St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-14
ELECTRIC OR CABLE?
The Street Car Company's
Proposition Meets With
Opposition.
B. r. Nelson Is Elected Presi-
dent Of the Board of
Trade.
The Question Of the City
Building a Market House
Revived.
Items of Local Interest
Picked Up by Vigilant
Globe Reporters.

MHO cApSCJeu MI LUNIs pIOpoSi6lOH
TO change from the cable to electricity
and TO run electric ears over all the lines
in the city 10 receive the unanimous
consent Of the council were somewhat
disappointed ut the strength of the OPP
position which bobbed up serenely in
the meeting of the joint committee on
railroads and one alderman from
each ward yesterday. In fact,
it was disappointment to both Messrs.
Goodrich and Lowry, who were pres
ent. and the arguments used by those
opposed 10 ii will carry considerable
weight in the special meeting of the
council which is called for Thursday
next to consider the matter.
When Chairman Warren called the
meeting to order the only member alb
sent was Aid. DoWns.of the Fifth ward.
The proposition made by Mr.. Lowry,
on behalf OF the street railway COM
panv, was read by Clerk Haney. Aid.
BradiSh opened the ball 10y moving
to postpone the consideration of
it Indefinitely, which motion was
promptly seconded by Aid. Melloy.
Aid. McGOwan went to the rescue of
the railway people and declared that
now, if ever, was the time to adopt clec-
trlcIty as motive power. He thought
the Fourth avenue line had SHOWN jG6t
what could he done in the way of rapid
transit, and he was sure that electricity
was much preferable TO the cable. Aid.
BarrOws said that as the cost of con-
stTucting and running an electric street
car line was very much less than would
have 10 expended on a cable line, he
thought the citizens should have
the benefit of the difference, and
it naturally followed that if the lire
could be operated cheaper the fares
could be lowered. He then moved as
an amendment TO Aid. BradiSh's motion
that the committee should recommend
TO the council that the company be al
lowed to substitute electricity for the
cable and allow them two years IN
which to test ii. If at that time the
council found that the lines did not
give satisfaction the company should be
required 10 20 ahead and construct the
cable lines as already ordered. provided,
in the meantime the railroad company
reduced the fare To six tickets tor %
cents and inaugurated the system of
transfer checks so that passenger
could ride 10 any part Of the city for one
fare.
Mr.. Lowry addressed the committee,
and said that if the council proposed to
order a reduction of the fare the COM
pany would not go ahead with the cleo
trio lines. The present rate of fare,
with the transfer checks in operation.
is as low az the company could afford to
carry passengers. He said that when
the Fourth avenue line was built he had
no faith in ii, but now that the success
of electricity was assured, he thought il
was the best for the people. His conf
pany had expended nearly 100000
already on the cable lines, and he was
willing if the lines on Washington and
Nicollet avenues and First avenue south
proved a failure to 20 ahead
and put the cable in. He de-
clared that within the last six
months rapid strides had been made in
the use Of electricity as a motive power,
and now the line on Fourth avenue was
the best equipped in the country. He
wanted the council to consider the mat
ter carefully and he had no doubt that
the aldermen would agree with him
that electricity was as far superior 10
| the cable as the cable was TO horse
power. Aid. Hunter thought that
changing the entire cable system to
electricity was too important q matter
to consider hastily and suggested that
the committee should take little time
to consider it.
Aid. Bradish, who got of a sick bed to
attend the meeting of the commit
tee, made strong speech
against the proposed change. He
declared that the people of his ward
wanted the cable line they had been
promised when they turned in and
Knocked out the Anderson IL Douglass
road. and they didn't propose to have
! any experiments in New Boston with
/ electricity. They knew just what the
| cable could do.and they didn't know any
| thing about electricity: and the alder
I man had a lobby full of his constituents
! TO back him up. Then he told the COM
| mittee that of course the electric line
| would be q good thing for the railroad
company. When the Anderson d
| Douglass franchise was bein9eOnsidered
| by the council the Minneapolis Street
| Railway company was ready to
! agree TO anything. provided it could
! have an exclusive franchise. 1t made
| solemn compact with the city to build
! the cable lines. These would require
/ vast outlay of money. If the council
/ would LET the company substitute elec-
! tricity it would be big saving. and the
! company, not the city. would be bene-
| flied. The council was now trying to
! get all the wires under ground. They
| could not in law require one company
| to place its wires underground and
! allow another company to keep them
! up. In cities where the electric roads
/ were Ill b)cldtlcu IL was al dutlltttu
! fact that the efficiency of the fire de-
partment was reduced at least p per
| cent, and he was opposed TO the change
! because it was not what the company
! had agreed to do III Its contract with the
| city.
Aid. Smith and AID. Sterling both
spoke in favor of the change, but Aid.
| Warren thought the question should be
carefully considered by the committee
| before making a report. The overhead
| wire question was q serious one. ana
while he was opposed to putting the
| street car company to any unnecessary
| expense, he thought the matter should
| receive careful attention. Although the
| electrician who constructed the line de-
| clared there was no danger in the
| wires, Mr.. Warren had to differ with
him, and called attention to the acct
! dent which happened 10 one of the con-
ductoTs who tried to adjust the trolley
on the wire, and was almost killed. The
| committee adjourned without taking
| any action, ami Will meet again Thurs
| day morning.