The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-06-24
.|DE Az. OWNERS
VICTORIOUS

night assured the council that
there is really such a railroad as
the North Coast and that it de.
serves special consideration, but
without convincing them, apparent.
ly, for they applied the Missouri
rule and wanted to be shown.
Said F. E. Goodall, president of
the chamber of commerce: at
really is a railroad. I'm in a posi-
ton where l know lot aboht it
but just at this time Pm not at
liberty to tell. We should foster
this railroad scheme, for if we
don't they may not come into town
at all, and we want all the rail
roads we can get"
The discussion was whether the
council should order the Ide av.
grade, curb and sidewalk, which
has been held up for more than a
year by the railroad interests, to
proceed. From the evidence sub.
mitted the railroad has bought all
along Ide av. between the river and
G. N. tracks, and owns lots here
and there. 1t was declared that
of the cOmpany's purpose is to buy
in that manner so as to depreciate
the other property and force sales
at low figures.
There are lot of workingmen
with families who will be benefited
by the improvement and their chill
dren will have a chance to go to
school without having to go across
country several blocks.
A heated debate over the ques-
ton followed reading a majority
and minority report of the street
committee. Councilmen Gray and
Mohr represented the majority,
and favored the improvement.
Ostrander was the minority. In
support of his report Ostrander
said that out of 146 lots only "a
property owners wanted the i'm
provement. He did not want to be
understood as opposing the rights
of the people but when railroad
wanted to come to town obstacles
should not be placed before it.
Councilman Mohr explained that
if the railroad did not purchase the
rest of the property it would be
worthless to the laboring people
along the avenue, and he stood
with them in their fight against
the corporation. He said the rail-
road was trying to crown the
property owners with thorns and
cruelty them upon cross of gold,
while their ordinary crown and
cross were hard enough.
Various property owners In
quired whyl the railroad was SO
anxious to hold up the improve
ment and declared that Ostrander
had suffered a change of heart
since the committee was first put
on the job. Ostrander denied
this.
Theh railroad, for compromise
fled a proposition with the clerk
that it would improve Ide from
Oak to Cedar, thus connecting up
the boulevard, il the property own,
ers did not insist on improving the
other seven blocks. It was declared
that the cost of the four blocks
would amount to more than the
railroads assessment for the en-
tire district.
Banker Conan spoke on behalf
Df the railroad, saying that usually
railroads exact bonuses and prop
erty before coming into town
but the North Coast did not. He
Bald it had paid hign prices for
property and would protect the
fights of the citizens. He sug
gested a further postponement
and declared he believed property
and railroad interests could get to
gether, and the conncii would not
have to take sides.
Attorney Brooks took the other
side of the question land declared
that here was railroad, presume
bly, a railroad. interfering with a
public improvement when 1t had
not yet applied for franchise. He
showed drawings of property the
railroads own in the district and
declared that most-of the property
was controlled between the
mythical road and the Great
Northern, He said that since hear
ing Mr.. Goodall talk he could al
most bring himself to believe he
saw a real railroad.
The grade separation ghost oil
the Northern Pacific was intro
duced by Attorney Kenyon. He