The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-03-27
SOME LETTERS TO
CYNTHIA GREY

Dear Miss Grey. As your column
IL one of tho features Of The Star. !
naturally read II every night l note
In last nights paper. one Il A."
breaks into print In what IL evidently
intended 10 be an attempt 10 ridicule
the mental workings OF certain mem
bors Of tho board OF public works.
Granting that IL In an accepted
fact that public officials are rarely
praised for their efficiency and al
ways condemned whenever II IN pos
sible. ana that poking fun at them
In ono OF our Rrcatest indoor sports.
II In apparent that AT the meeting
in question tho arguments prczented
either went completely over IL AZ
head. or Il. A." did not follow state
ments closely, or, In order 10 have
something 10 say and 10 take part
Ia the great indoor sport. Il. A" ig
nored facts completely.
80 that your readers win not get
the wrong idea here are the facts.
Previous 20 the passage OF an ord.
nance on request OF tho aup~rintend.
emit OF buildings c'the august member
having some little inteiliEenco'D
garages could be contributed any.
where and OF practically any ma.
terial. and the adjoining property
owners could protest In vain. To
correct this evil the ordinance WIS
passed giving the adjoining property
owners the right TO protest against
public garages. and putting a stop 10
construction OF buildings which were
often fire trnpa The result In fine
types OF garages are going up thru
out tho city. OF course no credit has
been given 10 the building depart.
msnt and the city council.
Protests filed against garages
usually feature up the danger 10 chill.
dren. This Is an argument used be
cause the protcstants know that an
men hav. a natural instinct 10 pro.
tcct children. and such an argument
naturally has force. even tho u II
often not fair. nor justified by the
facts of a given case.
In the West Seattle case. asjoin.
Ing property was protesting more be
cause they objected 10 a business
going into what they regarded az a
boulevard district Tho real danger
90 children was proved 20 be no, the
garage itself. but the traffic on Cali.
fornia ave and Admiral why. II any.
thing. a garage " n protection in
stead Of menace. as IL tends "a
slow down traffic passing that poin.
and cars entering or leaving a garage
cannot. Of course. travel at exces
sive speed
Had Il. A." BEEN following the
Arguments closely. he would have
heard a Lady. representing the park
or school board. stats practically
what / have stated in the foregoing
paragraph. and the lady backed her
statement that garages do not. oi
themselves. create danger TO school
children by a concrete illustration
the Broadway high school, which %
IN a Earare district.
II Il. A." had taken the trouble
10 inquire into the matter before
wnugiy taxing his pen In hand hs
would have learned that before the
board acted upon this West Seattle
saragc. its members had visited the
site. knew tbs situation as I, existed
and then voted intcliigrnuy on the
matter.
The statement "wha, business has
homeowner IN Seattle. anyhow
is silly, as many thousand hometown
ers who have had occasion 20 &c
before the board or the council will
bear witness.
i, IL one thing 10 81, Ernusiy back
and poke fun. and Il IL another thins
10 make decisions that viii satisfy
everybody. IL can't be done. A man
decides to establish garage in a
neiEhborhood. Immediately the dis.
trict lines up. Those who have
garages Of their own naturally don't
want IL because OF noise. fumes,
odors and danger to children" and
they file a protest accordingly. Those
who have no place 10 store their
cars want ., because st viii take
the cars off the stree; that are now
left there at night. thereby lessen.
ing the danger 10 the public. etc. -
They file petitions OF consent
The meeting takes rinca both Sides