The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-05-28
WHICH IS
THE LOWEST
Bids For the Line Over
Route No. 5.
The BIDDERS TALK
They Discuss the Most Promi-
nent Features Of the Bids
Made TO the City
Council.

SOuuCts
Mr.. A. M. McCarty, who has entered
the race for street railway franchise
over route No. s, said Friday morning
that the company which he represents
will build a line through to Akron in
case the franchise is awarded to him.
He did not divulge the individuals or
the company backing him in the pro-
ject, but confined himself to the de-
claration that the purpose in submit
ting the bid is to obtain terminal facili-
ties for bona fide inter-urban line "I
suppose" said Mr.. McCarty, that the
bid of Mr.. Welty and his colleagues
will be considered the lowest of the
lot. In looking over the newspapers
see that they offer to carry passengers
both ways for five cents. This is GER
iainly a lower rate of fare than any
other offered. There may be- however,
some hitch on the matter of transfers.
In my bid l agree to furnish transfers
on any line in the city, at whatever
cost to me, for n fare of six cents. Mr..
Welty says that he will provide his
passengers with transfers providing an
arrangement can be made with Mr..
Lynch by which he can procure them
for two and one-half cents each. There
is. therefore. an uncertainty in his bid
in this respect which does not appear
IN mine. l intend to give the bids
close examination before they are
brought to the attention of the council.
So far ! know only what l have read
and do not care to be quoted as ex-
pressing a definite opinion"
When seen by a News-Democrat re-
porter Friday. Mr.. WeIty expressed
himself as being well satisfied with the
result of the bidding. There can now
be no doubt" said he, that the bid
presented by Nj Hoover. Mr.. Kolp and
myself is lower than any of the others.
We practically offer two and half
cent fare by charging five cents for a
round trip. 1t ir very seldom that pas
sengers who use street railway ride
only in one direction. We will also
give the people the benefit of transfer
arrangement providing Mr.. Lynch will
agree on what we consider a very fair
price; that is two and half cents for
each passenger. We propose to carry
uii Sity ohuSiaisi pOiiCchch anu
free of charge. We further propose TO
carry passengers to the cemeteries for
five cents for the round trip.
81 notice that Mr.. Whiting still holds
to his opinion that the section in the
ordinance relating to the filing of the
deeds for property on Oxford street is
illegal. 1t was his former contention
that the illegality of the section rested
in the fact that no two persons could
hold the same deeds to the same prop
erty. For this reason he declared that
the ordinance as published precluded
all bidders except the Canton Akron
company which held the deeds on the
property. The bids which were re-
ceived yesterday proves this fallacy.
All of the bids. with the exception of
Mr.. Writings contain quit claim
DEEDS FOR ALL THE LAND
necessary to the opening of Oxford
street. These deeds are not made TO
the bidders but to the city of Canton.
There may be a hundred deeds secured
on the same piece of property as long
as it is decided to the same individual
or corporation. These are not war;
ranty deeds but are made conditional
upon the granting of the franchise.
The opening of Oxford street is con-
sideration of this franchise. 1t will
cost any of the competing bidders from
$4,000 to $4,000 to open this street.
This is the price which the city de-
mands for the franchise. and that is
the reason that the holding of these
deeds is made part of the ordinance.
Without the inducement of railroad
it is very doubtful whether the owners
of the property along Oxford street
would be willing to sell. They are all
anxious to see road built and for this
reason are willing to dispose of their
land at reasonable price. This being
the case the council can not afford to
grant the franchise to bidder who has
not complied with this very essential
feature of the ordinance. This might
defeat the very purpose for which the
route was established on Oxford street
and leave the city without any return
for the gift of the franchise"