The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-20
STREET. RAILWAY COMPANY NOT
WILLING TO PAY ALL THE
COST
OF THE NEW SELBY VIADUCT.
VICE PRESIDENT GOODRICH NCTI-
FIES THE COUNCIL THE ORDI-
NANCE is DECLINED.
DEPOT LOOP, TOO, OBJECTED TO.
1t Is Claimed 1t Would IncOnven-
tence Both the Company and
the Public.

Vice President Goodrich, of the Twin
City Rapid Transit company, plainly
told the committee on streets from the
| assembly yesterday afternoon that the
company would not accept the ordi-
nance recently passed by the board of
aldermen. The ordinance provided for
changing the cable 70 an electric line,
and the construction of a viaduct on
Sepoy avenue HILL between Third street
ana Nina avenue. at a grade not to ex-
ceeu per cent. By a provision the board
OF public works was to assess benefits
ana damages for the change of grade
necessary, but the street railway COM
pdny was to save the city harmless
Irom any damages which might arise
from the building and operating of
tracks In the viaduct. Other clauses
also provided for the Broadway loon
pelng operated, as we'll as the Thomp-
son union depot loop. The measure
passed the aldermen by a unanimous
vote of all the members in the city,
the absentee being Aid. Donahower.
When it reached the assembly it was
referred to the committee on streets for
consideration, it being one of the I'M
written, but no less binding laws that
aldermen is hardly up to the standard
unless amended in the assembly.
= meeting of the committee on streets
was held yesterday afternoon, at which
all Of the members Of the assembly
were present. Assemblyman Thomp-
son presided, and, although only mem
pers OF the committee voted, nearly all
OF the members of the body took part
or listened to the discussion. Present
in addition to the members Of the Cup
per house" were Vice President Good
rich, General Manager Held and Supt.
Smith, of the street railway company.
The ordinance having been read by the
clerk, Mr.. Kirke stated that he had
several amendments to offer which, to
his mind, would improve the measure
approved by the board of aldermen.
The first amendment was to strike out
that portion which provided that the
board of public works should assess
benefits and damages by reason of
the change of grade as provided by the
charter. This, Mr.. Kirke said, was a.
contradiction, as in the next clause Of
the ordinance it was provided that the
street railway company should bear all
the expense and damages which the
city might be put to by reason of the
construction of the Viaduct Another
was that in the construction of the
V1aduct that portion of the street from
the east line of Summit avenue to a
point near the east line OF Nina avenue
be covered or rooted so as not to inter-
fere with the travel on Selby avenue
Mr.. kirke explained that his idea as
to this particular amendment was that
if the company found it could tunnel
the hill cheaper than it could open a
viaduct and build a bridge on Summit
avenue, it might have the option The
third amendment was that in the OPP
GRAFTON of the Broadway loop the in
terurban and Como avenue cars should
be operated on Fifth, Broadway and
Seventh to Robert street and then on
Robert to Eighth street and on Eighth
street to Wabasha as now done. The
fourth amendment was that the COM
pany at it's own expense could tunnel
the Selby avenue hill instead of con-
structing a viaduct, if it so desired
The amendments were adopted by the
committee, and thus far it looked easy
Vice President Goodrich was asked
by Mr.. Thompson to state to the COM
mittee his views as to the ordinance
which had just been read and amend
ed. Mr. Goodrich started in by saying
that he did not feel authorized 70
speak for the company just at this
time. He thought it would be better
for the council to agree upon and pass
an ordinance and then submit it to the
company. What the company would
do depended largely on the cost of the
proposed Selby avenue hill change.
The company was willing to construct
hut =
dinance which had been passed by the
beard of aldermen directed the running
of too many lines around the depot
loop. Patrons on the Mississippi and
West st. Paul and Lafayette and
RondO, who had occasion to go to the
union depot once or twice a year, did
not want, according to Mr.. Goodrichs
idea, to have to go four blocks out of
their way twice a day in order that
the cars on these lines should go
around by the union depot. 1t the
patrons did desire to do this, Mr..
Goodrich very plainly said the COM
pany didn't and in this particular the
ordinance did not suit and would not
be acceptable. Speaking for the COM
pany he could see no benefit in the
proposed change on the Selby avenue
hill 1t placed all the damages on the |
company, and for this reason would
not be acceptable. There were practi- |
cally no benefits given the company by
the viaduct or tunnel as provided in
the ordinance. The plan as outlined |
could be carried out by the COM |
pany without the trouble and discus
sion which had attended the prepara-
ticn and passage of the ordinance. The |
city had so far not consulted the COM
pany The council had. gone ahead and |
passed ordinances and informed the !
company that if they were not &C
cepted something else would be done. |
70 q knew tharn had hnpn
agreement with members of the board |
of aldermen as to the acceptance of the |
ordinance passed. 1t had been the I'M
derstanding, or at least President |
Lowry at recent meeting in Mayor |
Doran's Office had been led to believe |
that the city would stand a share of |
the damages arising from the con- |
struction of the viaduct on Selby |
avenue hill. He was not prepared to
say just the amount which the COM
pany would stand to pay in the change |
on Selby avenue hill. This, he thought, |