The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-07-20
KNOX SMITHS
REPORT ON WATERWAYS
BUSINESS MEN EXPRESS VIEWS.

About fifty citizens attended the
council meeting last night to be pres
ent at the discussion of the Bouie
street and River avenue paving.
The petition asking that this paving
be done was submitted by Alderman
Mckenzie, who stated taht the citi-
zens had come in its interest and that
he thought it proper that they should
be given a definite answer. He then
submitted an estimate for the paving
of these streets with twenty-five foot
width and four inch depth, which
amounted to sixteen hundred dollars
for the two streets and drew attention
to the fact that the surplus in the
street fund was sufficient to cover
this.
Alderman Lassiter then spoke, say
ing that he thought the board had
been unduly criticized since they had
been already figuring on this work
but that as a representative of the
people he sought to be in accord with
their wishes. He then suggested that
to best satisfy the people a committee
of five citiZens-one from each ward
and one at large be appointed by the
people to confer with a committee of
| four aldermen as to which streets
should be paved first and how it
| should be done.
Alderman Powe then expressed him.
self in favor of utilizing any legal aid
that the county could give and moved
that a committee be appointed to see
in what way the work could be best
and most economically done and re
port both plan and cost TO the next
meeting.
Alderman McGrath stated that he
had been much interested in having
these streets repaired and regretted
that the deferring of the petition a
the last meeting had been interpete
by the citizens as it had. Inasmucl
as prospects of aid from the count.
were very uncertain, he asked t
amend Mr.. Powe's motion by givin!
to the committee power to act a
soon as they should agree upon a plan
saving that he had promised severa
citizens that definite action would b
taken at this meeting - -
Mr.. A, L. Draughan, objected to de
lay since the important point was no
the Improvement OF the street for tn
benefit of residents, as many othe
streets would have equal claim o
such grounds but that the object wa
to fix these streets so that the farm
ers could come in to trade. Nj
Draughan then dwelt at some lengtl
on the necessity of providing for tn
development of agricultural resources
since the timber was being rapidly re
moved and showed how railroads eS
tended in every other direction eA
cept to this farming section.
Mr.. r. L. Bennett, was called 70
and said that he considered the pay
ing of these streets a matter of vita
interest to all the business and pre-
fessional men, that while he and otl
ers would like to see their own street
= paved these would benefit only ind
, vlduals while River avenue and Boui
street would be a benefit to all. H
thought that other street work shoul
. be sacrificed to fix these streets We
. and permanently so He inquired a
to the funds and convict labor avail
able and suggested that property owl
ers on those streets might aid in tn
= work.
Mr.. H. Katz said that while he wa
5 member of the board much none
p had been wasted on dirtr Dads /
f urged therefore that the money in IL
. treasury be invested in permanel
streets and said that nowhere was
f more needed than on Bouie street al
+ River avenue.
n Mayor Donald then read an estima
/ compiled by the city engineer, placiI
h the cost of the work as he thought
e should be done at $4,000. He sta
a that there were other street improy
S ments on which he thought this mo
S. ey should be used and expressed hi
e self of the opinion that to do I'll
h paving now would call for an ado
is tional taxation to which he declar
N he would not give his consent.
or Before adjournment this commit
IN was appointed as follows: Alderm
e, McGrath. Mckenzie, Powe, Gamer
ID and Lassiter. The committee v
Sc meet on Thursday evening at the
ry flee of the city engineer and plan
mediate action.