Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-12-22
GRANTS PASS LEADS IN
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
viii Have Nearly Four Miles Main
Sewers - Business Streets
TO Be Paved Soon.

Having completed the examination
of the transcript of all the proceed.
ings relative to the issuance of the
$40, 900 of bonds for the construction
OF the Second and Seventh streets
sewers, and found every detail
strictly legal, n. W. Harris s Com
pany, of Chicago, who were the sue.
cessful bidders, have notified the city
that they have accepted the bonds
and that they will remit the money
ON their receipt. The bonds were
printed this week at the Courier
office on the regulation hthograph
forms and have been sent by express to
Chicago. In their letter of acceptance
N. W. Harris & Co. paid fine COM
pliment to the freedom from techni.
callties and legal flaws in which they
found the proceedings of the council
and other details connected with the
bond issue. They also commended the
financial standing of Grants Pass and
stated that they rated these bonds as
gilt edged securities.
The transaction has been quite
profitable to the city of Grants Pass
for the bonds will yield about go, 600,
this arising from the face value of the
bonds, $4,000, and the premium OF
$40 and the accrued interest of about
$3.50, which will be paid by N. W.
Harris & Co. AS the sewer contract
was taken by S. Klovedahl at Sl5, ,5l2
there will be a surplus to the city of
about 81, 800. As the paving of Sixth
street and that part of G street in the
business district is the next improve
ment to he undertaken by the city it
is proposed TO apply this money to
that puIpose.
And the disposition of this surplus
money brings up the question as to
whether the street Improvement shall
be paid by the city or by the abutting
property holders, The Courier has
interviewed number Of the leading
tax payers and business men of the
city and the very large majority are
found to be in favor of the city assum.
ing the cost Of the work, as is being
done on the q miles of main sewers
that are now being laid.
Grants Pass aud Ashland are good
examples of the workings of the two
systems of paying for sewer and street
work Ashland meets all such eX.
pense by assessments on abutting
property, with the result that the city
is in one continued turmoil and liti-
gatiou. Injunction suits to restrain
the city, and actions for the collection
of assessments are of common occur
renee and entail big expense on the
taxpayers and on the individuals.
Bills for attorneys fees, in addi.
tion TO the regular salary of the city
attorney, are a regular feature in the
expense account against the city and
Ashland in the last Is months has
paid cut enough in lawyers fees to
build a good length of sewer or pave
large section of street. Grants Pass
has paid for all street and sewer work
out of the city general fund and has
not had an injunction suit or other
legal action to make added expense to
the taxpayers.
1t is a fact that cannot be contro-
verted that sewer and street work
always cost more when paid by as.
sessments on individual property
holders than if by the city. This is
oCcasioned by the contractors taking
into consideration the fact that they
are liable to be delayed IN their work
by injunction suits, or hindered in
getting their pay by reason of delay
in the assessments being paid, so they
make their bids higher than they
otherwise would And the litigation
is no small expense on the taxpayers.
even if the city wins, and then if the
city loses, as did Ashland both last
year and this year, they are in still
heavier.
The modern spirit Of cooperation
and the helping Of the weak by the
strong is a factor to be considered in
meeting the expense for public i'm
proyements. There are many small
property owners along the business
aud the residence streets to whom an
extensive street improvement would
mean the orippling Of their business
or the confscation Of their property If
they we're 10 oed to pay by the assess
ment plan. While on the other hand
they could pay, with no financial
embarrassment, the lesser amounts in
the form of taxes, that would in the
end amount to quite as much a. the
one big assessment, which would be
levied for the paving Of the various
streets Of the city.
There is another factor in this
street paving question that has a
large bearing on the prosperity Of the
entire city, and that is the improving
the streets that connect with the
county roads leading into Grants
Pass Now that the county court has
decided to adopt. with this Spring, a
modern system Of road work and to
begin the permanent improvement Of
the main highways it will become an
imperative matter to improve the