The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-26
AID. SANBORN TIPS THE NEXT
MOVE IN THE STREET RAIL-
WAY ORDINANCE.
PROTEST OF THE CITIZENS
AGAIN POURED INTO THE EARS OF
THE JOINT COUNCIL COM
MITTEE.
II. ID. O'BRIEN PULLS SOME FIGURES
Show the Big Profits of the Company
Last Year and the Amount
on Hand.

For a third time citizens representing
the various districts and business in
terests in st. Paul assembled in the
council chamber last night and reiter-
ated their protests against the proposed
street railway ordinance, for the bene-
| fit and information of the joint council
committee on streets. The hearing was
a tame affair in comparison with the
former gatherings, though the express
sion of sentiment was none the less
clear and emphatic. The hearing was
| over at 10 p. m, Whereupon the COM
mittee adjourned without taking a
vote, subject to the call of the chair
man.
At the request of Aid Kenny, the
! chairman of the aIdermanic commit
| tee on streets, AsSemblyman Thomp-
| son, presided AS soon as the board
! of aldermen adjourned it's brief session
and the committee had come to order,
| Assemblyman Thompson announced to
| the assemblage of citizens that the
committee had adjourned last week in
| order to ascertain if there were any
| people in favor of the ordinance or
any part of it as it now stands. Mr.
| Thompson thereupon invited any who
were in favor of the ordinance to ex-
press themselves. There was no re-
! Spouse.
Chairman Thompson then announced
! that the committee would hear any
! body who desired to speak.
Louis Nash was the first gentleman
to accept the invitation. Mr.. Nash as
sured. the committee he had no ak
to grind, and no interest to subserve
except that of the citizens of st. Paul.
He would not impugn anybody's mo-
| tives. Mr.. Nash argued that the con-
| tinual changing of the street railway
! loop and other street railway lines
would injure the business interests and
keep foreign capital out of the city.
| Mr. Nash proceeded to combat the
| arguments advanced by the advocates
of the Broadway loop, particularly the
contention that the employees of the
| jobbers would be benefited by the ex-
| tension of the Robert street loop to
Broadway. Mr.. Nash had talked with
many of these employees and he had
yet to hear them express any dissatis-
| faction with the present system. In
conclusion Mr.. Nash dwelt upon the
danger and injury to the city of the
constant agitation and scheming to
secure changes in the street railway
system.
Herman Oppenheim followed Mr..
Nash. Mr.. Oppenheim bluntly inform
| ed the committee that the desire OF
| certain interests to have the loop re-
! moved to Broadway was the origin
and handspring of the whole ordinance.
! The street railway company would not
! construct the Broadway loop, unless
| the council made certain concessions,
and the present ordinance was an ex-
ample of the concessions desired by
| the company. The proposed ordinance,
| Mr.. Oppenheim contended, superseded
the old charter and gave the street
railway company a new Broadway,
loop and even if the Broadway loop
| was a good thing, which it was not,
the concessions were entirely too great.
At this point Mr.. Oppenheim stopped
and abruptly inquired: who is the
father of this ordinance?"
There was an awkward pause. The
silence was broken only by litter
that went around the council chamber,
until somebody said. soto voce.
Tim Reardon."
mo SIR rejoined the big assembly,
man, 81 deny the paternity. 1t hasn't
any father ,.'
'"Then it can't be voted on by the
| council" exclaimed Mr.. Oppenheim,
'for the charter says all ordinances
must be introduced by some member
of the council. 1 don't know who pre-
pared the ordinance, but it is plain
| that a lawyer drew it," Qaughter).
T. D. O'Brien said that there were
some provisions Of the ordinance that
the people approved Of. One was the
section converting the Selby avenue
| cable into an electric line, and that
portion providing for an enlargement
of the transfer system. Mr.. O'Brien
also said that those whom he repre-
! sented desired to see union depot
[ loop established. He thought that,
these changes might be provided for in
| separate ordinances.
Mr.. O'Brien here quoted some sta
tistics from a New York financial
| paper, showing that the gross earn
company for the year 1896, were $685.
21S, the total operating and other ex-
penses 1895, 159, the net earnings, $1,064,-
059, and that the surplus fund on hand
at the end of the year 1896, amounted
to $299.99S after paying their fixed
| charges, including Z per cent on their
| preferred stock.
| A corporation that could make such
a showing, Mr.. O'Brien insisted, could
| scarcely demand concessions for Civ
ing the citizens of st. Paul the service
they were justified in asking for. Mr.
| O'Brien declared that neither he nor
those whom he represented intended to
| impugn the motives of any member
of the common council. While great
deal was heard of the jobbing inter
ests and the railroad interests, yet the
retail interests were greater and of
more Importance to the citizens. The