Mayor Brown Vetoes Expense

Makes Another Saving of $300 to City

VETOES NEW CURBING

On West Liberty St., Which In Other Parts of City is Done by Private Parties

Mayor Brown has saved the city already a large amount of money by the use of the veto. He is evidently scrutinizing closely all items of expense and it is only by such economy that the city can keep within its means. His latest veto is as follows: To the Common Council of the City of Ann Arbor.

Gentlemen:- I wish to record my disapproval of so much of your proceedings of Monday, September the 14th, as relates to the coping and paving of the gutters on either side of West Liberty street lying between Ashley and First streets for the following reasons:

First. The charter of our city does not permit the doing of this work in the manner ordered and can only be done by advertising and letting to the lowest bidder and after appropriation of sufficient money to do the work.

Second. The citizens of Ann Arbor have been engaged in doing this kind of work, that is beautifying their residents and the streets of the city by extending their lawns and coping and paving their gutters at their own expense for a long number of years and it would be radically unfair and unjust to the thousands who have already paid for this work to now be compelled to assist others in beautifying their private property by extending lawns, setting coping and paving the gutters in front of their houses.

Third. For the reason that the three hundred dollars required for this work can better be expended in gravelling our streets and making them safe for public travel.

Fourth. For the reason that this would be a very dangerous precedent to establish and if the city was to enter upon this kind of work and spend the public monies for this purpose there would be no one left in the city who has not already beautified and protected their homes by the extension of lawns and the coping and pavement of gutters who could not consistently ask the council to do this work for them and if the council was asked to do this by others, what reply would Your Honorable Body make to such a request when there are at least a hundred other places in the city where this kind of work could be done and where would the city get the money with which to do this kind of work.

And finally, there is no necessity to try this expensive experiment for the purpose of learning whether or not a cement curbing is durable for the reason that many private citizens have put in and built in front of their property here in this city this same cement curbing this year and it will soon be demonstrated without cost to the city whether the same is durable or not. Yours truly.

Arthur Brown

Mayor