St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-27
AGAINST MONOPOLY
Is Clearly the Sentiment on
the Street Railway Fran
ehiSe.
The Council Committee Con-
sideps the Latest Lowry
Request
Several Companies Ready to
Step in and Build Car
Lines.
And Franchises Will Never
Go Begging About in st.
Paul.

Col. Thomas Lowry should be given
no more exclusive franchises. He
should be granted nothing that looks
like an exclusive franchise. COMPETE
ton is the life of trade and of street
railway traffic. Other companies that
will give the city as good, or bet
ter, facilities of transportation
should have the same opportunities
TO construct lines that Mr.. Lowry's
company has. Ii the ST. Paul City Rail-
way company are granted additional
privileges they should be, compelled to
Issue tickets Of transfer from one line
to another. At the expiration Of stated
number of years they should be COM
PEELED to pay into the city treasury
certain percentage OF their
earnings. Such were the sentiments
voiced by prominent citizens last
night before 81 the council com
mittee on streets, which met in special
session to consider the franchises asked
for by Mr.. Lowry to construct electric
motor lines out Randolph street and
Oakland avenue. Mr.. Lowry was not
present in person to plead his cause,
but he was ably represented by Col.
Barr, manager of his st. Paul system.
Archbishop John Ireland was the
first to speak in favor of the
scheme. He stated that he
represented large amount of property
in the Midway district to and from
which it is very desirable to have rapid
transit. 1t had been a very difficult
matter, he said, to induce any one to
look upon the project in a favorable
light, but after much argument and the
tender of 49,. -..-
A SUBSTANTIAL. BONUS
Mr.. Lowry had agreed to build the lines.
He hoped that the council would take
action favoring the project. 1t was not
in the interests of the railway company
that he made the request. but on behalf
OF large majority of the interested
property owners, who. had cheerfully
raised the required bonus.
Col. Barr, as the authorized agent Of
Thomas Lowry, stated that the
preached by Archbishop Ireland
and that the company had finally agreed
to attempt the construction of system
of rapid transit between this section
and the city. Mr.. Lowry stood ready to
make a test and see whether rapid TRAN
sit could be secured by the aid of cleo
tricity, dong away With the great eX-
pense Of cable construction. He was
authorized by Mr.. Lowry to state that
if these franchises were granted the
company would agree to extend the
Concord street line in West st. Paul
to the railway depot, and also to extend
the State street line to the city limits.
They would also. agree to construct
line of rapid transit between st. Paul
and Minneapolis as soon as University
avenue is graded and severed to the
city limits. AID Yoerg inquired whether
the company would be willing to incor-
PORTE such agreements in the ordi-
nances, and whether they would
agree to run a car out Con-
gress street every ten minutes.
The colonel wasn't authorized to make
any such promises, and afterwards
stated that the proposed extension of
the Congress street line contemplated
the running of cars ovOr the Wabasha
street bridge. In reply to question
asked by one of the aldermen, Col. Barr
stated that he did not believe the SyS-
TEN OF storage batteries had proved en-
tirely successful, but he believed the
lines could be successfully operated
with overhead wires.
CITIZENS TALK.
A large number of prominent men
were present and had something to say
on the subject. Dr.. Snyder was in
favor of giving the company permission
to build the lines, but wanted clause
inserted in the ordinance officiating the
company to pay into the city treasury a
certain percentage OF their earnings.
William Foulke believed that the time
had come when horse cars were about to
be abandoned, and that the city will be
given an opportunity to gain control of
the street transit privileges. He
favored granting the franchises asked
for, but did not want to see them eX-
elusive, and believed that the company
should not be given blanket" privi-
leges. George II. Hazard hoped the
committee would do nothing to keep
out any other company. He represented
an organization which would soon pre-
sent a proposition TO construct line out
Minnehaha street. Charles Lienau ia
vored the granting of the franchises,
provided they are properly amended.
He wanted transfer tickets, wanted the
company to give up certain percentage
of its profits, and did not want the to
be in position to interfere with any
other company that might wish to build
a line of road. Attorney Mum eX-
| planned to the committee that the OF
dinances asked for were. So Worded, by
reference to other ordinances, as to IN
| clude the clauses by which the COM
pany claims an exclusive franchise. He
did not believe the present franchise
| exclusive, however, but believed that
the time has come to kill the alleged ex
| elusive clauses which have hampered the
city for the past fifteen years. William
Pitt Murray was not opposed to giving
MIR. Lowry a chance, but believed that
the ordinance should be materially
modified. w. G. Rogers wanted COM
petition and believed that no RESPONSE
bic company should be kept out. A
new era Is upon the city and he be-
| lieved that as horse cars are substi-
| tuted by systems of rapid transit the
| city should be more careful than in
years past and regain control Of street
| transit.
1t was clearly demonstrated before
the committee that street railway fran
! chises
DO NOT GO A-BEGGING,
| and it was made apparent that there is
no necessity for granting exclusive
| privileges in order to secure the neceS-
sary transportation facilities. Repre-
sentativeS of four different companies
were present with propositions. E. G..
Rogers made lengthy argument in OPP
! position to the one-man monopoly, and