The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-01-07
Street improvements.

Importance Among the ~ improve
mcnts thorr are two to which | must re-
Ter especially;
Eirst The Improvement OF Irving
Avenue from Ninth to forticth street, |
Sccond.-lhe extension ol Commercial
street to t'niontown,
With the Irving Avenue Improvement
,Ne add another connecting link between
East and West Astoria, No longer viii
w be in danger OF being Isolated IN ease
the roadway TO the east end ot the city
burns down. and, besides, the opening
oi through street up on the hill makes
the residence section more accessible,
and offers an inducemcnt for the estab'
lishmcnt OF IN interurban line. for by
being able TO run cars from Fort Stevens
and Wanenton TO the eastern limits ol
our city, with branches down town,
there will be considerable revenue In
sight to induce prospective investors to,
build. | believe that the time is not Tar
distant when Irving Avenue will he cx'
tended from Soung's Ray to tath|amet
Bay, II project rs desirable as 1t Is icas,
ible That the extension OF Commercial
street is also necessary was proven last
fall when Bond street was being re-
paired; the people 1.-THE west end were
separated from the rest OF the city LOT
weeks. herelt OF ilro protection and put
to many Inconvenience As every ar
terry brings more blood into the human
body. so must each connecting link
bring more lie into the body polite,
While upon the subject OF street i'm
provemcnts, | consider II but just to say
that the honorable members of the
street committee truly deserve the es'
pecial commcndation Of the public; few.
people have any idea how much time
labor and patience is given BY this com
mittec, and no other committee receives
50 many kicks, mostly unjust censure,
frou men who judge without inve''i'
gation.
Supplies,
Last year | suggested the advisahillty
of making an estimate aud advertising
for bids ior such supplies as the city
uses in large quantities; therefore re-
new the suggestion. The proper time to
buy hay and oats aud coal is not when
prices are at the soaring point.
Street Excavations
Ordinance No. 3la2. regulating exca
waiting in public throughfare., approved
December 5, 1905. provides that before
person or corporation may proceed TO
dig holes in the streets they must first
secure permit therefor and, after a
reasonable length OF time, put the street
in satisfactory condition. rs prescribed
in the ordinance. The said ordinance
also provides penalty for every viola
ton .oi the ordinance. therefore ask
that the Superintendent OF the streets
make it his business to file complaints
against all who fail to get permit or
fail to repair the streets.
Licensing Hot Air Peddlers.
One OF the worst forms Of swindling in
any community is the sale Of mining
and similar stock. In the Worlds
Work" from competent authority. Is
the statement that less than one per
cent of all mining stocks put on the
open market will ever return one per
cent Of the principal invcsted--~let alone
bringing dividends. In one single day
eighteen new mining stocks appeared
on the curb, and the pnrported value OF
such stocks was nine hundred millions
OF dollars. The mines that are worth
ANYTHING are owned by milionairea who
do not send smooth tongued solicitors
from village to village and from house
to house. 1t has been well said that
the average mine whose stock is peddiiesd
about Is "A hole in the ground with
liar on top" Therefore and In
consideration Of the fact, as ] am IN
formed. that a number Of Astoria's Easy
| Marks have been recently vlctlmized bl
I hot air mining artists, would recon
mend that an ordinance he passed pro
hibiting this species OF swindle within
this city; or, il that conflicts with tn'
Orepon statutes, | would suggest th'
enactment Of an ordinance providing io
license fee OF about one hundred dol
lars per day for these bogus representa-
I tiyes Of gold and coal barons, who WIS.,
to try their hands at the old and tim
worn trick OF cnriching people by tn
process OF no air.
Gas Franchise.
Now comes another one OF those dntle
that cover an up-to-date Mayors chai
with tacks.
SO many people complained to m
about the Gas Service in Astoria an
have asked whether the City is impoten
in the matter, that felt it incumben
on me to look over the gas franchis
and see if the City had reserved an.
rights at all in the premises, and to m,
amazement | find that the only excus
} for franchise on record Is Ordinanc
, 493, approved December 10, 1882; sal