The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-08
SIDEWALK STANDS
ARE ORDERED OFF
Must Be Removed Within Thirty
Days Under Councils
Ruling

One of the last acts OF the council.
Tuesday night, before going out OF
Office. was to adopt the resolution pros
viding for the removal OF all side
walk stands from which merchandise
ia -Eold.-The vote on the proposition
was "a to three, the three negative
votes being cast by Aid. Ellis, Owen
and SkrZyckl.
Aid. Ellis favored postponing action
so that the 1913 council might deal
with the problem, while Aid. Owen,
who favors the sidewalk stands, said
he would have the new council rescind
the resolution. There was very little
debate on the proposition. Aid. Mason
said that property owners In Cadillac
So, must have got lot OF money by
renting sidewalk space and that the
next council should take steps to have
this money handed over to the city.
The explanation OF some Of the
property owners that they do not rent
the sidewalks Is not taken seriously
by the committees which investigated
the matter. The fact is, insist the
committee members, that the men
conducting their stores on the side
walks do SO by reason Of some con
cession, directly or indirectly given
by the property owners. The proper
lty owners say they merely rent the
front part OF their stores, and yet the
purchaser could not buy the goods
sold on the sidewalk stands by goine
inside. The inside space Is merely
used for storage OF the merchaD disc
at night time. If the merchants were
forbidden to use the sidewalks they
would not rent from the owners.
IT'S another way of skinning a
cat" said an alderman.
Charles z. Fordon, who has hard
ware store on the sidewalk in front
OF the Central market in Cadillac-sq.,
and told the council committee that
he paid $50 a month rent to "Thomp.
son and Barlum," told The Times,
Tuesday, that his stand extends four
feet on the sidewalk from the build
ing. Ii looked more like FIVE, but il
wasn't measured. Many OF the prop
erty owners and merchants believe
they had the right to occupy three
feet of sidewalk space. but such is
not the case according TO. the opinion
given the council committee by As
sistant Corporation Counsel Tarsney.
The ordinance does not permit the
continued occupancy Of three feet OF
sidewalk space" said Tarsney. 1T
permits the merchants to use three
feet OF sidewalk space in bringing in
or taking out merchandise and this
merchandise shall be kept In transit.
All sidewalk stands are occupying
sidewalk space without any lawful
authority"
The resolution adopted by the coun-
Gil, Tuesday night, gives the side
walk merchants 80 days in which TO
vacate and at the expiration OF that
period provides for the removal OF
existing stands by the department OF
public works and the police.
The council adopted a resolution,
Tuesday night, offered by Aid. john
Lodge. instructing the department of
public works TO include in its budget
an estimate for widening John R-st
as far north as Adelaide-st. Mr.. Lodge
says that widening the street further
north would destroy many fine shade
trees. The widening OF John r. Ia
recommended By Police Commissioner
Croul as part OF his plan for relieving
the congestion OF traffic on Woodward
ave.
/ The council cleaned up its work,
Tuesday night. and the retiring men,
bers left their badges behind TO nc
given out TO the new members. The
retiring council will perfunctorlly
meet and adjourn next Tuesday night,
when the new council IL installed
amid flowers ami speeches.