Omaha daily bee., 1895-11-20
Why SHOULD THEY STAND orri


The attitude of the Chic&. -. Milwau.
kee & st. Paul and the Chicago. Rocl,
Island * Pacific railroads toward the
proposed metropolitan union depot Is
utterly indefensible. The opposition of
the Burlington may be eXcuSable on
the ground that it does not want to
lose the money it has advanced to the
erection of the Mason street abortion
A change of terminals might possibly
work Il little Inconvenience to the
Burlington, which owns Il portion of
the old depot grounds.
But the Milwaukee, and Rock Island
have no such preteXt for an excuse.
On the contrary, the managers of these
two roads We're in accord with the
parties who instituted the injunction
proceedings that resulted in Il stoppagc
of further work on the unfinished Tenth
street depot building. They were also
active in blocking the Connell COM
promise scheme, by which the city was
to abdicatc all its rights in the track
age and depot grounds in consideration
of the completion of the depot. In view
of these facts the present attitude of
the Rock Island and Milwaukee roads
can be attributed only to desire Oh
their part to prevent the building of any
union depot in Omaha and to deprive
the people of this city of the facilities
accorded every other city of its size.
Such dogin themangcr policy can
not be credtable to these railroads.
They have received liberal treatment
at the hands of Omaha and have been
given due shares of the patronage OF
its merchants and manufacturers, al
though they have made no investments
in this city. If we are correctly in
formed the chief objection raised by
the Milwaukee and Rock Island man
ayers to the proposed metropolitan
union depot is that it will cost too
much, or. in other words that the pro-
posed depot is too good for Omaha
The only rational Inference is that be-
cause Omaha has submitted to outrage
and indignity for all these years in the
matter of depot facilities it must for
ever be content with way station priv
ii'S'S VI At b'Hl VIII Sutll ueDOlS us
have been erected at points like
Cheyenne, ST Joseph and Leavenwortn.
with less than onc-third of Omaha's
population and one-tepth of Omaha's
passenger and freight traffic.
Unless the Milwaukee and Rock
way of every union depot project for
Omaha for the next few years there is
not even the ground of business
economy for their course. They are not
asked to contribute Il dollar toward the
purchase of the grounds or the CON
struction of the depot or approaches.
They are now paying for the use of
sky yparlor, each. Cnc-ffth of the rental
on an investment Of n million and II
half at q per cent. Under the contract
by the Terminal and Bridge
company they would be required to pay
Dnc-siXth of the rental on an Investment
Of two millions ut > per cent, or $1G,66i
Il year, less the rebate of pro rata
share of receipts from depot privileges.
At the lowest estimate these privileges
Will aggregate $4,000 Il year. giving
each of the six roads rebate of
S6,333, leaving the net annual rental
S10333 for each road. Why should n0l
very railroad that shares Omnha's
rattle be willing TO pay S1l 900 year
for its part of the maintenance or
terminal passenger accommodations
The Rock Island is paying more than
hat amount today at Denver and the
Milwaukee doubtless spends as much
1t st. Paul.
Is it asking too much of these roads
to join with the Union Pacific, the
and the Missouri Pacific
m assuring for Omaha the long de-
aged metropolitan union depot which
by rights should have been erected
years ago?
HlJTfND IN IVREIk THE