Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-05-22
Oregon Republicans Give
Hughes Strong Majority
Council Passes
Park Ordinance


ing an ordinance was passed attempt
ing to turn the jurisdiction of Lithia
park entirely over to the park COM
mission. Under it no music, or pub
Tic speech, or concession, or parade,
or pageant; no camping, or going to
sleep on bench, or picnic party, or
anything or anybody else can use
Lithia Park without written permit
from the park commission.
The ordinance was passed by the
affirmative votes of Ashcraft, Banta
and Root. Nininger was not present.
Lamb and Cornelius voted against it.
The mayor has not yet signed the or
dinance. Any time up to o'clock
tomorrow night he may either sign
or veto it. II he neither signs nor
vetoes it by that time it takes effect
by limitation.
The ordinance is good one for
regulation of the park, In many re-
spects some think it is too drastic.
However, the writer does not hold
that view.
The only issue was whether the
council should recognize the jurisdic-
tion of the park commission or the
springs water commission in Lithia
Park. There has been consid-
cradle personal feeling between
the three council members who
passed the ordinance and the springs
water commission, because the
springs commission would not al
low these councilmen to "butt into"
the springs project. The springs COM
mission feels that personal spite in
spired these members more than the
good of the resort project in voting
to change the park jurisdiction be-
fore the springs commission had fin
ished its work.
Mr.. Cornelius and Mr.. Lamb were
favorable to the general provisions
OF the ordinance, but we're not ready
to slap the springs commission in the
face by attempting arbitrarily to
change the jurisdiction in Lithia
Park until the springs commission
had finished its work there and made
its final report Mr.. Cornelius of
fered the following amendment to the
ordinance which raised the issue
squarely on the question of jurisdic-
tion:
provided, however, that the juris-
diction and powers herein granted to
the park commission shall be given
the springs water commission within
the limits Of that district known as
Lithia Park, and the said springs wa
ter commission shall do and perform
within said limits all things herein
required to be performed or exercised
by the park commission until the said
springs water commission shall have
completed the physical springs plant
and filed its final report as required
by charter amendments now in
force"
This amendment was promptly
voted down by Root, Ashcraft and
Banta, showing conclusively their de-
termination to knife the springs
water commission.
Just what action will be taken by
the springs water commission will
not be determined until after the
mayor acts on the ordinance. Attor-
news have advised that the charter
amendments passed last year by the
people give the springs commission
absolute jurisdiction in Lithia Park
until the springs money is spent and
final report provided for in the
charter is formally filed. They hold
that the charter amendment put
everything connected with the springs
enterprise absolutely in the hands OF
the springs water commission, until
the funds voted at the time were
spent, the project finished and the
springs water commission formally
turned the enterprise back to the CITY,
After that the jurisdiction will rest
entirely in the hands of the park com
mission and city council. Therefore,
1t is doubtful whether the ordinance
will have the least legal effect until
the enterprise is so formally turned
over to the city.
1t is entirely beyond the legal pow
or of the city council to change this
jurisdiction. It has been the inten-
tion of the springs commission to call
another election as soon as the
project was completed and let the
people say whether the springs COM
mission or the park commission shall
handle the resort features Of the en-
terprise. This Messrs. "a Balpta, Balptaa, Root
and Ashcraft have attempted to fore