Evening journal., 1918-07-19
S169.O0O CITY MONEY
IN HOUSING PROJECT
Government Official Tells
Council Money Will Have
to be Spent
IS COST OF STREETS,
WATER MAINS, ETC.

After holding several conferences
during the past week with representa-
lives Of the Water Department and the
Street and Sewer Department relative to
needed improvements at the site Of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation housing
project at Front and Union streets, II.
u. Aron, utilities investigator Of the
u. S. Shipping Board accompanied by
B. ". Heidel, G. w. Schussler and l..
B. Goldstone, other government repre-
sentatives held conference lasting
for nearly an hour with Council as a
committee Of the whole last night. The
meeting was held TO discuss the ques-
: tion Of city giving Si60,0OO toward the
cost Of the improvements at the tract
and while nothing definite was done,
1t was decided TO hold another confer
ence with Mr.. Arsn on next Wednesday
evening. The money Is to be spent in
street paving, laying Of water mains
and sewer extensions.
1t was admitted by Councilman
Mearns and several others present That
the plan proposed by the government
was fair as possible, but Councilman
Robertson, chairman Of the finance
committee Of Council, announced that
the question Of the city expending
100000 on the project at this time was
a subject that required much DELHI
Grafton. That the government will en-
force its requirements on the city, ir-
respective of the feeling OF Council,
however, was the opinion Of several OF
the COuncilmen. When Mr.. Aron was
asked concerning the attitude Of the
government in case the city refused
TO agree TO the street paving project,
he replied that he would not like TO
be pressed for a reply at this time un-
less the city officials would say def
nitely that the city would not Join |
in the cost Of the Improvement.
The conference with the government |
officials was attended by Mayor John
W. Lawson and Colonel George W.
Sparks, president OF the Street and
Sewer Department.
In bringing the governments propo-
Eltion before the Councllmen, Mr..
Aron stated that the government was
not asking for charity, but they did
expect the municipalities in which the
government is spending money for
houses to cooperate with them He
explained that the Federal government |
was planning 10 spend S2,oOO,OOO IN thls /
oity and vicinity and the city was
merely asked to assist In paying for
dts share Of the work, such as exten- |
sion Of water mains, sewers, and street
paving. The government was willing
to assist the city by loaning It the
money at five per cent. interest on
Ten year basis. The contemplated inn
provements, he added, would all be
sdone under the supervision Of the city
+. departments The government, how
ever, would provide the labor.
The chief stumbling block to the pro-
posed work is said TO be the rate Of in
terest. It being claimed that the gov
ernment is not paying five per cent |
for its<money. This was admitted by
Mr.. bfon, who explained that with the
soy&nment loaning the money, it also
experts TO see that this money
Rs judiciously expended and the one
Salf per cent interest figure that SEEM
ed TO be causing so much trouble,
smounted TO but $500 a year. 1t was
pointed out that the plan as proposed