St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-09
Question of Importance.

lDer6 was an unusually iAtS6 dIt6uudllCO
Yesterday morning upon the meeting of the
board of directors of the chamber of COM
merce and long session was had. Special
committees to which was referred what IS
known as the Ontario plan. reported that 1t
had had meeting with the different unions
of the city. Two schemes, similar in some
respects. were presented. the first plan
being that IN force in Omaha, whereby the
city is divided into districts, and assess
ments pertaining to each particular district
are funded and become a lien upon the
property situated in them. The second
provides for the funding of such indebted
ness by the city at large and the issuance of
bonds therefor, for which the city shall be
secured by liens upon the property bene-
flied Both plans provide for payment in
annual instalImentS of principal and inter-
est of the bonds until finally retired. The
committee regard the matter one of great
Importance and favOrs the scheme if it can
be safely carried out. and recommend, first.
that the matter be referred to the committee
on streets. roads and parks to consult with
parties and to report a bill to the chamber:
and second, that the report of this COM
mittee be referred to the finance committee,
with Instructions to report to the chamber
such amendments to the bill proposed as the
finance committee may deem eXpedent.
This report was laid over.
THE CITY AND THE RAILROAD BRIDGES.
The subject that occupied most of the
session was that of the construction Of
bridges by the city and the railroads over
the railroad crossings. This was brought
up on the following report made by Mr.
Ludden:
Tue committee on taxes. county and city
officials, to whom was referred the resolution
in relation 10 contracts between the city of
ST. Paul and the railway companies In regard
10 building bridges across tracks report that
they have examined the two documents, each
bearing date Aug. %, 1889, correct copies of
which are submitted, that may perhaps be
considered contracts betwt en- the city of st.
Paul and four railway companies in the mat
ter OF railway crossings over or under the
streets within the city limits. At any rate
1.-The understanding therein specified has
been adhered TO. so far as we can
learn, in the building of every bridge or
tunnel across railway tracks within the CITY
limits from that time TO the present. We are
informed that in every such case a special
contract has been entered into between the
city and the railway compan es whose tracks
are crossed, specifying ia dctail the plan of
the bridge to he built and the approaches TO
the same; what portions are to be built bY
each party and how the same shall be main
I'm agreement was made between the city and
three companies whose tracks cross Third
street for the bridging of all these tracks.
The plan of the bridge Its abutments and the
approaches are agreed TO, as are the portions
to be built by each company. The manner in
which Third street is to he used where it
crosses the lands owned by these companies,
after the bridge is completed, is specified.
The city assumes all damages to ahutting
property. This agreement seems to be sub
stantially on the basis Of the 1880 under
standing. aud like other contracts for bridg-
ing railway tracks on other streets within the
city limits, unless it be in regard to damages
to abuttlng property. Your committee is
unable to see why this last agreement can be
considered a precedent for future action,
more than either one OF the several other
agreements made by the city since 1850. We
submit for your Information a copy of the
last agreement, specified, of date Feb. %,
1886.
The committee then asked to be excused
from further consideration of the matter.
The report is signed by J. D. Ludden, D. D.
Merrill, A. NJ. Lawton and e. 7. Sumwalt.
The two documents. each bearing date
Aug. %, 1880" which the committee says
it submits, were signed one by II. E. Sar-
gent, manager of the Northern Pacific road
and the other by J. j. Hill, manager of the
Manitoba road. and are precisely like the
document that was signed by II. II. Por-
ter. of the Omaha road. and which was
before the board of directors Monday, Nov.
l. and published in the GLOBE the next
morning These two documents" referred
10 by the committee were not signed by any,
one for the city, and it is claimed therefore
that they are not in any sense contracts that
bind the city. The contracts referred to by
the committee as having been made on the
25th day of February, 1886, between the
city and the Manitoba, the ST. Paul & Du-
luth roads and the ST. Paul Union Depot
company, was submitted entire. This con-
tract locates the Third street bridge
and enumerates the conditions binding
on the city, the railroads and the
Union Depot company. The Manitoba
road is to build the northern half of the
bridge. The Union Depot company is to
build the southerly half of the bridge. The
St Paul d Duluth road is to build bridge
over its tracks on Third street. The city
agrees 10 indemnify the two railroads and
the Union Depot company. and save them
harmless from all loss. costs and damages
to abutting property owners on account of
the construction Of the bridge and to build
the approaches to the bridge. The city
also further agrees TO construct the ap-
proach of earth and masonry. the masonry
TO consist of an abutment TO be built on
the western end of the treStle. The CITY
is also to build a retaining wall to support
the earthen embankment in, OF to allow the
railroad and Union Depot company to have
access to their grounds along Third street.
The city also agrees that there shall be a