Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-12-18
BUSI NESS
men ARE
TALKING
About Salem Streamer Lights
Being CanceIIeI-Think the
City Council Should Assume
Expense.

the community IN Seneral is up III
arms according to the sentiments ex-
pressed by the different merchants
and residents of the city. Follow
ing are the views of several Sa-
LENS most prominent merchants and
business men concerning the abolish
ing of the streamers in the business
district of the city:
1T may be presuming," says
Henry Meyers, a member of the
committee who solicited among the
business men to establish lights, Ito
express my views of the sudden ac-
ton taken toward abolishing the
streamers in the city, but will say
that for a public benefit, that Salem
could not invest in a more effective
plan than to keep the city well
lighted. l am strongly in favor Of
dressing the city up, both day and
n ght, to attract the attention of the
people outside This establishment
(meaning the Meyers store) takes
pains to attract the attention of the
people in order to induce them to
enter our store. This means bet
terment in every respect. We want
the people to notice the city and to
do this we must care for its appear
ance at night especially. A poorly
lighted city does not gain the inter
est of the "city folks" near as much
as the city does when well lighted
and showing pride in its existence
Notwithstanding its smallness. Yes
sir, streamers is what we want and
! the city council should get busy and
provide for them if the business
men can't afford to bear the brunt.
Max Buren, when accosted con-
cerning the city lighting SYSTEM
said: II am in favor of maintain
! ing the streameTS and keeping the
city in a perfect glow of light, but,
owing to the fact that the business
men are about the only ones whom
are called upon to act as leaders in
any of the movements undertaken
| here such as horse shows, Fourth Sf
| July and other things of interest, I
| believe that the city council should
do their part and bear the expense
of lighting the city with streamlers
You are probably aware that the
business men took things in hand at
every instance when events were in
order, then why should they be COM
pelled to bear the brunt of munich
pality lighting?"
e. Eckerlen is also a conservative
and highly interested champion Of
| lighted streets. He says: 81 am
of the opinion that the city light
! ing system should go on in the same
manner as it did. I am willing to
pay my share and there is no doubt
but what the welfare of the city is
put dangerously near the downward
mark when the streamers are re-
moved. "
Frank Meyers, the proprietor OF
"The Spa," stated yesterday after
noon that he was most decidedly in
favor of maintaining the city stream
ers and that he would be willing to
pay one dollar per month in order
to keep them lighted. if necessary
but he thought that the city should
do their part in keeping this i'm
provement of the city going.
U. ]. Riggs emphatically favored
the lighting of the streets by the
streamer system and said that the
: city could not realize a more benefi
cial plan than to maintain the pres
ent lighting system, but to beal
every bit of the expense for the city
lighting was an imposition upon the
i
; ]. M. Lawrence, a prominent gro
German of the city, said this morn
ing that he thought the city should
take the matter of maintaining tht
streamers in their own hands anC
, keep them burning at the city's ex
pense and that to throw the city ii
darkness by discontinuing tn
streamer lighting plan, would meal
he hn
John W. Harritt says: II an
sure that the city would, and ha
\ been, deriving a great benefit fror
the streamer lights. and I think the
. should be continued. But, inasmucl
as 1t helps the growth of the city
III hardly think it proper and fair t
impose the entire expense upon tn
merchant. OF course, 1t is no
much, but due to the fact that 1t
a general public benefit, 1 think tn
city should take hand in the mat
ter and push it along until som
system more beautifying and valua
BILE could be established"
II Mr.. Woods, proprietor of tn
II Woods Confectionery establishment
and a new conner to Salem, was in
trrviewed concerning the streame
Iii ABulSs he Sdlu. vi all the az
vantages Salem has ever had as ia
as l am aware OF, / don't think
more valuable advertisement coul
be established than to light the cit
up even more than when the strean
ers were burning. l am perfect
- willing TO pay my share I'm order [
4 keep them burning and / think the
& should be maintained by the city
other means cannot be afforded" 4"
+. w. Spencer, the hardware maj
is of the opinion that the cost {
lighting the city with streamel
would be more benehc'ally place
should the suburbs and Outlayin
precincts OF the city be supple
with more arc lights. Mr. Spence
however. is highly in favor Of n
streamer lighting system In the bu
l.. Afaf-inf