St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-28
The Committee Will Protect
the City in Granting
Franchises.
Important Changes Proposed
to the Lowry Electric
Ordinance.
Transfer Tickets to Be In
sisted On and a Forfeit
Demanded.
The Wabasha Bridge Will
Not Be Yielded Up Uneon-
: ditionally.

The council committee OH streets held
another meeting last night to consider
the electric motor franchise asked for
by Thomas Lowry. Although no def
ate action was taken, certain general
conclusions were arrived at. 1t seemed
to be understood that a franchise of
some. kind will be offered Tor Mr..
Lowry's acceptance, but that franchise
will differ materially from the
exclusive and monopolistic blanket
franchise originally asked for.
The company will be compelled
to issue transfer tickets, pay an
annual tax on their gross earnings, put
up substantial forfeit that they will
build the lines if given the franchise,
and make many other little concessions
that Mr.. Lowry inadvertently omitted
to mention in his original proposition.
Col. Barr presented another copy of the
ordinance, in which are contained sew
eral additional clauses. The most i'm
portant Of them was an agreement to
run the Grand avenue and Randolph
street electric lines. to West st. Paul.
one out Winifred street by way of
the Wabasha street BRIDGE and
the other out Concord street, over
the Robert street bridge. Aid. Yoerg
and Minea objected to granting the
company any privileges over the Waba-
sha street bridge, alleging that the prop
OSition is not to increase the facilities of
West st. Paul, but to gain control of the
bridges and keep other companies out.
In this connection it was suggested that
the company be given a right of way
over the bridge, with clause in the
agreement making it obligatory on their
part to allow any other company the
right to use their tracks over the bridge
and its approaches on the payment of
pro rata share of its original cost and
the cost of maintenance. Aid. Pratt
called attention to the ordinance re-
Gently accepted by Mr.. Lowry from the
Minneapolis council, in which it is stip-
ulated that transfer tickets shall be
sSued. e.
Would you be willing to issue trans
fer tickets?" asked Aid. Yoerg.
Col. Barr-No, sir. 1t isn't practical
Bile.
Aid. Sanborn-I can't see why it isn't
practicable. 1t is done in nearly every
other city in the country. -.
The successful working of the transT,
fer system in Philadelphia, Chicago,
Milwaukee, Kansas City and other
cities was cited by tine aldermen, WIG
seemed to take little stock in Cot,
Bars assertion that sit costs too.
much" To settle the matter, the
colonel finally came out boldly with the
assertion that Mr.. Lowry would have,
nothing to do with the ordinance if it.
werej made to jeopardiZe his present.
franchise. +.
.sNt,o,, ,,,b., did bo,,o1,o 81, oh = y, = o.,,,a -
ment with Minneapolis" queried Aid.
Sanborn. =.
# II don't know anything about. Min
neapolis," returned Col. Barr. II don't
even know that the company there has
made any such agreements -. 80
% Aid. Yoerg called attention to the fact
that where people were formerly riding,
the length of Seventh street for five
cents, it now costs dime, and thought
the same changes were liable to be made
in other parts of the city. Aid. Cullen
seemed to think that if the COM
pany is willing to concede
transfer system in one city they
should do it in another, and after
considerable discussion the attorney was
instructed to embody the transfer clause
in the ordinance. Aid. SanbOrn be-
lieved that the time had come to adopt
some regular system of taxing such cor
porations. On his motion it was de-
cided to impose tax of per cent on
the gross earnings of the line for three
years after the first three years of its
operation, 2 per cent during the seventh.
eighth and ninth years, and 8 per cent
thereafter. 1t was also decided that the
company should be compelled to post
forfeit of $4,000, to be for
feited with the franchise if the
roads are not built within tine time
specified after the acceptance of the
franchise. The city attorney was in
structed to draw up a new ordinance
embodying the recommendations of the
committee. Another meeting will lie
held, when it is believed that the ordi- I
nance will be completed and referred to
the council for final action. Several
matters pertaining to West st. Paul
were referred to. the Sixth ward alder
men and Col. Barr for settlement.