Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-12-24

William y. Spinning. the son OF
an old pioneer born in a fort IN
Lewis county during the Indian war
az $50. died at his home at sumner.
after q brief struggle, With typhoid
fever. He vas known for long
tm,. 81 his residence. in Pierce county
rs the Observation-Disclosures, he having
maintained i Smlthy on the road ne
tween ~tri.atuum and PuydllUp and
was careful nUrSr ami doctor of the
afflicted. Deceased had a fair educa-
t,on from Monmouth College, Ogn..
rs wei. - our State University, and
leaves quite a competency derived
from successful investments. y
widow and Two sons, father and
mother and a brother mourn his loss.
\ Good Roads Convention is to be
ir'd at Aberdeen. January 2l>t and
pa. that viii probably consist Of
/ 400 or 500 Delegates 1t is suggest
cd hv J f. Brown. Secretary of the
/ Good Roads Association, that L
movement be inaugurdtcd for a pub
, lie highway running from Blaine,
I through Brl.inGham, Everett, Ia
coma. Olympia, Ccntralla, ChrhallS,
4 kdlama. Vancouver, Lyle. Goiden-
dale, Walla Wal,l, Pomrroy. CoIfaX,
ROSalia, Spokane TO Colvllle, which
would benefit 81 per cent of the pop
u'ation of the State Mr.. Brown,
Monday night. appeared before the
City Council and requested that at
least five Delegates be sent from
Olympia to the convention. The
matter to be discussed is how the
large appropriation for roads, al
ready made. hc made available TO the
; best advantage.
The city cases against c. Il. Mann
and Eunice a. Turpin to collect street
assessments. have been set for hear
ing on Monday, Jan. 10th, in the
Superior Court. Partial hearings
have already been had, but the city
in the course OF the trial asked leave
to amend its pleadings. Geo. Bige-
low represents the city, Troy X
Sturdevant appear for Mann, and
Judge Robinson for Mrs. Turpin.
At the former trial in the Mann
case, the court was in doubt whether
the number of the block designated
in the notice OF the contemplated
+ improvement can be changed in or
der to create jurisdiction, while the
City Attorney claims Mr. Mann was
advised of the improvement and
well knew about the correct number
of the block, and It does not lie in
his power to allege otherwise to the
dctriment of the city.
Monday evening. before the City
Council ID. $. b. Henry made for
chile appeal in behalf of his protest
with twcnty-One other residents of
! Improvement District No ~, against
letting any contract for the Swan
town fill. He said his son John and
himself. are among the largest real
estate owners in the district. that
other large owners such as MeSsrS
Talcott Bros. Vance, +. O. Robbins,
Bradford and others along with him
self, will not object to the proposed
fill, if all the streets and alleys are
graded and improved at the same
time. and the expense eqlitably as
seSscd against the area of the dis
trict with the boundaries now fixed,
or to be established hereafter. The
position of Mr. Henry seems to be a
fair one, but like other similar pro-
jectS would not conform to the law
which frequently fails to harmonic
with just principles. The fill project
is attempted to be made under Chap
IA of the Laws of 1909. for promot-
ing the public health and sanitation,
which requires no petition on the
part of the owners of the real estate
affected to initiate the proceedings,
while improvements of streets in
cities are initiated through petitions
signed by abutting property owners.
The provisions of the two laws are
SO dissimilar. it is difficult to See how
they can be made to harmonic with
Mr.. Henrys project. Sometimes a
proposition of this kind may be mer-
itoriOus, and Still fail t. square with
the law. There is great need of re-
vision of our municipal laws with ref
erence to local improvements. They
are cumbersome, indefinite and eX-
pensive in their administration. The
SwantOwn fill project rs proposed in
the original resolution has developed
considerable feeling among a number
of hOme-Owners on the Eastside
The first remonstrance signed by l5S
owners was supposed to be lost ac-
cOrding to Mr.. Henry's statement,
but has been resurrected, hence the
presentation of the second protest.