Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-09-20
PAVING
PLAN IS
KILLED
petition for Improve
ment of North Sum
mer Street Illegal
Saws Attorney

sihihOOd OIL pdFAh6 A'
II. street to connect with the
vs,rgroupds ~ road this year and
,hus @ nroyide hard surface artery
s travel leading into the heart OF
.sa city from the Pacific highway
- - Tho north, wen, giimmerng last
s,eht when the city council adopt
"a a ,be report of City Attorney
smith 4 that the petyion calling for
Ms Improvement, submitted at the
,.ot meeting Of the council, was
,rvogular and the council without
authority to proceed with the pro-
ject.
The city attorneys report point
"a ont that where a street i'm
nrOyerent project had been halt
a by sufficient remonstrance OF
tbe property owners on the street
n be improved, the council is
without power to again attempt
Improvement of the street within
a, months of the date of remon-
STRANGE except upon the petition
Of the majority of taxpayers on
whom the assessments for the inn
provement would fall.
Examination Of the recently
filed petition for the improvement
Of North Summer street by the
city attorney revealed irregulari-
ties Of the signatures to the petit
ton which reduced the number OF
legal signatures on the petition to
less than the required number.
Appointment Of a committee
consisting of Councilmen Utter
Patton and Polk, to investigate
and report to the council on the
feasibility of changing the form
Of city government for Salem, and
the rebuke handed to the alder
men by Mayor Halvorsen for the
unbusinesslike methods of wasting
time with petty discussions during
council meetings, were the othel
outstanding developments of th'
evening session.
The charge of Councilman Van
dev0rt that discrimination hat
been practiced in the purchase Of
$500 yards of gravel for street
work in favor of the West Side
Sand & Gravel company, stirred
up brief furor In the calm com
Dlacency OF the meeting. Vande
wort alleged that the decision o.
the council to distribute the pur
chases of gravel between the thre'
local gravel companies equally
had resulted in the following dis
trieution of gravel purchased dur
ing the summer:
West Side Sand & Gravel Co.
1884; Salem Sand & Gravel Co.
sl6S5; Oregon Sand & Gravel Co.
s465.40.
Vandevort charged Alderman
Geisy, chairman of the street com
mlttee, with responsibility for tn
purchases and demanded that MT
Gelsy explain the discrimination
Gelsy's statement that he was in
'estigating satisfied the council
and the matter was dropped.
Inactivity of the city PLUMBING
Inspector came in for heated men
uon by Councilman Utter follow
ing the reading of the report Of
Incense revenues received and con
seQuent mention that some Of tn
plumbers in the city had not ye
pala their annual license fee
uuer termed the plumbing inspec
non of the city a joke and declar
eo that it should be enforced I
Tue letter for the protection o
Plumbers who pay license fees an
are entitled to protection from tn
ny-oy-night members of the trade
The matter of allowing the pc
nee matron to employ assistant
" aid her during fair week wa
referred to the police committe
with power to act.
Upon motion of Councilmai
ration, Alderman yandevort, act
lAs as a special committee Of on
70 investigate the use of city prop
a'y along the river front by pr
is'e individuals for the storage G
soOd, was empowered to entere
'.'o negotiations with the owner
" the wood to arrange for the pay
lent Of rent to the city for th
use OF the property.
failure Of the Bligh theater {
nply with the warning ths
-eir electric sign across stat
sieet In front of the theater mu:
Kept lighted at night, resulte
night in the council orderin
VA the sign be removed at onci
ne city attorney was author
&c to continue to employ an a.
sss@nt IN his office 10 aid in th
.11eing Of delinquent asses
1t eases at a salary Of $50
Mouth fro-r c--.-.-r.-