Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-05-02
PAVING MEANS PROGRESS.

The argument advanced by some of
the opponents of paving that the In
stallation Of the improvement here
would prove a heavy drain on the
property owners and possibly result
in financial embarrassment and busi-
ness stagnation and failures, is as
foolish as it is improbable. The fact
that practically every business man
in the city is in favor Of paving 0nd
has expressed a willingness to pay
increased rentals in the event that the
improvement shall be installed, is suf-
ficient argument to refute the allega-
ton. The plea that the cost Of
pavement would embarrass the prop
erty owners and practically amount
to confscation Of property" is a
confession of weakness that comes
with poor grace at this time. Ac-
cording to the Clark -Henery bid,
which the council has accepted, the
pavement for a 60-foot lot on Main
street will cost 1868 and for the same
sized lot on Mill or Court streets it
will cost $3.50. Under the 10-year
payment plan the property owner OF
a 60-fOOt lot on Main street would
therefore be required to pay $26.8O
annually, and on Court or Mill
streets, $28 annually. To say that
the payment of this sum would Gem
barrass" any holder Of real estate on
these streets in the proposed paving
district is so foolish that further COM
ment is unnecessary.
Forest Grove is one Of the best
paved of the smaller cities Of the
Willamette valley. The entire bust
ness district is thus improved and the
city is in a fourishing condition. Ev-
cry business house is occupied and
more new ones are being erected. The
people are so well pleased with the
improvement that this year "a blocks
in the residence district will be paved,
and this will be done at the urgent
request of the property owners and
not a single protest has been entered
against it, This doesn't look like
the confscatiOn of property" The
people of Forest Grove declare that
their city has improved in population
and wealth with much greater rapid
ity since the adoption Of hard sur
face pavement than ever before. They
are satisfied, and the croakers who
exerted every effort in the first place
to resist the plan, have either be-
come enthusiastic converts to the
idea or their weak squeaks of pro
test have been lost in the hum of the
wheels Of progress.
McMinnville is one Of the pro.
gressive towns of the valley. 1t IS
larger than Dallas and growing more
rapidly. Some fine new business
buildings have been erected and more
are under way. Splendid new resi-
dences on the paved streets are the
rule while others will be built during
the coming summer. The people of
McMinnville are not fighting hard
surface streets, although the crOakerS
succeeded in retarding the advance
ment of the city for many years.
Independence is satisfied with her
hard surface street work and mere
will he done this year, independence
is smaller than Dallas, but it Is a
lively burg and a general air of pros
rcrity is noticeable So it is every f.
where Dallas is the only community T.
Of any importance in the valley that
mss not adopted the paving idea and /
size is tagging behind in the process .
sion. This is a plain statement. but /
II ls a fact, nevertheless. Aud il j. .
al>n a fact that the men who have /
stood behind every public improve
ment and every enterprise for the .
good Of the whole people, are support
ers Of the paving plans. Many Of
Ah'ot Nu' hllNnt AZ lui7 tllAts Alt F.
probably honest in their belief, and
are basing their objection on the best
Of motives, but they are simply mis-
taken-that's all.
Opponents Of paving have urged
many reasons why the work should
not be done at this time. These were
set forth at length in The Observer Of
Tuesday. and every one Of the subter-
fuges used to oppose the idea were
shown in their true light. and left the
objectors no foundation on which 10
base their opposition. The principal
argument was that the city had not
the money 10 pay for the street inter
sections. vet il was shown that there
is plenty Of funds on hand for
this work. The obiecto,s told us hat
the city could not stand the cost of
lowering or changing the water mains.
but we find that this work will h.
done at the expense Of the water
company They say thst storm water
sewers are necessary, yet the fac:
remains that the present sewers have
proved sufficient for all purposes