The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-07-14
TO BLOCK
|DE Az. At
ANY COST

That bribery and bullying have
been resorted to in an effort to de-
feat the Ide av. improvement, Or
dered by the city council over a
protest Of alleged representatives
of the North Coast railroad, is the
charge made by residents of the
North Side who have been strug-
Cling for more than year to have
the improvement completed.
The fact that number of prop
erty owners had been paid 5000
down on prospective deals for their
property on con iition that they
sign a remonstrance against the
Ide improvement was brought out
last meeting OF the Ide av. and
Summit Boulevard Improvement
league.
Six such deals made after
p. m. yesterday were reported to
the meeting held at 1912 Ide. Nc
Crea and Merryweather were the
agents making these deals. The
same firm, with railroad assist
a:ice, has held up the improvement
for the past year in the board of
public works.
The property bought yesterday
lies on Ide from Oak st. west 1t is
this property that the railroad in
terests are trying to block from
Improvement in order that right OF
way may be secured at the lowest
figure in the event that the rail-
road builds through that section of
the city.
In many cases reported to the
league threats were used to com
pei agreement to sign remon.
STRANGE. Property owners were
told that their property would not
be wanted after the council meet
ing tonight when the improvement
assessment role comes up for nnal
confirmation. Then, McCrea &
Merryweather, the owners say, de-
clared they would condemn or
line the street with railroads so
that the property left unsold would
be worthless.
But the condition of every sale
was that the property owner sign
a remonstrance against the I'M
provement of the avenue. The deals
were not made final. the property
owner accepting 5000 and signing
a sale agreement in several of
which no final price was fixed. The
threats are said to have been used
largely to women found found at
home in order to induce them to
influence their husbands to help
block the improvement.
ment already ordered would be
held up in thu council meeting
tonight If it cost $4,000; that it
would not be permitted to go
through.
Residents interested in securing
the improvement were told today
that the board of works had au-
thorized H. l.. Lillienthal to with
draw his bond deposited when he
was awarded a contract for the
Ide av. work year ago for $19,-
600. The work has since been held
up on request of McCrea & Merry
weather. The withdrawal of
Lillienthal means that deal has
been arranged whereby the pro-
ject is to be finally abandoned even
after a committee of the council
and interested parties had visited
the ground and the council, acting
on this report had ordered the
work proceeded with.
Pres. Goodall, Of the chamber Of
commerce, was enlisted in the
fight to override the wishes of
property owners and that failing,
the promoters of the railroad deal
have apparently resorted to the
boldest possible means to carry out
their plans.
AS result it is expected that a
showing will be made against the
improvement tonight that will put
an end to it entirely and leave that
section of the city wholly at the
mercy of the railroad people and
their agents.