The chronicle=news., 1914-07-28

OF tne Guy engineer euSScSteu, Ut
Laughlin, who holds the city contrac
ters, be enabled to make consistent
sti1l a myriad kinks in the situation
meantime Laughlin finds himself in
contract but with no work to do.
Last night while the lights played
peek-a-boo with the august aldermen
the council discussed again the mat
ter of prosecuting the improvement
plan inaugurated some time ago. and
which has been the inspiration OF
more discussion and resolution than
any project which has harassed the
city fathers for years. 1t has been
found that there can be no uniform
parkings or curbs and cutters be-
cause there Is no uniformity in
streets. 1t has been discovered that
the old ordinance which designates
widths of parkings and streets. un-
der which the present curb and gut
ter Improvement was made effective,
will have to be repealed or amended
and 1t will require some little work
and time. Then again the opposi-
tion of property owners on some
streets has placed obstacles in the
nHay and 1t is going to be difficult
matter to keep the contractor busily
engaged.
Lart night It was decided to have
|. the city engineer go over the situa-
y z recnmmend- streets to be
lguttered and curbed and to have
the city attorney draft an ordinance
providing for the performance Of the
work. Where the work can be done
ht once, or as soon as the prelimtn-
,aries are arranged, notices will be
served on the property owners but
this will tie up all work for forty or
fifty days and In the meantime the
contractor may be Idle for period.
There was before the council last
night a premature protest from prop
erty owners Of White avenue. taking
exception to the city's curb and gut
ter resolution. Being as no notices
had been served on the property own
ers of White avenue the protest was
filed to be considered again when
the time comes to order this work
done.
In the discussion las; night 1t was
that the city ought to outline a plan
by which Laughlin can be kept busy
but the city attorney is, fiGuratively
speaking. "up a stump" as to the So
luton of this complicated matter.
Another muddle begged the city
council for solution last night, that
is the problem of designating street
and sidewalk lines where no such
lines are known. Contractor J. p.
Dolan declared that he had frequent
ly encountered this difficulty in lay
ing sidewalks and wanted the city
engineer to fix lines for his guild
ancc. Littleton explained that in
many parts of town the original plat
showed no widths or property lines
and sidewalks must therefore be laid
one foot from property lines. The
city attorney explained that the or
iginal plat of the old town had been
stolen way back In the dark ages
But anyhow "Billy," the surveyor
was instructed to work out the rid.
die on Park street go that Dolan
would not go astray in laying side.
walks.
was one from property owners or
Baca street asking for paving. leav
ing to the discretion Of the council
to decide upon the kind of paving
Referred to the paving committee
d. ]. Penno called attention to thu
location of the city bridge over thu
"Macaroni" arroyo and asked tina
the city deed him ten feet of grount
that would enable him to lay side
walk as ordered. the bridge not beinl
properly placed. Referred to TIL
street and bridge committee.
Residents on Western avenu
asked that the street be graded t
the city limits. Referred to stree
and bridge committee.
George Slator, property owne
in the fifth ward, protested agains
the city laying sidewalks In front
his property on First street, clatmin
he had received no notification. II
declared 1t an imposition inasmuc
as he could have laid the walks him
self and cut down the expense. TIL
street commissioner, he said. ha