Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-11-17
Want CHANGES IN
THE PAVING LAW
Officials Say the Chase Law is Per-
picking and Should be
Overhauled.

That the present paving assess
ment law is not clearly defined in it,
provisions and that there is need fol
amendment was the declaration
yesterday Of city officials, who spoke
before the members Of the Real Els
tate association at their weekly
luncheon at the Commercial club.
The principal address was given
by Sam Page, city attorney. Mayor
Smith, Councilman Wesley, Council
man Lewis and City Engineer Fred
Smith also addressed the gathering
making practically the same point
as that brought out by Mr.. Page.
In opening, Mr.. Page said that
he believed no one attorney in Sioux
City had been able to define clearly
the meaning of certain sections of
the new assessment law. Mr.. Page
confessed the law had confused him
and had created unnecessary entan-
clements for city officials, who had
to shape the assessment program.
Mr.. Page said that he believed
the paving situation in Sioux City
could be handled by the creation of
paving districts. He thought the
present precinct boundaries could
define the paving districts. 1t was
also the thought Of the city attor-
ney that the cost of paving should
not be confined to the abutting
property, but should be spread over
the entire block, payment to be
made according to property area
rather than on the value of the
property. Mr.. Page thought that the
owner of AUDITING property should
pay between 35 and so per cent Of
the cost and that the rest of the cost
should be met equally according to
area by the adjacent property. Mr..
Page said such a plan would be
more equitable for those who have
already paid for pavement and that
the plan would also encourage pave
ment improvement.
Mayor Smith said the basic prin-
ciple OF the present law was all
right. He said that under the old
law the paving of suburban streets
had thrown too great a cost on the
property owners and that the result
was the city had to foot excess bills.
He, too, took the stand the law
should be amended, and stated that
the Iowa League of municipalities
intended to further some such
changes. He suggested that the real
estate men might offer proposed
amendments to the association and
that such amendments would be con-
sidered carefully.
City Engineer Smith recited a
number Of examples where the pres
ent law had worked inequality, and
asserted that, while the law was all
right in a general way, there was
need for change in a number of sec
tions.-Sioux City Journal.
1t will be noted by the foregoing
that the officials who discussed the
proposition were in sympathy with
the principles of the Chase law, the
objection being that it was not clear
in all its provisions. Practically ev-
erybody who has given the matter
consideration and want to be fair
admit that the burden Of paving as
sessments as laid under the old law
was unfair to corner lot owners,
they being assessed more than the
benefits warranted. From a law
yer's viewpoint perhaps the new law
Is defective, but it embraces proper
principles and if the law is amended
the principle which the author Of
the new law tried to enforce should
not be eliminated.