Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-10-22
Council
Has Busy
Session
SEWERS, PAVING AND STREET I'M.
PROVEMENTS DISCUSSED AND
PRELIMINARY ACTION ON THE
RIVER BRIDGE WAS TAKEN.

The sewer problem was further com
pllcated at the meeting of the city
council last night when a motion was
carried instructlng the city attorney to
prepare a bill to go on the ballot at
the coming city election for the re-
assessment Of the South Salem sewer
Provision has already been made by
the council for a vote in the December
election on a bond issue for S3S0,00O
for the maintenance Of sewers in North
and South Salem. No opposition was
offered to the bill proposed last night,
The motion was made by Alderman
Brown.
The business transacted by the
council last night was entirely Of a
routine nature, though some measures
of more than ordinary Importance
were handled,
Councilman Lafky, of the street
committee, presented a letter from the
jain Construction company withdraw
ing the objections Of the company to
the opening of traffic on Fourteenth
street, from State to Mission, which
has recently been paved. Mr. Lafky
reported recommending that the en-
gineer be instructed to open the
street, The motion was adopted.
The most spirited discussion of the
meeting arose over the proposed inn
provement Of Fir street, from Lincoln
to Superior, and the property owners
on the street, c. L. Starr, who owns
property on the street, but who does
not live on it, objecting to the i'm
provement, and Drs. Seymour Skiff
and Will Skiff, who both own proper
ty on and live on the street, strongly
urging immediate improvement.
A majority of the street committee,
Councilmen Skaife and Jones, report
ed adversely to the improvement, bas-
ing their action on a petition from a
majority Of the property owners, who
objected to the improvement. They
recommended that the bids be reject
ed Councilman Lafly presented a
minority report recommending that
the contract be awarded to Arenz &
Son whose bid for the work is $565O
A second petition from property own
ers, favoring the paving, was also pre-
sented, but requesting that the work
be postponed until the 1918 season.
The entire district proposed for pave
ment on the street embraces "a lots.
Those favoring the pavement work
represented 10 lots. OF those repre-
senting the ether II lots exactly half
of them are non-residents of the street.
In supporting the claims of these
property owners C. L. Starr empha-
sized the argument that many of them
are non-residents, but who intend to
build homes on the street but will be
unable to do so financially il the i'm
provement is made within the next six
mGnths Drs Yill and Seymour Shff
urged the Improvement, saying that
the residents of the street have long
been compelled to walk through the
mud in order to reach their homes.
Final action was that the report was
placed on the table for a week.
The city engineer reported that the
bridge on South High street, between
Mill and Oak had been completed
Councilman Hatch declared that the
bridge is the best in the city, and rec
commended that the contract price
$l994, plus $500 for extras be paid tc
the contractor, d. w. Pugh. After
some argument regarding the $500 for
extras, the report was passed.
Plans and specifications for the i'm.
provement of Rural avenue, from Com
mercial to Twelfth streets, were pre-
sented by the city engineer and refer
red to the street committee, Two spec
ifications for concrete and one fo
macadam were included
A report was adopted for the notifi
cation Of residents of Chemeketi
street, from Water to Fourteenth of
deficit in the assessment. A repor
authorizing change Of grade OF
North Front street was adopted.
petition was presented and referred I,
the committee on lights asking for tn
installation Of an arc light at Chemel1
eta and Fifteenth streetss.
The special committee OF citizens
composed Of Judge Burnett, J, A. Ball
err and Scott Riggs, who, with tn
bridge committee of the council, inves
tigated the condition of the bridg
acros the Willamette, on Cente
street, reported that, after consultation
with A. b. Eberhard, the Polk count
engineer, they had decided that tn
repair Of the bridge was urgent an
that the cost for its repair would b
from $4,000 to $4,000 A meeting be
tween the engineer and the bridg
committee of the council was arrange