Telegram-herald., 1890-08-09
TRANSFERS OR POLES
And Electricity 70 Propel Our
Street Cars.
TWAS sOT sOaIylTiD II The BOND
An Intersiss With ar Besfsr-ns fntl-
mates That His Com paDs il Not Extsa-
ordinarily Anxi0as 10 Put iR Eiec-
trEcIty-ba, the People WantIG

Tue resolution offered by Alderman
HauSeT and passed By the council Mon
day evening requiring the street Rail
way Company o. give transfers onto the
Hall-st. and Plsintieid-ave. line in re-
turn tor the privilege of planting poles
Ia the streets, Judging from the talk
heard about town, IS quite a popular
move among those who patr0niLe street
ears. The acton OF the council IN tack
Ing the amendment onto the resolution
relative 10 poles, as at first supposed
10 be gular .lpd illegal. As the
question IS more closely examined.
however, a contrary opinion prevails.
The council has absolute control of the
streets. 50 far as the planting Of poles Is
concerned. The company can not put
up rs poles unless the council grants
permission, and II IN granting permis-
son il attaches certain cOnd ltlOu, the
company can be prevented from put
ting poles up, or compelled 20 take
them down, should they fail to comply
with the condition. Ii is reported, 4,
though the Eagle does not vOuch for ITS
truth, that the company's attorneys
have 50 advised them. Edgie.
Mr.. Bevier was seen yesterday after
noon and said most emphahcally that
"the company's attorneys" had not ad-
vised them that the council could COM
pei the company give transfers against
their viii. "In fact" said Mr.. Bevier,
''therc is no question but that we could
compel the council to locate our poles
and allow us TO go on and build our
lines without any conditions. but we
don't want 10 do il. Our company does
not want TO have any legal difficulty
with any one. We most certainly want
the good will of the people of Grand
Rapids and of the council, but how 10
get and keep it is just now quite con-
nundrum, tell you.
"We think the people want electricity
as motive power for street cars, bur
we really are afraid To try to give 1t To
them for the reason that the city,
through its council. evidently does not
intend TO keep faith with US. The pro-
posed investment of n million and y
half OF dollars must have some settled
line OF policy, or else it is not easy to
persuade the capitalists, who now hold
the money to invest it.
There are two systems Of running
street cars-aud both are illustrated IN
this city. One is TO have all short lines,
and all coming to one central point,
and give transfers from one line to any
other. This is the system followed by
the cable road.
Our system is the "long line system, y
and Is patterned after that of Provi-
dence, X. l., and we believe it gives
better satisfaction 10 the people at
large than the other system. Some two
or three years ago we pctltloned the
council for the privilege of putting a
turn-table in at Campau square, with
the idea of centering all lines at that
point, and transferring from one to the
other. Soon after, however, we were
given the ordinance for the Cherry-st
| line on condition that we run through
cars into the Eighth ward. This started
the long line system, and we have vol
UNFAIRLY followed with the combination
OF the Lagrave and Scribner-st. lines
and also the combination of the Stock
| ing-st. and Jeffersan-aye. lines.
GAS | said before, any enterprise 10
attract capital must have a settled line
OF policy, and simply the fact of q
/ tildllt,e llllEill bt LiiS fO44ib "
/ drive 1t away"
Referring again to the legal points in.
| volved, Mr.. Bevier reiterated the state
ment that his company would not IN
vite any trouble with the city, but In
timated that If the people did not want
| electricity, his company could be salts
fed, and would without question, for 4
number of years at least, make more
money without changing the present
| system.
I'VE believe the people want cleo
| tricity, however, and we stand ready &c
give 1t to them strictly according to Oul
ordinance. This ordinance was passed
by the council last October and we were
given until May, this year. to accept It.
! The council reserved but one condition
which was the right TO pass upon the
| style and location of our poles. The
matter Of transfers was brought up al
that time, the two systems eX
| planned to the aldermen, but no
such requirement was made a part
| OF the ordinance. Had transfers beer
required at that time our company
would have decided against electricity
/ We did accept It a it was passed, anc
at our annual meeting IN July adopted
means TO raise 5000, 900 for the addl-
I tional investment TO our plant, 70 pu'
/ in electricity. The money raised and
other Preparations under way, we arc
now confronted with the transfer
/ question, \ part Of a bargain not
mentioned when the bargain was made
/ As ! said before, we could compel toe
/ city to live up to us part OF the con
I tract, but We are not anxious enOugf
I 20 invest 5000. 000 10 force the city e
/ iet Us. VIC can't accept the council
disposition e the pole question Will
utterly At a loss to say what the out