The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-01-22
WILSON'S PET MEASURE
Simply Railroaded Through
al Meeting Last Night
DR.. Setter Fights Action to the
Names on Petition Never
Signed by Property Owners

council last night, a resolution pro-
viding for the paving of South Pros
pect street from Hill street to the
line was adopted and the
appropriation ordinances
were passed.
A resolutaion for the laying of sew
ers and cellar drains on Pearl street
between Bellefontaine Avenue and
Prospect street and on Prospect street
from Walnut street south to the cor
poration line was adopted. A re-
signed by number of
resident property owners of South
Prospect street against ,he PROPOSE
ton TO pave the street was read. The
stated that with the
laying of sidewalks, sewers and cellar
drains their properties which lie
south of Walnut street, will be heav-
lily assessed and tnat with the addi-
ton of the paving at this time 1t
will be more than the property or the
property owners can stand. The
remonstrance was accepted and
placed on file.
At this point, Mr.. j. V. Wilson
introduced the original petition for
the street paving which was gotten
up after an attempt had been made
to railroad an ordinance through
council which would make the city
pay for the greater share of the
work. The petition contained \
supplement with eleven names of
property owners on the street who
prayed for the paving of the thor
oughfare. The petition and supple
ment were accepted and placed OH
record.
Then the main fight of the evening
commenced when the resolution TO
pave South Prospect street with eith-
cr brick or sheet asphalt was given
it's third reading. Wilson moved It's
adoption and Rcber quickly seconded
the motion.
AT the call for remarks. Dr.. Setter
sprang to his feet. saying in part:
81 don't think that council Is justi-
fed In passing this resolution. You
members have listened TO a re-
monstrancc Of property owners on
the street, giving excellent reasons
why the street should not be paved.
II Is all right to pave the street frofa
Hill street 10 Walnut street, but
south of that 1t Is wrong. II Is a
great injustice. Here are the prop
erty owners with their names to that
rcmonstrance. They all live south of
Walnut street and they Tell you that
the sidewalk. sewer cellar drain and
paving assessments will be more
than the can afford to pay. Mr..
Wilson has names of property own
ers on that petition who will make
that they did not sign the
same and they oppose the propo-
sition. Every member of this coun-
ell knows that there are many other
streets in the city that need the
paving more. More than one prop
erty owner mp there has told me
that he will have to sell out II the
council passes the resolution. The
speaker got little warm at times,
and 1t was with difficulty that the
chair maintained order.
Mr.. Wilson, securing the floor, said
that the reason more names of prop
erty owners We're not secured was
because more were not needed. He
explained that the petition con-
tanned the names of owners of 1000
feet more than a majority of the foot
frontage on the street.
Horace Long. a property owner,
was present and asked Mr.. Wilson
who put his name on the petition.
He declared that he did not put 1t on
and that he was not in favor of the
paving which would make the prop
erty a burden to himself and many
others. Mr.. Long considered the
present pike as good enough for prac-
tical purposes until the property was
able to stand the assessments.
After Mr.. Wilson explained that It
was a business proposition for the
owners. DR.. Setter again took the
iloor and jumped onto his fellow
members with both feet. saying:
There has never in the history bcen
an attempt to put such proposition
through. 1t was first tried in council
without even II petition being pre-
sented and an attempt was made TO
railroad it through and make the city
stand the greater part OF the ex-
pense. Then they did not 30 out aud
get the names ON the petition them.
selves. but got CINCINNATI man
here to do the work, and the Cincin-
natl man Is interested In n street
paving company. The whole thing
looks suspicious. It's got all the ear
marks of It. The city needs the