cause Is yet TO be reached and destroyed.
The city engineer VIII present TO the
special committee his plans for the Preston
avenue tunnel and n report from this com
mtttee Is expected 10 he made In time for
presentation 10 the council. The main en-
| cheering problem presented Is In providing
! suitable drainage, as the floor of the tun-
mel IS nearly three feet below the level of
the present sewer In that locality. should
the sewer be lowered 10 the required
depth, high water In the bayou would back
up into the sewer and do considerable dam
age, However Engineer Dormant has his
methods OF overcoming this danger and a
| solntIon Mlll d0nhtless be renched.