St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-14
ROAST THE AssEMBL lyman
Whose Resolution Directed
That Paving Between then \
@ Rails Be Deferred. 'sah'
HOT RESOLUTION ADOPTED
Scoring the Assembly for Its
Action--Robb Is Present
and Speaks.

at a meeting nelQ III Tic OoAAiA
cl,,b rooms last night to protest
against the proposed action OF the
assembly in opening up the East sew
enth street paving question again.
The meeting was a hot one, ana
when Assemblyman Robb took the
floor to give his>reasons for introduc-
ing the resolution directing the
hoard of public works to instruct
the contractors to defer paving be-
tween the tracks, from half dozen
to sixteen men jumped to the floor
at once to castigate. him.
All hands were talking at once,
and it was impossible to catch more
than fragments of the sarcastic re-
marks that were banded back and
forth. The temperature rose several
degrees in several seconds and spon-
taneous combustion was threatened,
body bursting blood vessel. Strong
resolutions condemnatory of the ac-
ton were adopted, and a committee
of ten was appointed to attend the
meeting Of the committee on streets
at $3.50 o'clock tomorrow afternoon
and protest against the proposed
change, whereby the street railway
company is to be allowed to pave
with granite between it's tracks.
The meeting organized by the Sc
lection of William Constans as chair
man and James II. Weed as secre-
tary. Emil Geist stated that the OBJ
ject of the meeting was to consider
the action of the assembly in open
ing UP the East Seventh street paw
ing question again after 1T had once
been decided in accordance with the
wishes of the property owners to
have the street paved with asphalt
from curb to curb. He did not
know what the assembly meant by
it's action. :
Assemblyman Robb said the COM
mittee that went to Washington
city told him that asphalt from
curb to curb was failure. His only
motive in offering the resolution in
the assembly was to give the props
erty owners the best possible pave-f
ment. He
WAS HONEST IN HIS ACTION,
and the only person or corporation
that dared to- question his. honesty
was the Pioneer Press. The people
interested in that paper were also
interested in the gas company, and
it was a scheme to have the whole
street paved with asphalt so ithatj
there would be no danger of it's ever
being torn up to give competing
gas company chance to lay pipes
why did YOU not consult prop
erty owners?' shouted one Of those
present, jumping to his feet and
facing the assemblyman. -
Il am always ready to consult
them," answered Mr. Robb; and the
next second there We're a dozen men
on their feet hurting torrents of crit
lcism On the assemblyman.
Are there not lots of gas COM
panies that would be. willing to tear,
up and replace asphalt pavement if
given a gas franchise in this city?''
asked John Suydam, but before Mr..
Robb could answer another yelled:
Don't bother yourself about the
gas company. What we want is a
street" -,
Still another yelled out something
about what he had seen in Germany
but his voice was drowned in the
chorus, and only fragments of his
remarks could be understood. Tt is
doubtful if he heard more than that
himself.
Mr.. Robb held his temper-in fact
1t was the only thing he could. do
unless he was prepared to be ami
inflated, for the whole house was on
the other side The assemblvman
sat down and listened, coolIy puffine
away at his cigar. The smoke
seemed to have cooling effect on
the others, and the storm soon s,h-
sided
+. knauft said the reason tbe
street railway company was on
posed to asphalt was that If u,o,,Id
necessltate its tearing up it's old
caple tracks and putting in o,ool7
iounoatlon, whereas, If allowed no
pave with granite. the old ool,o
tracks could be left in.
Mr.. Suydam said that tho s+,.
ioIohto are paved with asphalt from
.uio 10 curo and in view of the fact
.hat the city bears the expense of nav
ms between the car tracks. II is owl
uehl tnat the expense of maintainino
Tue asphait paving between the tracls
Is no greater than the cost of main+e-
iialice OF some other kind, or if so bnt
very little 'ul
capt. Hackett said he was NOT IN
favor OF dealing unfairly with anv
corporation exercising a franchise So
cured from the city, but he was at a
loss TO understand how the enforce
iiient OF a contract already made
couid De construed as unfair to the
street railway company All the mon
erty owners wanted asphalt. IT was
.he1r money that was going to paw for
IL ana they ought to be permitted to
say "
WHAT KIND OF A PAVEMENT
should be put down. He was not on1,,
III favor OF asphalt between the tracks
on THIS street, but also on other streets
n
the wishes Of the property owners and
WitharaW MS opposition to asphalt
pavement between the tracks.
Major Espey said that if an asphalt
pavement is insisted on in the pres-
| ent condition of the tracks, the prom
| erty owners will be sorry, because If
is kind of pavement that will not
stand Earring. But if the COMPANY
would put down a substantial Johns
town track, asphalt would certainly
prove the superior pavement He
company's paving with asphalt would
be to force it to put in a substantial
track.
w. P. Murray said that if the street
were 100 feet wide, there would be no
objection to having granite in the
center, but with the street so narrow.
It Vas out II the ,Qaesise1. In pni,ar