St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-06
And the Merry Street Cars
Will Monopolize Henne-
pin Avenue.
Another Enumeration Detect
i've Discovered and
Fired.
Aid. Pottep's Scheme for the
City to Own It's Electric
Light Plant.


decided as expected-by giving over the
property OF the public to the street rail
way company-but the men who have
fought the matter from the start did
good work IN making the ordinance as
favorable as possible to the public. The
line Oh Hennepin boulevard will be
built. but there are reasonable restric-
tons placed upon the company.
The board room was crowded when
the commission came to order, with
Commissioner Downs in the chair, a
delegation of property owners from the
land abutting on the boulevard being
present. Besides there were General
Manager Goodridge and Judge Koon,
representing the street railway COM
pany; Attorney George Robinson, look
ing after the interests of Mr.. Gluck. who
has all along opposed the electric line,
and C. j. Buell.. prepared to protest, in
the name of the Cleveland club and the
Single Tax league, against the granting
of the franchise. About o'clock Presi-
dent Pro TEN Downs raped for order
and called for the report of the special
committee which had been considering
the ordinance covering the construction
and operation and maintenance of the
line on Hennepiu boulevard. There
were two reports, majority and a
minority. The former, as presented by
Commissioner Babb, chairman of the
committee, was then taken up and dis
cussed.
The first provision, relative to the life
of the franchise. was passed over and
considered later. The ordinance then
set forth that the street railway COM
pany must pay into the treasury of the
park board $4,000, the estimated cost of
the changes which will have to be made
in the street. The minority report
wanted that made $4,000. Prof. Fol-
well desired that the cost of the paving,
which will have to be done some time,
probably within five years, be added to
that, he thinking that the company
should be compelled to pay something
for this franchise as property, outside
of the incidental advantages to be &C
quired. Northrop thought the paving
a question of the future, and under
stood that the property owners would
be assessed for the paving. March in
sisted that it would come out of the
park board, as that body must do all
the improving of park ways. Daniel
Brandt here explained that, when the
land was decided for a boulevard
it was understood that the property
owners would be assessed for paving.
sewers and water mains. Attorney Rob-
inSOn here tried to make his talk OH be-
half of Gluck, but was choked off, and,
after further proftlesS discussion, the
amendment compelling the street rail-
way company to pay $4,000. instead of
$4,000, was adopted. Several more par
agraphs of the ordinance were then
adopted without question. They pro-
vide that the line shall not be construct
ed until sewer has been put in; that
the line shall be as good as, and Ope-
rated in the same manner as the Fourth
avenue electric line, with the exception
that the trolley wires shall be supported
by one line of poles in the center of the
street; that whenever the city decides
upon other system of electric locomo-
tion, other than the one using overhead
wires, the same shall be adopted ON this
line; that the line shall be stand
ard guage; that at street interSec-
lions curbing, extending not to
exceed two feet from the track, shall be
maintained, the same to correspond with
the condition of the remainder of Hen
nepin parkway; that crossings shall be
paved as the park board may direct;
that the park board may at any time fix
the rate of speed at which cars shall be
run over the line; that snow from the
tracks shall not be allowed to cucumber
the street.
Then came the subject of fare. The
majority report left the matter of fare
to the present city ordinance covering
that subject. The minority Of the COM
mittee, however, taking into considera-
ho fo Of fhaf tho nj r-n nd i'm
vides for fve-cent fare for three miles
alone, allowing the company to increase
the fare for more than three miles,
wanted this ordinance to provide
for a ive-cent fare from Hennepin
avenue to Lake Harriet. with
a transfer to any other line. Babb OPP
posed this section, under the advice of
the city attorney. Commissioners
March and Folwell made strong talk
for it, holding that the board has the
right to regulate the fare as much as it
has to regulate the rate of speed, and
arguing that, inasmuch as the use of
electricity decreased the cost of opera
ing the line. cheap fare to the lake
should be secured. The provision MAX
ing the fare cents, with the privilege of
one transfer, was then adopted. May
Babb, be it said, being the only one to
vote no.
The provision as to time for construc-
ton was changed so that the line must
be completed before Jan. l, 1892, and,
In the event of the sewers being put in
before Jan. l, 1891, the line must be
completed within five months there
after. The company must furnish suf-
ficient cars for transportation at all
times, and must conform to the city
ordinance covering the operation of
street railways. Instead of ten days,
as originally framed, the company is
given sixty, within which to accept the
ordinance.
The board then went back to the pro-
vision relating to the life of the charter.
Originally the ordinance provided that
| the right to use Hennepin boulevard
| should continue as long as the charter
| OF the company. OF thirty three years
from date. The attorney. however, ex-
planned that the street railway company
| has no special charter, but is merely
| incorporated under the laws OF the
| state, which incorporation can be
renewed every fifty years for
ever. AS the ordinance read the
right to use Hennepin boulevard could
thus be continued forever; hence the
| ordinance was changed to extend this
| right for thirty-three years only. All
these provisions having then been
agreed to separately by the board, Babb
named the adoption of the ordinance.
| Commissioner March wanted to hear the
arguments of the opponents of the line,
and so did Folwell, as they were pre-
pared to discuss the legality of what the
board purposed doing, so the gentlemen
who so desired were allowed to speak.
G. j. Buell. came first He made
couple of good points against the action
of the board, but they. of course,
availed him nothing. In part he said
Il represent an organization COM
posed of several hundred citizens, all OF
them taxpayers.
The board can give railroad the right
to run through park. but nothing is said
in the act creating the board about al
lowing railway TO run over park
way"
Buell. here read section from the aci
creating the park board, which dele.
| 4na nd th0 nj Oh to