Show DO 10 jiin 1 RULL ROLL how much time should live citi council consume con ume in learning learnine if the city can raise enough money to pay i a small and comparatively insignificant pi op of the expense of construct constructing cement sidewalks on main streeta it is now nox about eight weeks since the owners of property in the plo proposed posed paving district were risked asked by the reaper to express their opinions on the question of sidewalk construction the canvas was sufficiently thoroughgoing to show that there ws was a strong sentiment in favor of the improvements prove ments should not the mayor m byor and the council have been the first to obtain this information 7 although somewhat tardy the courin cil appointed two of its members to make the canvas in time to report about three weeks decks ago before the committee submitted its report a self constituted committee of citizens made a third canvas and secured the signatures of the property owners thus making the document practically a petition for sidewalks side both of these canvases showed that the owners of at least one half of the property abutting on main street in three of the business blocks favor sidewalks and are ready to make the improvements in accordance with the statutory provisions it was generally understood that the council would make sidewalk improvements the special topic 0 of f discussion at its meeting thursday night inasmuch as mayor christensen made this promise promis ethe the public was justified in expecting the discussion that evening but contrary to expectations no reference was IN as made to the topic until it was brought to the attention of the council by some of the visiting citi zens the mayor explained that the discussion must be postponed on account of sickness in his family and because some of the councilmen hid had other engagements As far as the mayors personal excuse c is concerned it would be folly to censure him for his action inaam inasmuch CIA abor as it is mans first duty to care for his family in regard to his explanation thit that some of the councilmen had other engagements it may be observed that these A engagements must indeed have been pressing if they were more important than the discussion of the sidewalk question possibly the thep fablie ablie is making a mistake when it concludes that the councils delay in this matter is intentional tent ional and that the mayor made his explanation because he be thought an explanation of some kind was vas necessary it may be that the mayor is in favor of sidewalk improvements however that may be there is one thing about which there can be no doubt if he be does want the improvements he has not raised a fog by 11 clamoring for them moreover we would not be understood under tood as aa saying that the council as a whole is opposed to the construction of some of the aldermen among them mr hansen are doing all they can to give the property owners an opportunity to enhance the value of their property in this way but unfortunately it seems that the councilmen of mr hansens stripe are in the minority richfield now finds itself in a peculiar position tion a condition which probably has no parallel in the annals of the state the property have on three expressed desire to install cement sidewalks these improvements have been delayed for at least tight light weeks by the action or rat herthe inaction of the mayor and some of the councilmen do the people still rule or have they consented to a complete reversal of the principals of free government by permitting their servants the office holders to become dictators in view of the fact that the petition of the citizens has thus tar far been disregarded it would seem that the latter is the case what pirt part may we expect the public to in the remaining nets acts of this farce will it play the role of the henpecked husband or will it assert itself and its rights by an application of the shingle well laid on ona |