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Show CITY IS ENJOINED FROM LEASING PITS L. L. Goddard Is Plaintiff for Improvement League in Action. A temporary injunction enjoining the city from leasing its gravel and sand pits above Fourteenth avenue on the northeast bench was Issued by Judge C. W. Morse yesterday and was served on mombers of the city commission last night. The suit on which the Injunction was Issued had not been tiled at closing hour yesterday. L. Goddard, representing repre-senting tho Northbench Improvement league. Is tho plaintiff. Bids for the leases havo been received by the city commission, 'but action has been deferred owing to tho protests of property ownors ln that district, who declare that the city has no right to lease the pits because the land embracing em-bracing them was deeded to the city as a site for a public park. Commissioner George D. Keyser of parks and public property, to whom the bids were referred, was Informed by the city attorney, H. J. Dininny, yesterday that the city had no right to lease the pits. Tho chief objection of property owners own-ers Is that grades have not been established estab-lished In that vicinity ami the operation opera-tion of gravel pits might spoil the landscape. land-scape. The city attorney takes the same stand. Ho told Mr. Kcyscr yesterday that the only way tho pits could be operated op-erated would bo to establish the noccs-sary noccs-sary grades and then lot contracts for the removal of a certain amount of gravel. At a conference between representatives representa-tives of P. J. Moran, who is the highest "bidder for the lease, and Commissioner Koyscr yesterday afternoon, It was agreed that If such procedure Is re-sortod re-sortod to, Moran would give bond to Insure In-sure tho city from damage arising by cutting below grades or for any despoiling despoil-ing of the landscape. Moran has offered the city ?C300 for a three-year lease or tho pits. In view of the injunction proceedings, however, It Is not likely that any attempt at-tempt will be made to operate tho pits In any way until the matter Is settled ln the courts. The order Issued by Judge Morse yesterday Is returnable Saturday, March 29, before Judge T. D. Lewis, when the city will have to show cause-why cause-why It should not bo permanently en-Joined en-Joined from leasing the pits. |