Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-05-04
How Shall the Springs
Development Committee Proceed
Citizens Meeting Called at Chautauqua Tab
enaCle to Advise and Determine How the
Project Will Be Handled After the Funds
Are Voted

nave inquired as to our plans in re-
gard TO finishing the work, and many
valuable suggestions have been Of
fered.
There are several ways this could
be successfully done:
First-To turn the matter entirely
over to the council at the time the
bonds are voted.
Secohd--To elect a board of COM
missioners to carry forward the en-
terprise, entirely independent of the
council and park board.
Third-To elect one commissioner
to act in conjunction with the park
board and the council.
Fourth-To provide for a commits
sion OF three, one TO be a member of
the council, to be appointed by the
mayor, one q member of the park
board to be appointed by that board,
and the third member to be
elected by the voters at the same time
the bonds are voted.
Hover, there are two or three 9TH
! er points | think equally as impor-
tant. II is probable that bonds can
be legally voted without changing the
charter for "waterworks extension"
and then the funds arising from the
| issue can be used to bring in the
springs. | do not approve that plan,
for / do not think it ever wise to
whip the devil around the stump in
handling public matters, and especial
ly public moneys. Under our Oregon
laws the people are supreme; they can
vote their money for what they please
and how they please. This being true
l am in favor of amending the charter
SO that the bonds can be voted direct
ly for the springs project without the
leasissEg gal subterfuge.
1t should be provided that the
bonds be sold by the city treasurer, at
not less than par, to the highest bid
der, and the funds arising therefrom
deposited in a special and sacred
fund, entirely separate from other
city funds, and that such fund can
not be paid out by the treasurer ex-
cept upon special mineral springs
vouchers showing that the work or
supplies for which it was issued was
done directly in forwarding the
springs project. ..
The development committee now
has all OF these suggestions and prob
lens under consideration, and does
not desire to exercise its Judgment on
them without an expression from the
| people. The work in which we are
engaged is the business of the people
OF Ashland and the committee Graves
and seeks advice on all these impor-
tant points.
1t will require about sixty days to
follow the law if the charter is to be
amended and the bonds voted directly
for the springs matter. 1t is neces-
sary that the bonds be voted before
July 15, so that advertising matter 90
| into all the railroad advertising for
1915. Therefore the necessity for
haste is apparent.
have set these points out as clear.
ly as l can, and am printing this let.
ter because the committee desires the
advice and counsel of the taxpayers
on these points before it acts.
Therefore, the development com.
mittee has determined to call meet.
ing of the citizens for next Thursday
night at the Chautauqua building, to
which every citizen and taxpayer is
invited and urged to come.
Each of the methods of procedure
above proposed will be discussed and
the committee will be guided in pre-.
pairing the legal steps necessary by
the action of that meeting.
BERT r. GREER.