The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-07-14
COLFAX WILL HAVE
B|TUL|TH|C PAVING
Long Remonstrance Filed By
Taxpayers Is Tabled
Council Chambers Packed With In
terested Citizens Judge CanfieIa
Retained to Argue Against Chosen
Pavement.

WIN stouuluS IOOut dJ premium III
the council chambers Monday night the
city fathers listened to the reading OF
remonstrances against paving Mill and
Main and the iRterse citing streets with
bitulithic paving. A motion was made
to lay the remonstrances on the table.
Mayor Weinberg stated that under the
rules motion to lay a matter on the
table was not debatable but under the
circumstances he wanted to give the tax
payers an opportunity to express them
selves.
Il. M. Moffat was the first to speak in
support of the long remOnstrances. He
told OF his observations in Portland
when making an investigation of the
paving question and of his interest IN
COlfax as taxpayer. He was followed
by Judge Garfield, who had been retained
by the remOns; ;ratOrs to present their
side OF the question. He went at length
into the situation, introducing many
photographs and statements furnished
by paving company that is rival OF
the owners of the patent for bitulithic
paving. When he had finished speaking
it seemed to a disinterested outsider
that concrete paving, asked for in a
petition filed at the same time as the
remonstrance to bitulithic, or any other
kind of paving was superior to the kind
chosen by the council.
After the Judge had finished his talk
the mayor asked for more discussion and
Charles Mackenzie rose to his feet and
stated few facts that we're startling to
say the least. Ia the first place he
called attention to few OF the names
near the head Of the list of remonstra.
tors and stated that they we're residents
OF Spokane. He also stated that he be-
lieved the members of the council were act
ing in good faith in their choice and he
also believed those opposed TO the action
were not acting in good faith but rather
with the hope of blocking the proposed
P"'in6 oICOSCNhCI' 4uc pdfIuS Quc6-
tion has been open for discussion for
several months, the taxpayers have had
an opportunity to express themselves
and now at the eleventh hour objections
have been brought up with the seeming
intention of delaying the work.
Councilman Barroll at this point asked
the clerk to read a few letters receive d
from the mayor of number Of cities
that have bitulithc paving and are con-
tracing for more.
An entirely different aspect was put
on the situation by the talk OF MIR. Mac
Kenzie and the letters introduced by Mr.
BarrOll. No one else cared to speak on
the question and the matter of laying
the remOnstrance on the table was put
to vote. The motion carried by q
vote of six to one, Councilman Kirkland
being the only one to vote against it.
The petition for concrete paving was
tabled by the same vote.
The engineers plans for improving
Mill and intersecting streets and Main
street with bitulithic paving we're ap-
proved by the street committee and
resolutions adopting the plans were
unanimously carried by the council
Ordinances establishing the local i'm
provement districts and providing funds
for carrying on the work passed first
and second reading by unanimous vote
as did the resolutions calling for bids to
be received July 81.
While the meeting was largely at
tended and representatives OF both sides
expressed their IDEAS On paving the best
OF feeling prevailed and no disagreeable
personalities arose to create bitter feel
ing OF any kind.
The question OF the south end pave
ment will be taken up at the meeting
of the council next Monday night.