The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-09


 sixty years ago. The right of way of the Housatonic road occupies nearly all of Housatonic avenue. Property along this route is assessed at $70 per front foot and along this avenue are very valuable factories. If the grade | crossings were to be removed along
 this avenue North Washington and other crossings would have to be elim- | mated and the railroad elevated over several streets. The damages would be almost incalculable. The property own CTS can get no compensation from the city or the railroad in the Marsh bill, | The damage to these smaller property owners would be $1,0000OO. If the city of Bridgeport is required to lay out new street to relieve these property owners no $50,000 would pay the bill. | The removal of these tracks would greatly augment the value of property
 there and afford a wide street. The Marsh bill provides for the depression of the tracks from Fairfield avenue at | the west end to Park avenue, three l fourths of mile. In 1892 the railroad proposed to Bridgeport that they peti l ton the commissioners to have the crossings removed on a plan similar to what is proposed in the Marsh bill. A committee recommended that the plan be adopted. The minority recom- mended that the plan be not adopted" City Attorney Davenport then ex- l plained his own bill and said; Two years ago bill similar to the Marsh bill was proposed, but it failed. At the same time the railroad secured an act giving them power to elevate its tracks, to cross the harbor and to raise the Park | avenue bridge. Now, the legislature should bring this railroad corporation under the yoke again. There should be a commission and definite plan, and in pursuance of the same drafted this bill. We want the legislature to compel the railroad to eliminate these crossings over the main line of the Housatonic railroad. Instead of the legislature talk ing the people of Bridgeport by the throat and saying they shall do this thing in a certain manner, my bill pro- vides that the railroad and the city should agree and the railroad commits sion is directed to carry out the agree ments. Another provision is that the railroad shall build a new drawbridge along the present line and to obtain the consent of the United States. The bill provides also that the railroad shall take the necessary land by appraisal It might be well to have a clause pro- viding that the people should pay ben efits when a portion of land is surren dered to the highway The only way we can find out how much the city should pay for will be to have 1t pay for just what it gets. The bill provides that the city shall pay to owners the cost of their land taken for these inn provements All other expenses shall be borne by the railroad and land shall be taken by the railroad In the manner provided in this state, in such manner as shall be reasonable MT. Marsh pro vides that the state shall pay one-half what the city shall pay, We have pro vided for an appeal from the damages to the superior court. Where shall we get the money? We have peculiar charter in Bridgeport. We cannot run into debt. We have provided that when the land is taken the railroad shall pay for it and then can collect from the city This means was hit upon as a manner of getting around this difficult ty. We have also provided that bonds S1dll De lSSuGu lO pIONlQG llC AllOilSS' Whenever any crossing shall be remov- ed the same is to be certified to the city and the board of appraisers is to ap- praise the damages over and above the | benefits, provided no damages shall be assessed upon the railroad. The bill | also provides that the city may bring | the present railroad bridge over the | harbor We would like to agree with | the Consolidated road in this matter | if possible. If this cannot be done, then l let this commission settle it. Bridge | port should get off as cheaply as possi- | ble and by my method I believe there | would be no expense. I will file with | the committee a lot of letters from | prominent property owners and citizens | against the Marsh bill. This is a tri- | angular contest. My friends bill would | result in a colossal blunder"
 Representative Marsh in reply said | in part: "Ie says the expense on Housatonic avenue would meana loss of millions of dollars. This one track rail road is only incidental There is noth- ing to it. He has talked about a com petent tribunal. Now my bill provides for just as good a tribunoal. What we want is to lay these four tracks
 
 through the city and let these side matters go. The government of the state can be depended upon to appoint just as good men"
 Hon. Lynde Harrison appearing for the Consolidated road, asked if MT. Marsh would introduce any witnesses at a later day and the latter replied that he should not; and that he had closed his case. In answer to another question, MT. Davenport said he had put in his bill, which had been prepared by himself in conference with Senator Marigold.
 MT Harrison made brief statement to the committee and said in part:l Any plans arrived at in this matter must be the result of an independent selected for this especial Whenever the railroad has had any contest where many crossings were effected, the tribunal has been a ei1 TY, Ioa