The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-04
TURNED SONERSAULTS.
Aldermen Reconsider the Yarmouth
Road Matter.
POLICE PENSION BILL HUNG UP
In THE COMMITTEE.

Doings of the City Fathers Last Night
Was a Very Quiet Meeting-Committee
To BE Appointed to Confer With the
Trustees of the Walker Estate on the
Proposed Manual Training school
Offer.
The meeting of the city government
last evening was very tame In compari.
son with the previous meetings Of this
body. The order granting permission to
the Portland & Yarmouth road to cross
Tukey's bridge by the payment of $500
laid on the table.
An order was passed authorizing the
appointment of a committee consisting
of three members of she board of alder
men and five from the council to confer
with the trustees of the Walker estate in
relation to the proposed gift to the city
of manual training school.
YARMOUTH ROAD MATTER.
Mayor Randall read the communica-
ton from the Portland Railroad compa-
ny calling attention to the action of the
board of aldermen in granting terms
more favorable to the Portland & Var
mouth railroad company for crossing
Tukey's bridge, than to the Portland
Railroad company and requesting that
the Portland Railroad be granted terms
for the privilege of crossing Tukey's
bridge similar to those granted the Var
mouth road.
Mayor Randall having read the commu-
nication said that he desired to call at
tention to provision in the charter
which requires the Mayor to recommend
to the board from time to time anything
which he deemed for the best interest of
the city. Under this provision in the
charter the Mayor said he desired to ask
the board to reconsider its former action
in regard to the Yarmouth road. He
said he thought the board had discrinli-
mated in favor of the Yarmouth road and
against the Portland road and he did
not consider the terms allowed the Var
mouth road for the city's best interest.
he said the bridge cost $40, 900 in excess
of the public and as this additional ex-
penee was incurred for tine benefit of the
railroads he thought 1t only just and
right that the roads should reimburse
the city. The Mayor said that he had
been told on two different occasions by
Manager Newman of the Portland road
that the road considered the assessment
of $4,000 just and fair. He recommend
ed that the board reconsider it's former
action,
Alderman Kehoe said he would like to
hear from the representatives of the Var
mouth road who were present.
Mr. Seth L. Larrabee, the attorney for
the Yarmouth road, said that the road
had agreed with the committee at one
time to pay the city $500 year for..1O0
years and these terms were at that tim
agreed upon by the committee. The Ynr.
these terms, but were afterwards in
formed that the committee had made
different arrangements. Portland men
had first obtained a charter for the con-
struction of the Yarmouth road. The
Portland men were informed by Mr.
George A. Maoomber of Augusta that the
proposed road would not pay SO they
gave the project up WhenGthe Portland
men abandoned the enterprise some oapi.
talists in New Haven took it up, acquired
the charter and surveyed the road
In August, 1895 they applied for right
of way over Elm, Oxford, Washington
streets and Tukey's bridge. Under this
charter they had exclusive rightsato To-
cation on Tukey's bridge. A member of
this board who was then an alderman was
instrumental in having the order asking