The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1903-09-09
Say They're Not
Tax Escapers
Property Owners Attorneys Ex.
plain Sixteenth Street In
junction Proceedings

J. q. A. Bowiby. f. J. Taylor and G.
X. Thomson attorneys for the prop
erty owners who are suing TO have set
aside the contract for the Improvement
Of Sixteenth street. yesterday fled a
communication addressed TO the mem
beers Of The common council IN which
they set forth at length their side of
the story. The communication recitsa
that many erroneous reports have been
circulated with reference to the suit
and the explanation is deemed Heces-
sary. The communication says In part
This is not suit on the part Of the
property owners 10 avoid the payment
VI their assessment for street improve
incnt. but 1t is wholly unlike other suits
which have been brought against the
city 10 prevent the collection Of street
assessments. This Is suit TO cancel and
set aside an alleged contract for street
Improvement, on the ground that such
contract Is void, and also TO enjoin the
performance of said contract on the
the city from paying for work under
said contract, either out ni The street
fund or general fund. II Mr.. Goodin
gees ft to go ahead with his work In
the face of this suit. he takes chances
on getting any pay for II. either from
the city or the property owners
The attorneys then go on to state
that both Mr.. Goodin and members Of
the council street COMMITTEES were
aware OF Irregularities existing prior to
the time the contract was signsd, but
that they neglected TO heed the warn
ings Of the attorneys. 1t is further
charged that the contract was signed In
spite OF contrary advice on the part OF
the city attorney.
The lawyers also take occasion to de-
ny that they are seeking to escape pay
ment OF taxes. Says the communica-
ticn:
1T has been charged that plaintiffs
are class OF persons who are always
trying TO escape paying their taxes
and street assessments. This Is not
true. Not one Of the plaintiffs has ever
attempted TO escape the payment OF
their taxes or street assessments. and
they are among the largest taxpayers
In the city,
The bid for the work is alleged 70
have been unreasonably high. The
city surveyor estimated the cement
work Mt 25 cents per square foot, when
IL should have been done for much less;
In Portland II cents Is charged for this
work say the attorneys. Fifty cents
per cubic yard, the price asked by the
contractor for excavation. is also alleg-
ed 10 be excessive.
Tire letter concludes with the express
sion OF hope that the council will not
assist in fighting the suit. and asks that
property owners be protected from
combination of bidders.
When the attorneys communication
was read in the council last night coun-
Gilman Wright rose and said:
"The letter contains one barefaced
lie. The statement that the members Of
the committee were cautioned not to
sign the contract is totally at variance
with the truth. The cautions came
several days after / had attached my
name to it"
MIR. Nordstrom was Inclined to be
very plain in speaking of the sixteenth
street improvement matter. He SAID
that property owners Of the ilk of those
now seeking to set aside the Sixteenth
street contract were responsible for $780,
900 or $4,000 of the municipal debt, and
expressed .he conviction that an un-
derstandlng existed between those who
petitioned for the Sixteenth street work
and those who demonstrated against II,
to the end that the street might be inn
proved at the expense of the taxpayers
generally.
you've got just about the right
sense of it," said Mayor Suprenant.
Mr.. Nordstrom went on to say that
the city had heen beaten out OF many
thousands of dollars In this manner,
and that he would oppose any scheme
on the part Of property owners to again
stick the city. He referred to per
picking political situations that had
been caused by unpaid assessments,
and created laugh by stating that
were the Sixteenth street demonstrators
to carry out their plans, there would
be an awful political haul at the De-
cember election. G
The entire matter was referred 70
the street committee, ways and means
committee and city attorney.