Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-25
BUSINESS
OF CITY COUNCIL
Paving, Street Railroad Crossings and
Electric Wiring Take Up Most Of
the Evening.

The council was unable last night to
dispose of the ordinance providing that
the duties of the city engineer shall be
extended by making that official elec.
trical wiring expert. The bill was up
for first reading and an attempt was
made to place it on its final passage. In.
stead the ordinance was referred to the
ordinance committee, with instructions
to make a thorough investigation, and
with power, in the meantime, to license
men to do electric wiring. The ordi.
nance will come up again next Monday
night with the provision making the en-
gineer official wire inspector un.
changed.
Alderman Stolz questioned whether
the city engineer is a competent man to
inspect electrical wiring. The council
was assured by H. L. worse, of the un.
derwriters' association, of Portland,
that the city engineer can very easily
fill the bill in a way that will be ac.
ceptable to the underwriters.
Railroad Men Appear.
To ward against the possibility Of fu-
ture difficulties that might be caused
by railroads having franchises on Ger.
tain streets, in crossing intersecting
streets, the council instructed the city
attorney to confer with attorneys Of the
Salem, Falls City & Western road and
to draft an ordinance providing for
such crossings
Engineers Burkholder and Eddy, Of
the railroad company, were present, and
admitted that the city charter is not
clear on the question, but that they be.
lieved that they were entirely within
their rights in crossing Capitol street,
where the difficulty seems to hinge
The engineers recommended the passing
of a safeguarding ordinance. .
On petition from property owners for
a storm drain to be constructed al
Frederick and Twenty.second street, the
street committee reported favorably
and the report was adopted.
Committee Favors Paving.
In relation to the petition Of property
owners for the improvement Of North
Commercial street with hard surface
pavement, and as result Of the meet
ing of property owners on that street
held Friday night, the committee recon
mended the awarding Of the contract Il
the Geiger Construction Co. The re
port was adopted. The Geiger compan.
sent in a communication protesting
against the recommendation Of the com
mittee Of n five.year contract to b.
made by contractors.
Reports were also adopted favorinl
the Improvement Of Twenty.first stree
from State to Center and Of Chemeketj
street from Fourteenth to Twenty.firsi
both with six.inch gravel concrete pave
ment. The property owners of beth dis
tricts held meetings last week and dc
cided upon this material.
Restaurant Liquor Permit
Ruef & Allen, proprietors of the Ore
gonian restaurant, at 37l State stree
. petitioned for a restaurant liquor ]
, cense. The license was granted by tb
b. council.
e In reply to communication a wee
. ago from Fire Chief Savage, asking III
i, fire and water committee TO ascertai
c the number Of buildings in the cit
J. coming under the fire escape ordinanC
that are yet without fire escapes, u
committee reported that the followiu
buildings are without that protection;
u The Bligh theatre, the building at u
u northwest former Of Ferry and Commc
g. cial streets, the 1. o. o. +. building, Il
"