The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-09-14
LETTER 7AUSES
I5TIE VOTE
]. F. BATCHELDER SUBMITS ADVICE
council Orders Warrants Drawn to Cover
Cost of Water Plant Skating
Rink Declared Nuisance.

For the first time this year the vote
of the mayor was necessary 10 settle
a tie at the Monday night meeting of
the City Council The members of
the council were equally divided as to
whether or not a communication from
y. +. Batchelder should be tabled or
referred TO committee. The letter
in question stated that Ulen a Co. had
no right 10 make an assignment OF the
$50, 600 bond issue to Morris Bros, the
Portland brokers. Ii asserted that it
was the business and duty of the city
government to re-adyel tise the bonds
together with the sum of S32, 4li. the
valuation placed on the water system.
Thus, according to the belief Of the
writer, large and responsible bond
houses will bid on the bonds and the
city will get a better bargain. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Batchelder no large and
responsible bond houses have yet made
bids on the local bonds. He ended his
communication by advising the council
instead of beginning the installation of
a municipal water system this winter.
to make certain revisions in the city
charter.
A motion of Councilman Early, Sec
onded by Councilman Robertson, pro-
vided for the tabing of the communi-
cation. However, DIR. Brosius stated
that through courtesy the message
should be referred to committee.
The councilmen voted as follows for
the motion; Wright, Early and Rob
ertson, No; Howe, Brosius and Hug
gins, Yes. The mayor voting with the
noes, the communication, on motion,
was referred TO the Street committ4e.
A petition from the Apple Growers
Union asked that the city vacate Fifth
street north of Columbia. AS a con-
sideration for this the organization
offers strip of twenty feet from the
lots owned by il in this section. by
opening a road over the proposed lots
a convenient way is offered to the
freight sstation and the Apple Vinegar
Company's factory. The matter was
referred to the Street committee for
a report at the next meeting.
A petition signed by a large number
of citizens residing west of the city
asked that the city repair the west
end of Cascade avenue. Recent rains
they assert has so badly washed
small stretch of the highway that it
makes the hauling of fruit over 1t
almost impossible The cost of the
Improvement will not amount to more
than $780, according TO the estimates of
the petitioners. The petition was re-
ferred Ito ,the Street committee with
power to act. Mayor Hartwig stated
that portion of the East Side grade
was In similar condition and was in
need of repairs. He suggested that
the Cascade avenue improvement
might be made by an assessment. but
added that the East Side Grade would
perhaps not stand an assessment.
A remonstrance against the excava-
tion of First street was submitted by
l.. M. Blowers and }. b. Hunt, who
stated that the propery owners, who
received fills in front of their property
should, ssinee they were benefited,
bear cost in proportion to their own.
They further stated that the price
actually charged by the contractor had
exceeded the estimates AS made by the
city and that the contractor had prob
ably made a mistake in his calculations
as to the amount of rock removed
from in front of the property. Re
porting on remonstrance submitted
by Mr.. Hunt at the last meeting of
the council, the Street committee
stated that its members had investi-
gated the work and found no reason
why the work as completed by the con
tractor should not be accepted, and an
ordinance providing such was ordered.
Recorder Langille reported that the
amount due the Seaton Construction
Go. for the work of oiling Twelfth
street had been attached by the A. II.
Averill Machinery Co., of Portland, in
order to secure payment Of the sum Of
Sl3l.T2, owed for machinery. The
Seaton Company is due the sum of
$495 on the work
the recommendation of the Fire and
Water committee, that sthe recorder
draw at once two warrants to cover
the valuation of the water plant Of the
Pacific Power & Light Co. as assessed
by the condemnation jury, was adopted
AS soon as the city proifers the war
rants, 1t at once assumes control of
the plant and receives the revenue
from it.
l.. A. Henderson was reported by
the Street committee to have asked
for instructions as to his duties as
inspeetoE for the work to be done in
the construction of the new sewer
system. He was referred to the city
engineer.
The matter Of the city standing the
expense of building a retaining wall in
front of the property Of Judge John
Leland Henderson on State street
again came before the council. The
Street committee recommended that
the city pay the cost of such work,
since former Street committee had
given Judge Henderson permanent
grade. DR.. Brosius opposed the action,
stating that it was setting a bad pree-
edent.
The report of the judiciary commit
tee. recommending that the skating
rink be closed, was adopted. The fol-
lowing is their report:
Hood River, Ore, Sept. IL, 1911.
TO the Hon. Mayor and Common
Council, of Hood River, Ore.
We, The committee to whom was
referred the matter of the petition to
abolish the Skating Rink respectfully
submit the following report:
We visited the building and was
shown over it and were unable to
inspect the interior of the Rink but
outside a cleaning up had been made
so as to lessen the fire risk.
The main cause of the complaint
seems to be the noise caused when the
rink is in operation and as expressed
by some of the residents living near
as becoming unbearable.
The character of the building is such
that it would be impossible to deaden
the sound and still have the necessary
ventilation.
We understand that the owners of
the Rink are making preparation to
defend themselves against the closing
of the huiIding as q Rink hnL moi with