Street Roller For Lighter One

STREET ROLLER FOR LIGHTER ONE

Eight aldermen and President Walz responded to roll call when the gavel fell at Monday night's council meeting and Aldermen Schumacher and Grose soon joined this number.

Mayor Brown sent in the following message:

To the Common Council of the City of Ann Arbor:

Gentlemen- At the request of Mr. Charles Baird, Graduate Director of Michigan Athletic Association, I desire to appoint John B. Slater patrolman without pay, to serve upon the Athletic Field.

I wish also to call your attention to the large amount of damage that is done to our crosswalks and pavements and fixtures in the street by our large street roller. I believe that if this roller was exchanged for one that is not more than one-half as heavy, that the city would be able to derive a large benefit from the use of such a roller, and would recommend that the question of exchange be referred to Alderman Hutzel, Chairman of the Street Committee, who has had a large experience in the purchase of this class of articles, to see if an exchange can not be effected that will be beneficial to the City.

I also wish to call your attention to the stone crusher, which has long been a useless piece of furniture to the City, and would recommend that this be referred to the Board of Public Works or to the street committee to be sold for what it will bring for old iron unless they can be fortunate enough to find somebody who has a use for it.

I will also inclose herewith a communication this day received from Mr. M. J. Fritz in reference to the purchase of his property for the purpose of diverting First street in accordance with the franchise heretofore passed by the Common Council. I am of the opinion that the litigation which has been going on for some time in the courts in reference to this matter will soon be settled, and that if First street is to be diverted in accordance with the said franchise, then the title to this property will have to be acquired and would recommend that this communication be filed with the proceedings in reference to said matter.

Yours truly,

ARTHUR BROWN, Mayor.

Hon. Arthur Brown, Mayor:

Dear Sir- In accordance with your request I herewith beg to submit for your consideration price for (66) sixty-six feet of land in width along the westerly line of the Ann Arbor Ry. Co.'s right of way and running parallel thereto from south line of Liberty street to First street south, as shown by your engineer's drawings for diverting First street to the west side of the railroad and passing through the house now occupied by us, according to my best judgment I would fix the sum at $3500 (thirty-five hundred dollars). I am at loss to give you date at which we could give possession, as we would be compelled to build or purchase another home, but this and other minor considerations could no doubt be arranged to our mutual satisfaction, if we can come to an understanding as to value of the property. Our price for the entire property is $5,500 (fifty-five hundred dollars), although we did not desire to sell it.

Respectfully yours,

M. J. FRITZ.

Ann Arbor, Mich., June 15, 1903.

In the discussion which followed it was brought out that the street roller has been rented to Lenane Bros., and is being used in their work on Liberty street at a rental of 50 cents an hour. Ald. Hutzel thought this was not enough and did not believe it was wise to rent such high priced machines to anyone. He believed the roller should be placed in a shed and cleaned up and put in condition to be sold or exchanged for a lighter roller, better adapted to the needs of the city.

He finally offered a resolution that the roller be placed in the shed back of the engine house and this was carried.

An invitation was received and accepted from the secretary of the Michigan League of Municipalities inviting the members of the city administration to attend the meeting of the league in the city of Adrian this week.

A communication from Alderman Schlenker was read requesting that the petition relative to the removal of the Dean & Co. oil and gasoline tanks be recommitted to the ordinance committee. the fire commissioners and the chief of the fire department, with instructions to render report. The alderman's communication was accompanied with the ordinance of the city of Detroit relating to the location of tanks for the storage of inflammable oils, and also a digest of the Cleveland ordinance relative to the same subject.

Ald. Hutzel moved that the communication and accompanying documents be referred to the ordinance committee, the fire commissioners and the chief of the fire department with instructions to prepare an ordinance.

Ald. Fischer thought as this subject had already been under consideration by the ordinance committee and they bad been Informed by the city attorney that an ordinance could not be made to reach the case of Dean & Co., there was no purpose to be gained in again referring the matter.

Ald. Hutzel said the purpose of this motion was to pass an ordinance to fix and control the location of such plants in the future. The communication was thereupon referred as stated above.

A communication was read signed by Mrs. M. Wallace and others, asking the city to make good some bad tar walks which had been constructed some time ago by lots No. 501, 503 and 509 on Fountain street.

Dean Seabolt asked permission to erect an iron staircase on the north side of the opera house.

Petitions were read and referred to the proper committees asking for a tar walk on the west side of Seventh street and on the north side of Krause street; and for an electric light at the corner of Hiscock and Brook streets and on the corner of Miller avenue and Seventh street.

The petition relative to replatting portions of Fairview cemetery, filling up and seeding the gravel walks and painting the fence, was taken from the table and after discussion referred to the board of public works and city engineer for estimates of cost.

The report of the finance committee, including bills amounting to nearly $900 was read. approved and warrants ordered drawn for same.

City Attorney Kearney, to whom was referred the report of the city physician relative to the selling of cocaine by certain druggists to colored cocaine fiends, made a report as to the law relative to such sales. He said there appeared to be nothing in the Michigan law to stop this sale. The law required a proper record to be kept of such sales and that the packages or bottles be labeled "poison" and that the label also carry an antidote for such poison, and as long as these conditions were complied with nothing more could be done.

The city treasurer made an exhaustive report concerning unpaid lateral sewer taxes and unpaid paving taxes. In furtherance of the recommendations of the report Ald. Douglas offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the common council hereby certifies to the city assessor that there is now due and unpaid lateral sewer taxes to the amount of $60.32 in District No. 8, and $309.83 in District No. 9, and $218.38 in District No. 10; and there is now due and unpaid paving taxes to the amount of $381.85 in District No. 3, and $998.50 in District No. 4. and $788.60 in District No. 5. and $149.90 in District No. 6, according to detailed report of unpaid sewer and paving taxes, which is hereby made a part of this certification, and that the City Assessor is hereby directed to spread the same upon his rolls along with the other city taxes pursuant to law.

The city engineer submitted his report of the estimated cost of constructing a lateral sewer in District No. 12. The total cost he estimated at $1,826.60, of which sum the city should pay $177.87 and the property concerned the balance.

Resolutions were offered and referred providing for the appointment of a pound-master, the construction of a brick walk on State street on the Southwest side of Packard, for the placing of an electric light on Greenwood avenue midway between E. University and Packard, that a fire hydrant be placed on Oakland avenue, on a line between the property of W. H. Butler and the Nu Sigma Nu house.