The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-12
WANTS THE SWITCH TO STAY.
STREET RAILWAY REsENTs INTER-
FERENCE BY THE CITY.

Single Track Argument for
BrOughton Street Overcome by a
"DeviaffOn in the Contract" With
the City-AIderman Davis Says
There Are Several "DeviatiOns,"
and All in the Railway COmpany's
FavOr-Increased Fares to Thun-
derbOIt Talked of.
The city managed to get up enough
nerve yesterday TO force an issue with the
street railway consolidation in the matter
of paving between the tracks of switch
on Broughton street.
The work OF relaying the Broughton
street track and repaving the space be-
tween the tracks was brought to a stop
at Drayton street by order/of Alderman
Davis, chairman of the street and lane
committee, which has the supervision Of
this work. The reason for the order was
the inability of the railway officials and
the committee to come to an agreement as
to the switch between Bull and Drayton
streets. The space between the tracks is
paved with granite block while the rest of
the street is paved with asphalt. 1t is the
desire of the committee that the railway
company either remove the SWITCH leaving
a straight track, and replace the cobble-
stones with asphalt. or that if the switch
be allowed to remain. ii be torn up and
relaid with heavy rail as is being done
with the rest of the track and that the
space between the tracks be paved with
asphalt.
The railway company, of course, would
not agree to either one of these PROPOSE
tons Its idea is to let the switch remain
as a present, obstructing the street, and
use only one of the tracks of the switch
when the loop system on Broughton, Hab-
ersham and ST. Julian streets is introduced.
BY so doing the company Will save a con-
siderable bill for repaving, especially if the
new material used should be asphalt.
The company offered to take Up
one side of the switch and TO
pave between the single track,
leaving the city to repave the rest
of the space, but to this Alderman Davis
would not agree. Under the agreement be-
tween the Water Commission and the Rail-
way Company the commission is to relay
the pavement in consideration of being al
lowed to lay the new water main under the
railway track. The paving in question,
however, does not include that which
might be rendered necessary by the re-
moval of switches. The Water Commission,
however, proposes to use asphalt at the
Bull and Whitaker street crossings.
Finding that the railway company woulc
not agree TO either of the propositions
made by him, Alderman Davis brought
the work to a stop and stationed a po-
liceman al Broughton and Drayton streets
to see that no further work was done on
the road.
The result was an extended conference
a the Mayors Office between Mayor Mel
drim, Alderman Davis and Commissioner
of Public Works Wilink on one side and
Mr.. George Parsons, General Manager
Johnston and Mr.. W. w. Osborne for the
railway company. The matter was dis
cussed at some length without any agree,
ment being reached. City Attorney Adj
ans was also called into the conference.
The representatives of the railway com
pany claimed that they were not bound
by their contract with the city either to
remove the switch or to substitute as.
phalt paving between the tracks. The
general impression that all switches on
lines to be included in the new loop sys-
tenn were required to be removed by the
contract is an error, as the Broughton
street switch was allowed 10 remain in
the plan adopted by Council.
Alderman Davis, when seen by Morn
ing News reporter. said that the railway
company will not be allowed to keep the
switch as it Is at present. If ID insists
on retaining the switch he will require
that ii be torn up and renewed with heav-
Ter iron. He will insist also that asphalt
pavement be used between the tracks He
was not positive as to his authority 10 re-
quire this Alderman Davis said but he
would secure it if possible.
hlx haaS. 4 -
from the plan as adopted by Council" said
Alderman Davis, "all in favor of the rail-
way company, and when we desire de-
Walton in our favor l think the railway
company should readily comply with it, 1t
would greatly improve the appearance or
Broughton street to have the switch re-
moved and the space now covered by
blocks paved with asphalt"
General Manager. Johnston of the street
railway company. when spoken to about
the matter. said that the company desired
to retain the switch because the loop sys-
tenn might possibly prove unsatisfactory
and it might be found desirable to return
TO the system of running cars both ways
on Habersham street. Many of the mer-
chants on Broughton street, he said are
DESTROYS of having cars run both ways on
Broughton street, and the switch might
be needed If the company should decide 10
iNthAh W TINS pau L ne agreement with
the city did not include the removal Of
the switch on Broughton street, Capt
Johnston said.
When the Broughton street merchant -
got up petition to Council to require the
running of cars both ways on Broughton
street, Col. William Garrard, one of the
attorneys of the company. stated in an in
terview in the Morning News that it would
be impossible to run cars both ways on
Broughton street for the simple reason
that as the switches were required to be
removed under contract that il would be
impossible to run cars both ways on a
single track. This argument was ex-
plotted with good deal of prominence. 1t
now seems that the contract does not re-
quire the removal of the switch. and the
street railway company is so much in
pocket.
It is not known what the Several de-
vlations" in the contract with the city re-
ferred to by Alderman Davis are, but the
aldermen says they are all in favor Of
the street railway company.
The company has failed almost totally
10 comply with the ordinance recurring
street crossings to be kept in proper re-
pair, and, so far as known, no effort has
been made by the city to enforce the or
dinance.
An illustration of the manner in which
L.