The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-18

JUSIIIIGU III I
lntarily offering to make this grant of
and and the accompanying right in the
Mississippi river to the st. Paul Union
Depot company. We consider the case
one exactly analogous to the expenditures
by the general government of the large
amount which 1t annually grants for the
of the harbors of our coast
cities. 1t has been well said by one OF
the WiSest and most successful railroad
men of the age, resident in st. Paul, that
the terminal facilities of the railroads
are the harbors of internal commerce, and
are of the utmost Importance to the
and successful transaction
of business with them by the different
cities to which they run We believe
that we should be sensitive to making any
recommendation for the city to grant
lie corporation any property, privilege of
franchise without receiving full and even
abundant consideration therefor In
this instance it is our belief that such
consideration is offered by the increased
advantages accruing TO the business in
terests of the whole city in the more
economical eco and convenient handling of
the passenger and freight business.
We conclude by expressing our convic-
tlons that this question is of as much
interest to the city as to the railroads
afford to have the city refuse to make
this grant as the city can afford to make
such refusal.
e. w. Peet, Chairman.
chamber of Commerce Committee.
r. A. Kirk, Chairman
Jobbers' Union Committee.
-Edw; Vanish. Vice Chairman,
Commercial Club Committee.
IF. S. Berry, Vice Chairman.
N. W. Mfg. Assn Committee.
81 & II. Peterson. Chairman.
81. anthony PIX. Mfg. Club Com.
MR.. G. P. MOVES REMARKS.
c. p Noyes, at the conclusion Of the
report, made a few remarks of a general
nature. He said
Ihls is report of Il small committee
10 general committee AMI hy them
aoopted. In our investigations we found
tile union depot company to be public
union depot, open 10 all and any trans
portat1on companies VINO wish 70 lave
the privileges and enjoy the benefits of a
common depot IL tine 'Milnearoiis e.
81 Louis cared to so into the present
union depot, instead Of their private sta-
tion, they are at perfect liberty 10 do
SO. Ii they did run their trains into
the union depot. however, they would
meet with seI.AIls Inconvenience owning
to the cramped accommodations There
would not be the slightest opposition on
/ the part of the union depot company. but
for that reason. AS il IS al resent
any further addition To The number of
trains per day would be almost impossi-
BILE
The congestion in the little narrow neck
between the depot and the Milwaukee
freight house is something oXtraortlinary
IN fact, railroad rel say that IT IS the
most congested point in the whole United
States. There is more difficulty there
than anywhere else more trains pass
over that track, and there is more DELAY
than any other place in the country.
You are aware that nearly all trains 10
ana from Chicago must pass through
there. In the mornings and evenings.
when the passenger business is at lis
greatest, it is absolutely Impossible 20
get stock trains through to the South
st. Paul stock yards All trains from
the East to the West and the West to
the East Omaha must transfer here.
amounting last year to 50, 900 cars, I be-
lieve. The service is so obstructed hat
last year large amount of freight was
taken to Omaha as it took less time, al
though farther by many miles.
This is the natural course, and we
ought to get that business Every one
is of one opinion on that question.
The meat business at South st. Paul
amounted last year to between S130)0,00O
and $14,0000O0. Swift's plant would have
been enlarged this year, but the com
pany concluded that the delay made It
best not to mako any change. The
cramped facilities at our union depot
(
our city and its interests. The remedy
ought to be applied as soon as posi-
bic.
AT first the outlook was pretty. cloudy
when we commenced our Investigations
We found our first light when the of
f1cials of the Northern Pacific told us Of
the probable changes and improvements
to be made in their yards. They would
have been put in this year if it had not
hot
thing pointed to a crop failure. They
Showed US their plans which will enable
them to make more convenient deliveries
to their patrons and the stockmen.
This proposition, coming from the
Northern Pacific, as it does, is very in
teresting. They have plenty of room for
a depot of their own and if the union
depot is not enlarged they will certainly
build one for themselves. That would
be great misfortune to the city, which
at present is the eastern terminus of the
Western, roads and the western terminus
of the Eastern roads. 1t is very impor-
tant to the city that this state of affairs
remain, and one Of the greatest posi-
BILE obstacles to it remaining so would
be to have several depots in different
parts of the city In that case the
transfer point between Eastern roads
and Western roads would soon become
Minneapolis.
"Our committee, otter careful con-
sheraton of all facts, have come to the
conclusion that the union depot COM
pany can better afford to not enlarge their
accommodations than the city can afford
not to have them. The money consider
alton which any one would set as the
value of the land which is wanted could
not commence to amount to the gain the
city would derive
TO BE CONSIDERED NEXT WEEK.
There was some discussion as to the
best and proper way of handling the mat
ter, and it was finally decided to lay it
over until the meeting next Monday
evening at 1880 of the streets committee
of the assembly. The delegations pres
ent were invited to attend the session at
that time. The committee on streets
of the board of aldermen, who will have
the matter in hand when it is introduced
into that body, will be requested to be
present and take part in the discussion.
The union depot company the South st.
Paul stock yards and the railway COM
panies will be represented, and it IS
hoped that a final conclusion will be
agreed upon that will be equitable and
satisfactory to all.
A communication formally protesting
against the city giving up its rights was
offered by H. J. Horn. Mr. Horn in
vestigated the history of the property
and the legal status there of the city.
He doubts if the city has the right to
hand over the levee under the terms Of
the dedication through which the city
came into possession. 1t seemed a pl
to him to give up the valuable riparian
rights of the city, especially as the river
is so rapidly increasing in commercial
Importance.
A man who is accustomed to the best
wants the Gordon Hat.