The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-02-16

Leader
Il the ergan OF the sewer and paw
ing grafters correctly reported the
proceedings of the city council for
last Thursday night. some members
Of that body continue TO have little
or no respect for the TAX payers and
citizens Of Guthrie. and their words
and actions would suggest that
lay on. McDun. policy. coupled
with slurs and insults at protesting
property owners was the proper plan
to bring the protestaats to realiz-
ing sense of the importance OF the
council as a body. and the impossible.
ity Of the members. singiy or collect
lively. ever making a mistake
It is not the intention OF the writer
to speak for the property owners
within the paving limits These gem
tiemen are abundantly able TO rrc-
tect and care for their own Interests.
fact that has been demonstrated in
the past But when aldermen de-
clare that property owners in Guth-
rie evidently do not desire to build
up a city here. and then supplement
ed his fling with the statement that
they we're in favor Of letting the peo-
pie here live in the mud if they so
desire (see Capital reporO, they are
simply continuing their previous
course when they referred to those
citizens who protested that the sewer
assessments were too high as
'1Jickers"
The retiring councilmen should get
right on these matters. and stay
right No citizen Of Gul~o objected
ito sewers. What they did object to
was paying from four to eight times
too much for the laterals. Oklahoma
City citizens fought their special as
sessments for laterals clear through
the supreme court Of the territory,
and Il is an absolute fact that the as
isessments against the lots there for
this purpose was only about one
quarter the sum Guthrie citizens were
called upon to pay for a system that
did not cost any more to build, foot
for foot Now as nearly every mem.
der of the city council admits that the
contract price for the laterals in this
city was too high. it would seem that
to be kicker" was to be right. So
much for the sewers
If the writer is correctly informed,
the protestants are not opposed to
paving do not want to live in the
mud" and do desire to build up
city here" The report of the coun-
Gil meeting says that the protestants
positively stated that they did not
want paving "at this time" Does the
council fully understand the meaning
OF the quoted words? A challenge is
made for any member of the city
council to show anywhere that prop
erty owners do not want to pave the
streets of Guthrie at as early a daie
as is prudent But, gentlemen, not
at tlis time" II councilmen would
get their collective ear to the ground
they would get the correct interpreta-
ton of mot at this time, and would
learn that tax payers object to a city
administration that has provn itslf
wholly incompetent to protect the tax
payers, spending any more of the
city's money. Th incompetency. ig.
norance. apathy and possibly some
thing worse. that has characterized
the present ADMINISTRATION simply
found vent in the words. mot at this
time" spoken in the council chamber,
Thursday night, and the inference is
so plain that the wayfaring man tho
a fool need not err therein.
It is to be hoped that when the
successors Of the present city admin.
istration retire to private life, they
will not car,S with them the disap-
probation Of constituency whose
interests they have signally failed TO
care for and promote, and which can
be expressed briefly and succinctly,
when municipal Improvements are
suggested. in the four words mot
at this time"
a Lateral Victim.