The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-09-17
MAYOR vETOS PLAN OF
46TH ST. WHARF
ENTIRE BURDEN OF COST
WOULD HAVE FALLEN up
ON ONLY A FEW PROP
ERTY HOLDERS

+fANN ~ WV SNN'NANNl tNhMNNN
without his signature the ordinaac,
providing for the improvement o.
I Forty-sixth street and the building o.
a public pier and dock there, The
object Of the improvement was pri,
marily to provide for a public land
ing place, and the Mayor states his
reasons for his veto, which Is here.
with given in full;
"To the Honorable City Council Of
the City Of Astoria.
Gentlemen; II herewith return
without my signature an ordinance
entitled an ordinance providing for
the time and manner of improving
Forty-sixth street from the north
line Of the alleyway running through
blocks l02 and 1903, in Adair's Port
OF Upper Astoria, to a point COS feet
nor.herly thereof
THE building OF this street has
been started in order TO provide a
public landing in that part Of the
city: am heartily in favor OF the
project and only desire to submit for
your consideration this proposition:
if this street is to be built at the
present time mainly for the purpose
of providing a public landing for the
benefit OF all the people. by building
wharf 40 feet by rs feet with the
necessary slips, handrails and etc,
when otherwise said street would
probably not be improved at pres
ent or at least not so great distance
out in the river, whether the public
generally should not be required to
pay a part of the expense necessary
to pay for this public landing, rather
than ask very few property owners
to stand the whole burthen there
fore respectfully return this ordi.
nance so that your honorable body
may give it further consideration.
z Respectfully,
HERMAN WISE,
mayor"
The Mayors action is in effect a
veto, though he states that he re
turns this ordinance so that your
honorable body may give it further
consideration" The Mayors objec-
ton is that the improvement is such
that It win be benefit to large
part OF the population in that portion
of the city, and that therefore il IS
not equitable to impose the entire
burden Of paying for it upon only a
few. That the Mayor will be COM
mcndcd for his action is highly prob
able and it seems evident that the
members OF the council probably
tassed tbe ordinance without having
their attention called to the phase Of
the matter which led the Mayor to
lend his veto. II seems to be agreed
on all sides that the improvement is
one that is desirable. The people Of
that part Of the city have now no
public landing, and in case OF funerals
and other similar occasions when
considerable body OF people wish to
take boat there, no opportunity IS
offered them to do so, save by using
the Hume wharf, whose owners have
courteousIy accorded them this privi
lege on many occasions. But at pres
ent the Hume wharf may not be used
and it is apparently asking too much
to expect the public to use private
wharf as If it were a public one.
But, in the manner that the brdi-
nance had been prepared, the whole
cost Of the project would have fallen
upon the shoulders of less than half a
dozen property owners-said to be
only five, of them. The cost would
have been $4500 and manifestly this
burden would not have been fair
one.
It is said to be probable that the
council may agree with the Mayor,
since their attention is called to the
inequity Of the present, and
will arrange for a wider assessment
district.
Or, the council may possibly think
that the present assessment on the
very few is only fair, on the possible
grounds that their property would be
greatly enhanced in value because Of
its proximity to the public landing
place.
COMMISSIONERS ARRIVES