The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-07-09
Want STREET
PAVING NOW
Petition Presented Asking to
Have Quincy Street
Improved.
VERY MUCH NEEDED
Rapid City is Taking Rank of
Commercial Importance
and must Improve

ana must Improve
The meeting of the council last
evening developed the fact that
others have. ideas about my poll
cies" as we'll as does Theodore Roose-
Welt. A petition signed by practi-
cally all of the residents on Quincy
street, between Sixth and Twelfth,
asking that the street be graded
and macadamized between Sixth
and Twelfth streets brought out the
policy of Mayor Wood, not to run
the city into debt The petitioners
agreed to pay for all of the work
with the exception of that done on
the intersecting streets. The petit
tom was presented by John J, Hayes
and he had with him several sup
porters. inclmfling George Bennett
and j. G. Haines.
After reading the petition, Mayor
Wood said: I" am not opposed to
the improvements, favor them, but
we have no money. My promise to
the people before my election was
that II elected 1 would have dol
lar In the city treasury before / ex-
pended a dollar. ann willing ito
walk on the honest old dirt side-
walks and streets If we cannot pay
for better ones. am pledged to
pay off our old debts before we con-
tract new ones. want city
beautiful but before we have a city
beautiful insist on having a city
with credit. .
AT this point Mr.. Hayes interrupted
with the remark that the city had
just seen fit to spend $500 for a
firemen's tournament and he thought
it high time that som ething was done
of permanent use to the city.
This brought Chief McElroy to
his feet, who said: ''The $500 was
all spent on the streets In grading
and repairs and this is Of permanent
value to the CITY,"
Continuing, Mayor Wood said:
I'VE pay no taxes for permanent
Improvements; should the town vote
to go dry next spring I don't know
what you would do to run the city
government. While / do not own
the city government or control the
council. still affirm my policy,
which is not to spend dollar un-
til we have it in the treasury"
George Bennett then took occa-
sion to say: II admire the attitude
taken by Mayor Wood in 1896, when
we were a small village, now we
are a city and growing one at
that. Everyone who comes here de-
plores the condition of our streets
and sidewalks. Three bankers, who
spent several days at my home
recently, asked: What's the matter
with your streets and after ex-
planning the city's debt and how it
was incurred their only reply was:
This is poor time to retrench.' In
refusing to improve our city as re-
CARDS streets and sidewalks can
not help but feel that we are adopt
ing policy of penny wise and pound
foolishness. BY doing 50 we are
driving people away who desire ito
locate here, build homes and make
Rapid City their permanent abiding
place. II we can bring homes and
capital to Rapid City that is what
we want. This is no time to re-
trench. Even if the mayor is OPP
posed to these improvements,
think the council should do some
thing, as things exist at present we
are the laughing stock of eastern
South Dakota.
Someone twitted Mayor Wood oil
having been mixed up in the $40,-
900 bond deal at the time the Elk
horn branch of the Northwestern
was built to Rapid City. After ex.
planning the pressure which was
w OSf1l SOu SlLlLOuS NY UlS
railroad officials at that time the
mayor concluded his story by saying:
II have no apologies to make. my
action then and the action of men as
sociated with me made Rapid Cit!
what it is today"
I'm reply to MIR. Bennett he relatet
the story of the wealthy New York
ers, who during the war visite.
President Lincoln seeking protec
tion for their city and principally
for their $60,000,0O0. I. Lincoll
said to them: "If I had, $50, 900,
900 worth of property wnll
build some gunboats and protect m
property"
Now" said the mayor, TO sho,
you that I am interested and wan
to see the Improvement made
will suggest that the city pay on
half Of the expense of paving til
intersecting streets IL the propert
owners Will pay the other One-half
I'VE won t do II, Z, came the quic
4. reply from Mr.. Hayes.
II ssWeH chem = eaid the mayor.
j Win NJ 1or nna of The interssetios