The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-10-17
ARBITRARY ACTION
Councils Proceedings Against Com
nePcial National Bank Building.

A called meeting of the City Coun-
Gil was held yesterday evening at
which a resolution by Commissioner
Atkins was adopted as follows:
BE il resolved by The City Coun-
ell Of the City of Shreveport. in le-
gal session convened, That the orna-
mental columns and pedestals Of the
Commercial National Bank building
| in course of construction on the
lcornerof Market and Texas slrets.
projecting 2S or 30 inches, is an en-
icroachment upon and an obstruc-
! tion of the sidewalk portion of said
streets and encumhers, prevents and
embarrasses the free use of same.
end further work on such columns
and pedcstals should be prevented
and that portion of same already
constructed should be removed.
BE it further resolved. etc. That
the City Council approve, authorize
and ralify the injunction suit
against said Commercial National
Bank, No. l5.50S on the docket of the
District Court, filed TO prevent the
further reection and completion of
lsaid columns and pedestals and to
have the same ordered removed -
The Caucasian has no interest in
dollars and cents in the Commercial
National Bank, nor in its affairs. but
il is its opinion that the proceedings
Of the Council. as outlined in The At
|kins resolution is arbitrary.
Why should The Council by resO-
luton endorse the legal course Of
the city attorney, who as an official
rs fully competent TO discharge his
obligation, should need no boostingI
tc do his duty.
What is the incentive Of This suit ?
II would seem as if This resolution
was q grand stand play TO win the
approval of the public. but the peo-
pie aetuated by fairness would not
|Countenanee if they could not COM
mend such a proceeding.
II has been declared authorita-
lively that tie building is being con-
strueted according To plans and spe-
|cifications approved by the city en-
|gineer and the building inspector.
and therefore, with such authority.
it would seem in reason that the
city has no ground for contention.
but why single out this building
when others have encroached on The
stipulated lines of the sidewalk?
For instance, The First National
Bank Building has projections on
the sidewalk Of a foot or more.
The Continental Bank building en-
croaehes on The sidewalk line. sol
does the Caddo Club and the Hutch
iIlson building.
The steps TO the basement OF the
Levy and the Simon building on Ed
wards street project at least two
feel on the sidewalk line, and there
are others, but the most radical en-
croachment on the sidewalk is by
the city itself as evidenced at the en-
frances of the city hall, the proiee-
tion being from two to four feet
from the legal line.
Having accepted in good faith the
authority to construct the building
it is fair to assume that the City |
Council can not win its plant in a
court of justice.
The contention of the city comes |
loo late. Indeed, the projection Of
the columns, upon which the suit
is based, are decidedly ornamental
and are not an obstruction of the
sidewalk.
10 the Caucasian this proceeding
seems puerile and will most prob
ably end as the mountain which la
bored and brought forth a mouse.