The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-05-11
TO BUILD
new SIDEWALKS
STIRS PROTEST
Indications Point to Big
Fight Before Proposition
Is Put Over
PROPERTY OWNERS
REGISTER A KICK
Argue That Financial Con-
ditions do Not warrant
rant Great Expense

The proposition by the board Of
aldermen to order the immediate con-
struction Of about fifteen miles OF
cement sidewalks in Opeelousas is
meeting with some vigorous and
healthy protest and opposition. Ev-
erybody is agreed on the principle
that we need the sidewalks and that it
would add to the improvement Of the
city; but they state this is no time
to dive deeper into the whirlpool of
debt and that the city authorities
should make haste slowly before or
dering the sidewalks constructed at
an estimated expense Of some two
hundred thousand dollars.
This is the status Of the question
Monday, and large delegation Of in
terested people propose to appear be-
fore the council at its special meeting
Tuesday night. AS this meeting is
held after the Star-Progress goes to
press we are unable to furnish a re-
port of the proceedings.
The opponents of the idea-and they
seem to be very numerous indeed
state that the city has just gone TO
the expense of a quarter million dol
lars for the rehabilitation of the light
and water plant and for street i'm
provement and drainage and that to
build two hundred thousand dollars
worth of new sidewalks would be al
most suicidal. They point out that
taxes are now so entirely out of rea-
son that the owning of property is
burdensome indeed and that to add
further to that burden would mean
the next thing to co1fiscation.
One citizen, who is thoroughly we'll
informed on most everything relative
to financial and economic affairs,
stated Sunday to newspaper man
that Portland which forms
large part of sidewalk materials
now quoted at about $3.50 per barrel:
that there was being spread at
rapid rate propaganda Of the cement
companies trying feverishly to induce
people to use cement; that there was
the usual method in this propa aganda--
to induce purchasers to get buN and
buv. that the price of the same ce-
ment would soon decline, perhaps, to
half the present figures, and il the
city would hold up its present plan
fer a wear it stood the chance of buy
ing material at half the prevailing
prices. The cement companies are
.loaded up" to the top with their>prc'
duct and are trying to save themselves
as much as possible before the newt
able slump came.
The board of aldermen, at this
writing. has not given to the general
nnbIic all the details of the sidewalks
proposition, but it is understood that
If is proposed to construct sidewalks
in practically every section of the city
at the property owners expense, Of
course. On certain streets, where there
are at present no sidewalks new ones
will be constructed on both sides the
street. while on other streets where
one side is already paved the unpav-
ed side will be included in the pro
gram.
If the plan of the board of aldes-
men goes through without hitch some
nronerty owners will be hard hit for
new walks will be placed on long
frontage on certain properties and as
the cost Of such work is now pretty
steep the total to the property owner
will make a big dent in his financial
resources. They all state they are
not able financially right now to stand
this added expense and greatly desire
that the aldermen defer action until
some future time when conditions are
not in such chaotic fix
| Some of the opponents to the work
have been getting busy in marshailing
their forces to make strong fight
before the council. To that end th9y
we're busy Saturday and Monday Sc
curing petitions addressed to the
council asking that no action be tax
an now. One gentleman informed a
renorter that there should be con-
cert Of action on the part of the prop
erty owners involved; that instead q
filing a halfdozen or more petitions
representing the opposition OF seVerai
neighborhood, a giant petition repre-
senting the opposition of every prop
artv owner involved should be secured
and presented to the council. Spasmo-
die opposition, according to his views
would avail little in the final contest;
hut a well formulated plan OF V1gor'
ous action and protest would Weign
more in the scales when the alder
men gravely consider the mttter Of