The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-03


Smith and Mexican to delay the mat
ter until the official figures could be
prepared by the city engineer and SUBJ
mitted to the council Councilmen
Kirkman, Bridges, Glasford and Cox,
at last nights council meeting voted to
practically give the contract to the
Warren Construction company for paw
ing with Warren bitulithic, Improve
ment Districts Numbers 5, Z, s, 10, 10
and 16.
The awarding of the contracts to the
Warren people was made upon the Pc
ton of a majority of the property
provoked sharp tits between several
members of the council. Kirkman,
Cox, Bridges and Glasford lined up
solidly for the Warren Construction
company, and by united action voted
down all the attempts. of Smith to
stave off the wishes of the property
owners, who represented a majority of
the frontage within the proposed dis
tricts.
The bail was started rolling when
W. P. Winans and Mrs. Thomas Quinn
petitioned that the bid of the Warren
Construction company for paving Sec
4 or. frov To- RI H. oil h
Warren's bithulitic be accepted. AS
they represented all the property with
in that district, the petition was grant
ed; although Smith urged that mat
tiers be delayed until Engineer Wilson
had had time to prepare tabulatel
statement of the different bids sub
mitted Glasford urged immediate ac-
ton and on Bridges motion the vote
was unanimous.
Barber Company Urged Delay
Attorney John L. Sharpstein, repre-
senting the Barber Asphalt company,
urged that the petition be tabled for
the time or until the official figures
had been prepared. BY deferring ac-
ton, he said, the property owners
would have time in which to investi-
gate the merits and cost of the differ
ent kinds of paving. He questioned
the legal right of the council to award
contracts before the official figures
had been submitted.
stirred up Councilman Bridges, who
replied by stating that the property
owners who had filed petitions were
undoubtedly aware of what they were
Going They had had ample time in
which to figure the cost of the different
kinds of pavement, and as they We're
in favor of bithulitic, he was of the
opinion that it was the councils duty
to be guided by the wishes of the
property owners inasmuch as the coun-
eli had pledged itself to give them
what they petitioned for after all the
bids had been sumbitted.
City Attorney Blandford raised the
point of whether or not the council
had Jurisdiction in awarding the con-
tracts before the street committee. to
which the bids were first supposed to
be submitted, had made it report. AS
the street committee had not yet had
an opportunity to report he was of the
opinion that the council had no right
to take action. 1t was decided that
the council had the right to take the
matter out of the streets committees
hands and take whatever action it saw
fit.
Following this, petitions from prop
erty owners in Districts 13 and 16
were read and passed without any OBJ
jections, as the property owners rep
resented the full property within the
districts.
East Main Stirred Things Up.
The real tilt of the session came
when petition from property owners
of East Main street from First to Pa
louise, asking that the Warren com
pany be awarded the contract for paw
ing that district was read. After the
names of the petitioners had been read
off, J. P Kent addressed the council
and stated that the name of Joseph
Tachi had been obtained by false rep
reservations. This gave Smith an OPP
portunity, and he raised his voice III
strenuous protest against the course
the council was pursuing. This has
gone too far" he fairly shouted. II
one man has been induced to sign this
petition by false representations why
should there not be others. / am will
ing to grant the petitions where the
property owners own the full proper
| ty, but where there is bare majority
I say the council should take further
time and investigate the authenticity
of the signatures. We should give the
property owners a reasonable time il
which to decide the kind of pavement