St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-29
HE KNOWS BETTER.
City Attorney Smith Gives the
BOARD of Trade Some Advice.

The report of the board of trades
special railroad committee, on Monday,
has stirred up opposition in several
made the matter study and takes is
sue with the board in the following
statement:
inst in relation to q report Of Mr.. Clay Nc
Cauley on the relation Of the railway COM
panieS to the CITY of Minneapolis. 1t appears
that in his report he intends to have the peo-
pie understand that the city is in the fault
in all the matters pertaining TO the con-
struction of roads and bridges IN which
there is disagreement between it and the
companies. For nearly two years have had
more to do with the railway companies i'll
connection with the matters referred to than
any other city official I am able to
say that the gentlemen who made that report
in question must have got his information
from railway sources, and not from those
who are conversant with the facts. The
public well know what trouble we have had
with the Minneapolis g. St Lonis and the ST.
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba roads in try
ing to get the tracks bridged where they cross
Washington avenue and Third, Fourth ana
Fifth streets. / do not believe that the gen
tlemen of that committee can point to sim
gle railway company that has asked favor
of the oily within the last two years that has
not been granted, except the Omaha road
asked the privilege 10 lay SWllCuluS lihCh
from its yards to the Northern Pacific yards
across Second street north on grade, and the
Chicago Milwaukee d St. Paul company re-
quested the city to pay $50, 900 or $4,000
toward paying the expense of lowering its
tracks through the city on its Hastings Da-
kota division. as a consideration for its
bridging its railway tracks where they cross
the streets which were in existence at the
time the railway was built. the city
to build the bridges on all other streets
crossed by such tracks. The city has
not attempted to lay out new street across
the tracks of the Manitoba road i'll any por-
ton of the city, without the interposition by
the company of the most obstinate opposic.
claims when beaten in attempt to defeat en-
tirely the right to cross the tracks, for exorb-
liant amounts as damages 1t has refused to
put hagmen on street crossings when re-
auired to do so by the city. know OF only
one way to deal with companies OF this kind,
and that is to require them to perform their
legal duties to the public as individuals are
required to do. This city has donated a
large amount to the Minneapolis d st. Louis
company, and its people have been and are
being taxed for the same; now 1t STANDS IN
the way and is persistently fighting against
an improvement, which if it could be made
now, would be of more value to the people
and business of this city than half dozen
such roads as it. think the board OF trade.
had better examine into the merits OF the re-
port OF that committee before 1t makes any
recommendations to tax the people OF this
city any more for the benefit of these railway
companies that are persistently lighting ev-
ery public improvement which the city I'M
dertakes, which comes in conflict with their
interests.