The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-04
DELAY IN THE WORK
COURT STREET RESIDENTS ARE
 IMPATIENT.
Improvement of the Impertsnt Thor oughfare is Held te bc Necessary Because Of Clty's Natural
 Growth

There is a good deal of impatience being expressed along the line of south Court street over the delay in per- fecting the arrangements for the wi- dening of that popular thoroughfare and the other important Improvements incident thereto and the discussion of the subject brings forth a number of widely divergent opinions as to the reasons for the lack of progress.
 A thrashing out of the whole story. and reducing the facts to the proper analysis. however, seems to indicate that the causes of dissatisfaction lies in the time required to work out the large number Of difficult details that confront both city and citizens that continue to develop as essential pre- liminaries to a satisfactory basis for the protection of all interests involved. volved.
 Some of the property owners in the territory to be improved seem to be un- der the impression that the city agreed to do the work If the land necessary to make the street wider was donated and q certain sum of cash given in addition and that after these demands had been complied with that more money was demanded but nothing else done.
 The city contends that it never nam ed any specific sum as condition pre- cedent to make the improvement, but perhaps did make some statement about what 1t was thought at the time the matter was under discussion would be required for certain purposes which 1t was thought proper for the property owners to take care of. But says the city. expenses and money de- mands have arisen that were not orig inaliy counted on and that must be paid by somebody, or otherwise dis r( AA .la ~t4 l. ey or time, and probably will require some of both.
 Mayor Teague in discussing the mat ter yesterday afternoon said: There is not any question about South Court street being widened and improved as already planned but a number oy ob- stacies must be gotten out of the way before 1t can be done. For instan.s. one property owner signed an agree ment to give whatever of his land was required to widen the street provided all the other property holders would do the same. There was one man who would not donate his land and on <on- sideration 1t was decided that there was merit in his contention ttaz he was not situated like his neiehhors and that he ought to be paid something for his property and a sum to be paid him was agreed on. The other man who had signed the conditioned agreement claimed that this relieved him from his promise to donate his land and de- manded that as we had agreed to pay for one mans land that we pay his also.
 "After a great deal of trouble I got this man to agree on a small sum for his property and recommended to coun- ell that the amount required for this purpose be appropriated and the com mittee to which the recommendation was referred sent 1t back with a fa- vorable report
 Now some of the property owners in the track of the improvement say that they believe that their houses will have to be moved and if they do the city will be expected to pay the expense.
 50 1t can be seen that 1t is impoB- sible to go ahead with the widening of the street till matters are all adjusted. Again the work on Hull and Perry streets has made such a demand on the city'e working forces that 1t would not have been practicable up to the present time to have done anything on Court street anyway.
 The city has not and will not" con- tinued the Mayor, act in the least bad faith with the Court street residents in the matter of widening and improv- ing their street, but these things take time and when there are as many lit- tie complications to contend with as there are in this case they are very difficult to handle. The Court street improvement will be made without any sort of doubt. and that just as soon as 1t is possible to get the work started"
 A prominent Court street resident said yesterday afternoon that naturally he and his neighbors were anxious to have the work commenced and finished and that he had every reason to believe that the council would put the mat ter in such shape next Monday night that no further delay would be con sidered necessary. He said that the owpers effected had raised the amount of money that they under stood was required of them and had complied with all other conditions im- posed as they understood them and now what they wanted was the work done as the city promised to do it.
 The Court street residents point out that the proposed improvement is abso- lutely necessary. The remarkable growth of the southern part of the city makes it inevitable. The Court street residents declare that the county which has already put in costly im- on the Court street exten- sion, has shown more appreciation Of he conditions than the city It Is pointed out too, that many of the prop .rfy nxvnara have a0ant IaPga suv,aa fn