The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-18
IN Order to Gain the Much
Needed Improvement Board
OF Directors Suggests Plans
For Its Realization.
HAS BEEN APPROVED BY
THOSE PEOPLE AFFECTED
Recommended That City and
Street Car Co. Pay for the
Street, and Property Own
ers Curbs and Sidewalks.

In the hope of bringing about an am
tcable adjustment of the proposition to
improve North + street from Tenth to
Sixteenth streets. the board of direct
Ors of the Richmond Commercial club
have presented a new proposal. 1t
will demand double the proposed eX-
pendture on the cart of the city. but
at the same time will provide a perma
nent improvement The proposal has
been accepted by the manufacturers
and property owners, whose property
is affected by the resolution of the
board of works TO make the improve
ment. The matter will be referred to
the board Of public works for sane
tion or disapproyal
Under the terms of the new arrange
ment. the street will be paved with Wit
rificd brick. The cost of this pave
ment will be borne by the city and
street railway company. The manu-
tacturers and other property owners
had expressed a Willingness TO pay for
an Improvement of the roadway by
macadamiZation. The resolution Of
the board of works provided for cement
curb and gutter and cement sidewalks
as we'll. The property owners would
not submit to this entire clause. They
agreed to be willing that curbs and gut
ters should be installed but opposed
the sidewalk phase. The property
owners have agreed finally. that if the
city will pay the entire cost of brick
pavement they will not oppose the i'll
stallatiOn of the curbs and cutters nor
sidewalks.
The manufacturers and property
owners had been prepared to oppose
the entire proposition to the bitter end
in case the city saw fit to endeavor to
force the Improvement upon them. 1t
was claimed such an improvement is
not needed and an appeal to the courts
for an injunction had been threaten
ed. The manufacturers recognize the
need of a permanent Improvement, but
maintain they are not in financial con
dition to bear the expense.
The street has been improved
number of times by a macadamized
roadway. This has not been able TO
withstand the heavy hauling. however.
and constant repairs have been neces-
sary. In the spring and fall of the
year the street is a veritable mud hole
and in the summer months the dust
measures several inches in thickness.
The street car rails extend above the
grade of the street. 1t is doubtful if
the street car company can be requir
ed to lower its rails as the streets sur
face has been worn down below grade.
The street is cut up by deep ruts
BY the original agreement. as was
proposed by the board of public works,
the city offered to bear one-third of the
expense of the pavement of the road
way The proposal of the Commercial
club directors will call for twice this
sum. or about $500. The action of
the directors resulted from the adOp-
tion of set of resolutions, which read
IS follows:
Whereas, The Board of Public
Works has passed an Improvement
resolution, providing for the improve
ment of North +, street from Tenth
TO Sixteenth. by constructing cement
curb and gutter and sidewalk and paw
ing the roadway thereof with vitrified
brick and
Whereas. the property holders uuan-
imously demonstrated against such
proposed Improvement, because the
cost of it as apportioned to the manu-
facturers is in excess of the relative
benefits. and
CT
wholly by manufacturers, the larger
per cent of whom are not adjoining
property owners and therefore. do not
share in the expense of the improve
ment; nor can this street be regarded
in the same relation to the city as a
residence street or a street in the, re-
tail districts Factory sites must nee
essarilE require large tracts and con.
seQueutly have large street frontage
but do not derive the same relative
benefit that an improved street gives
to the residence and retail districts
and therefore, the proportion of the
costs usually assessed 10 property
owners should not obtain against the
manufactures and
Whereas, The manufacturers who
will be assessed for this Improvement
pay $4,000 annually in taxes on their
institutions and if the other factories
who will be directly benefited by this
Improvement but who do not share in
the cost of it, be added 10 the above
sum the taxes derived therefrom
would exceed $4,000 annually. The
whole city therefore. sharing in the
benefits fherefrom and
Whereas, The manufacturers using
his street pay annually a sum approx