St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-31
THE NEW STREET RAILWAY
ORDINANCE IN MINNEAPO-


The many uncomplimentary and en-
| phatic expressions indulged in these
days about the imperfections of the
| street railway travel, by citizens OF st.
Paul, are about equally divided between
| Mr.. LOWRY and the reform city council.
| In the public mind both are held to
have acted in something of a "pig-
headed" manner, actuated by the spirit
| of the boy who cries "You are another"
| In its first proposition the company de-
manded that transfers be abolished on
| interurban lines and OH Sundays and
| legal holidays, and after o'clock p. IN.
on every day OH all lines. AS a conSid-
Grafton for this, it agreed to build a
double-track line to Como, erect pa
YiliOn, furnish attractions, etc. Other
considerations were coupled with the
proposition which it is not necessary to
mention in this connection. At the
various meetings between the company
and the special committee, it was stated
on behalf of the company that no more
was or would be asked of st. Paul than
of Minneapolis.
In the recent ordinance passed by the
Minneapolis council the only concession
on transfers was that the company
should not issue them to or from the in
terurban lines. This was modified to
entite residents in the city to the same
privileges for local travel on this as on
other lines. 1t is also announced that
the company proposes to run the inter-
m hn Of hi yff,J,
and Hennepin avenues, thence up Hen
nepin to Sixth street, thence on Sixth
street to First avenue south and thence
back to Washington avenue, thus form
ing new loop" and taking all passen-
gers from st. Paul to the very doors of
the DONALDSON glass block, corner
Sixth street and Nlcollet avenue, and
be erected on the corner OF Fifth
street and First avenue south
by S. e. OLSON. In other words, a
resident of st. Paul can go from any
part of the city to the interurbau line,
receive transfer, and be taken to the
great retail houses of Minneapolis for
ten cents, while resident of Minneap-
oils must pay five cents to reach the
interurbaH line and ten cents more to
reach the great retail center of st. Paul.
This was a shreWd move on the part of
some one in Minneapolis. 1t is barely
possible that the retail merchants had
hand in this scheme, and that the cOun-
Gil was not so "fast," after all. The
new arrangement plainly diScriminateS
against our st. Paul merchants. Ii the
company intends to treat St. Paul the
same as Minneapolis, why should
not st. Paul cut the transfers off
interurban lines. and the COM
pany, as consideration therefor,
build its line to Como park and
supply the much-needed open cars
on all its lines in st. Paul? This would
not only secure the desired improve
mentS in st. Paul, but would place our
retail merchants on an equal footing
with those of Minneapolis. The same
privileges should be granted to resi-
dents for local travel as are contained in
the new Minneapolis ordinance. The
council should also repeal any objection
able ordinances that have been hastily
passed, and should not insist on the
building of unnecessary lines that
would not benefit the public and only
tend to cripple the company. The most
absurd of all the pending propositions is
the ordering of horse car lines to be
built. If such clause is now in force
in any of the company's charters. it
should be repealed at once, and in lieu
thereof the extensions should be con-
fined to electric lines under proper re-
strictons, equitable and fair to both the
city and the company. If proposition
similar 10 the above should come from
the city council as a basis of negotia-
tions, it would very soon test the good
faith of the company, and force it to
decision which would enable the peo-
pie of st. Paul to better determine as to
the merits of the pending controversy.
1t might also bring about permanent
settlement of many vexed questions. =,
1t seems to the GLOBE, and in this it
is assured that it voices the sentiments
of the business men of the city, that the
city council and the street railway COM
pany ought both to be too large-minded
and broad to continue petty fight
which cannot possibly bring good to
either,