The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-01-29
COUNCIL IGNORES PUBLIC SENTIMENT
IN THE MATTER OF PAVING STREETS
MEN OUTSIDE PLACE THE BURDEN upon
THOSE WHO TO PAY THE ExPENsE-THE
OWNERS VIGOROUS PROTEST

; why does the majority In the city
council. led by Mayor Taylor. insist
Iupon paving the streets of Wallace
when they know that the great ma
iority of the people who must pay the
bill are opposed to It?
This is a question that has been
forced up to the property owners OF
the city by the attitude Of the major
ity of the council few of whom are
property owners in the district pro-
posed to be paved. There Is no ques-
ton upon which public sentiment has
been more thoroughly determined
than on paving. The matter has been
before the public for years, and the
opposition to it was well known pe-
fore the last city election, a fact rec
ognized by Mayor Taylor who care
fully avoided making 1t an issue, and
who. If we are not greatly mistaken.
in a public statement announced that
he would not insist upon paving II ne
should be elected If there still ap-
peared to be pronounced opposition to
1t. Mr.. Taylor was elected along with
a majority of his ticket. The opposi-
tion to paving has been more evident
since his election than 1t was before,
and yet the mayor, regardless of his
before election announcement has
shown more determination to pave
than he did before. Why?
Changing Paving District
The action of the council ut the last
meeting in eliminating Bank street
and other parts Of the second paving
district because that section includes
those most strongly opposed to paw
ing is a mere subterfuge and does not
conform to the facts. There is no
doubt that the opposition to paving In
the section eliminated Is strong. but
1t Is not more so than 1t Is among the
; property owners on Cedar and Sixth
, streets. The fact Is that the great
|, majority of property owners Of this
city are opposed to paving, fact Well
; known to the members Of the council,
the power to override the wishes OF
the taxpayers they are doing 1t with
a determination that causes one to in
quire into the motive back of their ac-
j, ton The mayor lives far removed
from the paving district and only one
of the councilmen supporting the paw
ing program will be affected by 1t. Is
, this merely an exhibition of an excess
I've public spirit far In advance Of that
possessed by citizens In general?
Protest Of People Unheeded.
g The mayor and the majority mem.
, bers Of the council seem to be acting
, upon the theory that they were elect
5 ed to tell the people Of the city what
| they want rather than to be guided
f by the expressed wishes of the people,
$ That the people resent this attitude Of
D the council has been plainly apparent
t since the second paving district was
$ created. The elimination Of part Of
the district did not help the council in
l the least, for the same argument X
$ applied in good faith would have cut
out the remainder of the district at
2 tho same time.
Paving Not Needed
Y The letters from the mayors Of other
: cities showing the advantages of paw
! ed streets and the economy In main
t tanning them have no application here.
l Wallace stands in a class by itself In
! the matter of paving, and not one Of
: the cities referred to would have in
cured the expense of paving If they
S had been situated as Wallace. For
| months during the winter it matters
. mot whether the streets are paved or
I not, and in the summer time the
s streets arc better than paved. Dur
l ing the brief periods in the spring and
Q fall during the rain perod the mud is
, never deep and never seriously inter-
= feres with traffic. Under these cir
cumstances there can be no justifica- :
tion for the attitude Of the mayor and
council in forcing this needless ex-
pense upon the property owners If
this city.
The people of Wallace have never
p failed to respond literally and cheer
fully to any financial call involving
the welfare and advancement of the
C CITY, and they never will fail in th1t
g respect. But they do most earnestly
d resent having this needless burden
d thrust upon them, and if there is any
: way to escape 1t they will certainly
: be justified in taking advantage of it
k