The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-27
ANOTHER IMPORTANT DAY.
REGARDING RAILROAD GRADE
 CROSSINGS.


 The Matter of Eliminating the Grade
 Crossings in idgeport-LitchHeld Coun-
 ty Hospital-Derby Electric ROad-The N Agricultural Experiment Station, Etc. Hartford, April 26.-An important 7eeting of the committee on railroads Ras held this afternoon.
 II Who is at the bat2" inquired Chair man Coffey as the committee started in,
 The matter in question was the bills k concerning the eliminating of the grade crossings of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad in the city of Bridgeport. City Attorney Davenport ! said in part!
 There Is a division of opinion be- tween Representative Marsh of Bridge port and the city attorney. and also between the city attorney and the may pf Bridgeport in order to properly pro- < ect the interests of that city In 1850 he Consolidated road built it's tracks n Bridgeport. Now the city has about 20, 900 inhabitants. At that time there was no one who dreamed of the magni- ude of the growth of this carrying bus ! hess in forty-fve years. Thirty years A+go there were only 12,356 people in Bridgeport and now, as I said, there 7 re 60,000 people. In the lapse of thirty r forty years you will undoubtedly see here a population of from 150,000 to 50. 900 inhabitants, and that people will have to use the facilities that are given 2 hem now in regard to this railroad, for he Improvements will remain for at east one hundred years. When these improvements are made it will divide he city into two parts, and when the Iousatonic road Improvements are made the city will also be divided from
 orth to south. By the lack of fore fight of our fathers the railroad was al- x owed to locate along the water front The company has also acquired prop rty that practically shuts the people ut from the water front. If the city not allowed to lay out further streets o the harbor an 1rreparable damage will be done to Bridgeport. I believe hat the bill which introduced here Ind afterward amended is sufficient to .". Gcl WuLIl lllG pIODtGIAls | uG 4llhy OA NOVo ot agree with me in part, for he does ot wish to assume the powers in ques- ion under the bill Of course the Con olidated road cannot be expected to ut across that road additional streets, nless the city helps to pay the bill. There should be some authority in the i'll SO that those streets can be extend when necessary. For a. distance of 800 feet there is no crossing. The ap- ortionment of this expense must be Pft between the city and railroad, and
 there is no agreement, then to the N ommission, subject to an appeal to the ourts. Under the bill believe that all justice will be done."
 Representative Marsh of Bridgeport bid:
 Having never seem the newly pre- ,ared bin, I cannot speak about it. here are four miles of railway under Consideration. It is a blessing to the hilroad that it lies through the city of Bridgeport, with factories on either side bntributing towards the business of he road. This road from New Haven Sb New York is a trunk line carrying Ihe business in New England. Because bis line is blockaded at New Haven are ou to tax Bridgeport towards the four lack construction? It is not right to x |rge Bridgeport to pay for this con- Eruction. We are strenuous in this natter of expense"
 Attorney Davenport-Do you believe
 the extension of these streets, MT. Harsh? Marsh--I believe in extending State JoA bo okt ,J after the railroad is built. You are living away your case, MT. Attorney. M Davenport--I believe it has been given \ Nway already. z Marsh-Oh, no. In all these matters f laying out the railway I have pro- ided in my bill for commission; let 1 Me people come there and be heard #nd let the decision of the commission Xe final. Y Representative Keller of Bridgeport 1 hid: q have petition here that @, specl- | Ned sum be appropriated in the bill by 1 2 Bridgeport" The petition, signed by about 175 cit- | ens; is in favor of the Marsh bill. It ] Provides that the city shall pay only 1 ! R5, 900 towards the improvement.
 q am in favor of the Marsh blll and | he amount" said MT. Keller. 'I be- eve this Is sufficient, but If not, then I | Mould favor little larger sum. I | Mould not favor any pro rata payments Unless l knew the amount
 President Clark of the Consolidated 1 hilroad was next heard. He said:
 '"There. are several matters that make Me solution of this improvement quite EhicuIt Now, if the first is settled all he others will be arrived at. I can bttle this matter in five minutes by liking from my pocket and reading st of the crossings i'm Bridgeport that re legal and those that are illegal. here is no way the matter of new reets can be legally settled unless here is first a legal right of what shall k done and how it shall be done, and le manner of paying for the same. Of burse there is a difference of opinion
 this matter between myself and MT. l avenport Let us first settle how this ing shall be done. If there is an NEreement in this matter I don't be- live it will take thirty minutes to set the item of expense. This bill of r. Davenport's provides that the work { lall be arranged between the mayor