Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-07-07

property on that street on the basis Ct
IS cents per yard, instead Of 60 cents
per yard, as agreed. Is that enforcing
the law with discretion, is that treat
ing the citizens of Salem fair7
have also told you about Market
street, as to which the common council
on Monday last adopted the following
resolution No. 1879: "Whereas, Mark
ct street is one of the main thorough
fares which has been improved at the
expense Of the abutting property, and
Whereas the said street ever since it
was improved and now is in bad CON
dition being full of ruts and holes;
Therefore Be It Resolved, That the
street commissioner be and he is here
by instructed and directed to forthwith
proceed to patch up and fill the holes
and low places in the pavement on
Market street and put the pavement in
said street in first class repair and
condition. At whose expense, askR
Does the contractor who laid this
street, which the council by the above
language admits was in bad condition
when accepted, have to stand this ex-
penseq OF course not. The peonle
who live on that street and who paid
for good street have to join with all
the people in Salem to pay to put it
"in first class repair and condition" ("
out Of general city taxes. Is that
falrg South Commercial street is or
was IN process of hard surfacing. AMI
estimate was made of the cost, the peo-
pie thought it reasonable, and made no
objections. What is going to happen
therea The same thing as on the Fair
Grounds Road; the cost right now is
known to be far in excess of esti.
mates given the people, and when the
pavement is finished the property will
be assessed for the full cost, as on the
Fair Grounds Road.
Another question. Who is it that
will benefit most if you pass the pro.
posed amendmentsa I say it is the
paving contractor. And why? For the
reason that there very serious
question as to the right of the con
tractor TO collect from the city for the
improvements which the supreme court
has held were made without authority.
That is one reason why the paving in
terests want the amendments to pass.
one reason why they have been work
ng for them so hard through this cam
Dalgn. Another reason is to make it
'asler IN the future to get paving jobs,
md to make it harder, almost impos-
lble, Tor the people to protect them.
'elves if the amendments, the first
.wo, at least, are. passed. That is why /.
say it is the people who live on un-
laved streets who have the most to
ear from the amendments, and that
why the opposition to them is so
feneral and so strong in the unpaved
districts. I have pointed out to you as
lainly as I know how to, that almost
ny kind of fraud or deception may be
ractised upon the people, the cost of
he paving may be misstated, as it has ;,
cen in the past, the council may fail !,
0 advertise for and require competi-
i've bids, the council may fail to give !,
roper notice in the newspapers, as re- :,
uired by law, of its intention to pave !,
ne street so that you may have no :,
nowledge of what is to be done, the Z
ouneil may accept street such as !,
larket street, which it says in its reso-
ltion above referred to was in bad :
when it was accepted and
ind you by its acceptance and then P
o ahead and fix up the street and p
lake you pay for it again out of gen s
raj taxes, and you will be helpless to b
'op them if You pass the amendment o
n reassessment; for that amendment a
ainly provides that if any lien is set O.
side and declared void by the courts, 81
, if the council may be in doubt as V
its validity, that they can pass re- m
'sessment ordinance and compel you Il
pay just as though you had been il
ven a square deal and had received Il
Ilue for the lien assessed against your "
operty. ca
just word as to the Richardson IT
nendment. There is no such measure pl
fore the people now, and if the peo- OF
Q should later decide that the present pl
stem of paying for street improve fl
ents IS not just and fair there is al
cry reason why they should get to- be
ther and frame a fair measure, so sp
1 -. l,I