The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-06-13
GUTHRIE pOWERLESS TO
AID IN CONSTRUCTION
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Provision In Law Against City
Owning Public Utilities
In Partnership

Bonds voted by ths city Of Guth.
rie for the purpose Of paying part OF
the cost OF the proposed cleveland
avenue viaduct are worthless, ao-
cording to the opinion OF the attoy
ney general as bond commissioner
for the reason that there Is pro
vision of law against municipality
voting bonds for any public utility
20 be held iD partnership It Is said
the only way Guthrie can secure a
yladpct is by compelling the Santa
iNe railway company to construct
one
Mayor Olsmith announced today
that the attempt to sell the issue OF
SAT 600 authorized by popular vote in
February last, viii be abandoned
These bonds had been advertised
with the 100000 park improvement
issue but will be Immediately with
drawn. The park bonds are not in
any way affected by the vladuct at
fair
c. L. Moore, assistant attorney
general. who is the bond inspector,
made trip to Guthrie yesterday to
break the news to the officials He
called City Attorney HepbuFn's att
tention to the statute which prohib-
| its partnerships The law. passed by
| the first legislature specifically de-
MES cities the right 10 vote bonds
for utilities to be partly owned or
controlled by the railway or any 9th.
er corporation, or by individuals. A
bond issue, to be legal. must be for
a specific purpose and without con.
nection with corporate interests
How this provision escaped the at
! tention OF attorneys ana officials SO
long is not understood The vaduct
proceedings have been pending for
over year aud Mayor OlBmith and
City Hepburn inherited il from the
Farduharson administration. The
mayor Is convinced the Law is plain
and that there Is no use in trying to
sell the bonds
The attorney general gave notice
that he would disapprovc the issue
on account OF the statute.
II can understand that sweet let.
ter the Santa Fe wrote us, said
Mayor Olsmth today. "lt is easy
to see now The Santa F'e people
probably knew all the time that the
city could not issue any such bonds.
and they have been having some
quite laughs That Is The reason for
that dear letter We got recently, Ia
which the benign and wise railroad
man said that the Santa Fe was
ready with it's cash and would begin
work whenever the city sold the
bonds and put up the money That
was safe hit,
Corporation Commission May AT.
1T Is understood the corporation
commission will at once undertake
70 compel the construction of thu
yladuct across the Santa Fe and the
other tracts and the Cottonwood riv
er The plans made by the Santa
Re are for q structure about ,000
feet long 36 feet wide, OF steel and
concrete construction Inc cost has
been estimated at about sf35. 600
/ The city was 20 put up s36.00D, thS
Slreet railway company $4,000 and
the Santa re the remainder. This
city undertook to loan the street car
company $4,000. to be paid back II
annual ipetallments Of $1,000 Bonds
have been voted twice first gor N0
bic avenue and lattcf for CLEVELAND
avenue.
There ia pending at SapldBa a cas-,
similar TO the Guthrie case The elty
Of sapulga voted bonds Ia aid OF
vladuct over the Frisco road. nh
district court turned down the bond
or the authority OF the statute use
+ ed ln The clse d Guthrie The COZ
< poration commission bias taken til
! the matter and IL endeavofing h
( make the Frisco 10 On With the plan
as submitted II the commission
/ able to do this with regard to th
!, Frisco ~ Sapulpa 4 ~iIl be able 4
4 make the Santa re come across wil
> gIaduct here. The necessity ls al
III mltted on all sldcs, and tho plan
! have been made
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