The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-08-17
CALDWELL GETS
OPPORTUNITY tn
SOLVE PROBLEM
City Lighting Up to Vot-
ers Through Petition
Plan; Need Nine Hun
dred Names.

is the city willing to go into darkness
when the present appropriation OF
s.. 500 for lights is exhausted?
With this question staring local
citizens in the face. provision has been
made by the council under state law to
circulate petitions asking for special
|lil mill levy to swell the lighting fund.
ITuesday evening when the matter was
presented to the members of the Com
mercial club. that organization voted
to sponsor the circulation of the pc
.titions Petitions asking for the spec
bal levy for this purpose are now being
prepared and will be offered to the
public within a few days.
In explanation of this new step on
khe part OF the city council, Frank
Meek. city attorney and spokesman
for the city administration. outlined
khe stand of the city at the CONNER
tal Club meeting Tuesday evening
He reported that representatives of the |
Idaho Power company attended the |
council meeting held Monday night
Ind that they fatty declined to con-
form to the order OF the city council
10 discontinue the lights on any but
paved streets in Caldwell.
Under an existing contract, the pow
L. = -
treet lights with Juice" until tie city
has exhausted every resource TO con-
inue their operation. Flat statements
.ere made by the Idaho Power COM
Pany representatives that for the time
being all lights would be continued
Further action on the part OF the pow
b company. particularly when the
2S00 appropriation is exhausted, has
)ot been announced. Two courses are
)pen, Mr.. Meek explained. The first t
to totally discontinue all lights in
he city The second is that the Ida c
. Power company may continue its r
resent service and sue the city for i
pc service rendered. If a judgment v
|hder the contract is then obtained, a
Pecial levy must be made to meet I
pat judgment under the Idaho law
r. Meek declined to express an opin-
y as TO whether or not the power
>mpany could obtain a judgment.
City lights have been costing ap
oximately $1,000 per year, as op-
sed to the $500 now available, Mr..
eek pointed out. In ordering the
thts discontinued on all except the
we'd streets. Mr.. Meek conceded that
council arbitrarily chose that
urse but asserted that this was done
provide lights on streets bearing
hviest traffic and that no distribu-
n OF the lights was possible that Vi
nld be made fair to all. IC
20 authorize the city council to u
Ike special levy for lights, ma ii
Pity of the number of votes cast at CT
last election must be represented th
the petitions. That means about
signatures must be obtained on the M
Pitons il the levy is to be made. m
Opposition to the petition plan was h,
pressed at the Commercial Club SC
|eting on the grounds that no pro- co
pm should even be attempted in op- ca
fition to the wish OF the voters as fir
pressed at the mass meeting in June tn
fn Caldwell citizens determined BY
\ 10 mill levy was all the council vi
fht make for general purposes. Any in
(gram to increase taxes was wrong. di
eas Asgucd. and Ross Madden. loraI m
flor. made the startling statement in
connection that residence property Sc
-aldwcll today was not renting for pa
Pugh to pay the taxes. an
p accordance with this opposition. in,
original motion, introduced by w. tic
Blunt endorsing the city councils We
y program and the ~ mill levy an
amended to provide simply for in,
IN circulating the petitions. su