Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-04-28

The counci' meeting last night
vas short but peppery. The obdur-
ate position OF the Portland Railway.
light & Power company in the mat
teF OF street paving was censured BY
Mayor Rodgers; the council then
passed resolutions providing for the
raving supposed to lEave originally
heen left 10 the railway company.
stssessing the cost 10 the company:
clean-up day was discussed and will
soon materlalize. and plans perfected
for the receiving of bids for the
bonds to be issued for the paving of
Court stree.
The mayors letter. which brought
forth enthusiastic handclapping on
the part OF the usually sedate coun-
eli, and the statement by Council
man Stockton. alco met with hearty
applause, that he was ready TO vote
for the tearing up OF every bit OF the
railway company's track in this city,
was as follows:
Mayors letter.
To the common council of the city
of Salem, Oregon, Gentlemen:-On
March End. 1908. you adopted specl-
fications providing for paving the
tf"'tNA Ae fOduUfn WIN
10 and vitrified brick on such streets
as may hereafter be paved with hard
surface pavement AZ that time n
number OF your members met I'm con-
ference with representatives of the
Portland Railway, Light & Power
company. am not familiar with
what transpired. but | am told that
the specifications above referred to
are a result OF that conference.
The company. through their local
representative, Mr.. Page. has sub
mitted a bid for paving their tracks
az required on state street between
Commercial and Twelfth streets and
he Informs me that active construc-
ton work will begin this week.
When | asked him n he was pre-
pared 20 submit bid for paving
their track on Commercial street. he
replied that he was not. and that he
could not promise that they would
DO any work on Commercial street
this year. | then rang up the presi-
dent OF the company. Mr.. Josselyn.
al Portland. and put the question to
him. lie expressed surprise that we
should want him To pave on Com
mercitl street this year. and said he
understood that State street and one
block OF liberty we're all he would
be required 20 look after In 1908,
and that he could not do any more
for Salem right now on account of
tight money, etc.
n has now been one year since
your honorable body adopted speci-
fications for paving lower State
street including the railway track,
and we have heard scarcely anything
but pleas aud complaints. and pro-
tests, and threats from the railway
company since. They wanted the
original specifications changed from
concrete and Belgian blocks TO some
thing cheaper. This was refused and
they signed protest against the
Improvement which tied the whole
matter up. The council then provid-
% for paving three blocks OF Court
street including their crossing az
liberty street 20 which they aslo
objected, and their track was cut out
of the Improvement with the result
that II IN now planked, presenting
an unsight'y dishgurement as well
"a n menace 10 the life of the street.
Upper State street was then taken
up. specifying concrete and Belgian
blocks for their track, They again
objected and their track was strick-
en- out OF the specifications.
The council was then approached
with overtures 30 the effect that In
asmuch as their franchise required
them to plank only. they would be
willing 20 dieker with the council
for swan; the council TO give a
new franchise. ANA they magnanim-
ouaiy agreeing 20 pave hut not,
however. more than five block of
railway In any one year.