St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-07
THE RAILROAD CROSSINGS.
The Board of Trade Ponders on
Plans to Obviate the Difficulty.

The Board of Trade Ponders on
Plans to Obviate the Difficulty.
The board of trade is quite given to
humorous complaints OF late. Its first
business at the meeting yesterday morn
ing was to listen to majority report
from Judge Atwater, of the committee
appointed to act on request from the
Washington Post relative to the law
making of the house of representatives,
the gist of which was that. while the
board of trade considered itself quite
capable of making laws better than the
house, out Of modesty it desiSted: and a
minority report by Judge Fish, opposing
the resolutions principally on the ground
that J. B. BaSsett was the licensed hui
morist OF the board, and no one else
should encrOach upon his domain.
After few minor matters had been
disposed of, President Wyman brought
the topic of the city railroad crossings
under discussion by presenting COM
man of the railroad committee, request
ing the board to adopt resolution, at
the time laying on the table, that was
presented some time ago, and that has
been a bone Of contention ever since.
The resolution reads:
That if railway companies are willing to
construct the abutments and supeTstruct-
ures of such bridges and keep them i'll re-
pair, the city should build and maintain
the approaches to the bridges and keep them
in order.
J. NJ. Bartlett thought something
should be done, and done at once, but
advised that committee be appointed
to see the railroad officers, wait on the
council, and report at the next meeting
of the board.
81. P. Robinson. of the railroad COM
mlttee, wished to impress on the minds
OF the gentlemen that this resolution
did not apply alone to the st. Louis
crossings, but was generous, liberal
policy to all roads of the city. He was
anxious to see it pass.c .
Judge Atwater thought that as a
general policy it wonld be losing one
for the city, as the law provided that
railroads should make all their cross
ings safe. He would at present con-
slider the st. Louis crossings alone.
T. ID. Mcmillan called attention to the
fact that where the streets were laid
first and the railroads afterward, it
was by law the roads duty to provide
the crossings. But where the streets
were opened subsequently the city
must put in both bridges and APP
proaches.
j. 3, Bassett thought 1T folly for the
city to volunteer its aid when many of
the roads were ready to lower their own
tracks. putting in both bridges and ap-
proaches. He quoted the Hastings IL
Dakota division of the Milwaukee as
such road, saying that they had cross
ings which would be necessary to be so
constructed. Further, he showed
how that now, when it was the city's
duty to put in the bridges on the new
streets, the railroads would volunteerno
assistance. He was Of the opinion that
compromises should he made only where
the crossings could be provided in no
other way.
in. Mind thought something must
be done at once, and that in taking a
step it should cover all roads that might
be put in, and that the policy taken
should be a liberal one. The resolution
should be passed.
Judge Atwatcr thought that if that
were done they were simply giving them
selves away to the railroads.; that they
had not done that yet, and weren't going
to as long as they had suit in the SUI
preme court
President Wyman thought the resolu-
ton should pass. He said:
1t is better for us to compromise this in any
way now than to continue at war with the