The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-06-13
BOARDS DECISION
IS NOW AWAITED
Proposed Vacation of North
Fourteenth Street To Be
Settled Today.
THE POWER OF THE BOARD
SAID THAT NOT UNTIL DECISION
AS TO CLOSING STREET Isl
MADE CAN DAMAGES BE
FIXED.

The Board of Public Works at It's
meeting this morning is scheduled to
take up and formally dispose of the
proposition to close Fourteenth street
from North E street north to the Penn
sylvania railroad tracks as petitione6
for by the Hoosier Drill Company.
During the past two days greater in
terest has been manifested by the pub.
lie in general in the project than at
any time previous, a fact due to the
assertion of the demonstrators against
the proposed improvement, to the ef-
feet that there is no indication that
they are to be fairly dealt with.
Public sentiment is pronounced in
favor of the granting of the petition
of the Hoosier Drill Company though
all business men interviewed on the
subject express the belief that any
differences existing should be ami
cably settled in a way that would be
fair to all parties concerned.
Power of the Board.
According to a city official the only
power that the Board of Public Works
has in the premises is to decide wheth-
er the street can be legally closed and
what the actual damages will be if
such vacation is ordered. The Board
cannot, it is asserted, take any part
in the controversy between the Hoo
sier and other manufacturers. The
feeling among the members of the
board, it has been believed, is in ia
vor Of the petition. Whether there
x,;1 ha fnIov of 1nf
mite action because of the request of
the demonstrators is not known.
Gardner Prepares Statement.
City Attorney Gardner is preparing
a statement, in which he will render
his decision as to the legal authority
the Board of Public Works has in
closing a public highway under exist
ing conditions. The nature of this
report Is not known, but it is probable
that Mr.. Gardner will submit it to the
board today. In case Mr.. Gardner
does not give his report today the
board will again postpone action in
the case until the report is ready, as
the members wish to know what pow
er the law confers upon them before
their final decision in the matter is
taken.
Henry Gennett, chairman of the
Commercial Club committee appoint
ed to investigate the advisability of
closing a portion of North Fourteenth
street, met with John F. Robbins, at
torney for the American Seeding Ma
chine Company, yesterday. Mr.. Rob,
bins said that the American Seeding
Machine Company could take no ac-
ton in making a settlement with Mr..
Evans, of the Quaker City Machine
Company until the Board of Public
Works took some action, and indicated
that the company would let the
amount of damages due Mr.. Evans be
settled entirely by the board.
Board Members Assertion.
One member of the board yesterday,
in speaking of the claims set forth by
Mr.. Evans in the Palladium Monday
morning, stated that he Enew it to be
positive fact that the American
Seeding Machine Company had offered
Mr. Evans a new factory site and that
he turned down the proposition be-
cauca he did not care to move from
his present location. In continuing
the member of the board said:
Mr.. Evans is not in favor of a fair
award of damages. He either wants
to receive in dollars and cents all the
money he has invested in his factory
or he does not want the street closed.
The American Seeding Machine Com
pany has made him fair offer and he
turned it down. If damages are to
be awarded they will not amount to
much. Practically all of Mr.. Evans
business is out of the city and he can
do as large a business with his facto-
ry located in the middle of a ten
acre lot as he can where it is now 10.
Gated. Mr.. Evans says that by clos
ing the street he will be greatly dam
aged because he will not have direct
access to North E street, so that he
can haul his shipments to the two
freight houses. In my opinion the
shortes st and best route from his fac
tory to the freight depots is by the
way of North street"