The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-17
DISCUSSED
PRO AND CON
South EmpOria Avenue People
Before Council Committee.
ABOUT STREET CAR LINE
COmmitte Gave Both Sides a
Chance to Talk.
ABOUT STREET CAR LINE


THE committee viii consider the peti
tons and The points made by the speaker
here today and at the next council meet
ing report whether a franchise should b.
granted the street railway company for
line on South Emporia avenue" Thus
ended the hearing given the property
owners and residents on South Emporis
avenue by the committee Of the council
several weeks ago franchise was pre-
scented TO the council by the railroad
company. asking for a franchise on South
Emporia avenue and it was referred to
the franchise and license committee OF
the council, and at that time Chairman
Schell OF that committee promised that
hearing would be given the people and
see if they wanted the line built, and
that was what happened yesterday:
About fifty men and two women made
up the crowd in the council chamber.
For two hours five or six men who own
property or represent the owners dis
cussed the proposition and, as far as the
arguments were concerned, the people
who want the road built on that street
seem to be in the majority.
More Of the petitioners spoke than of
those who signed the remonstrance. and
It would seem that it was more a matter
OF principle than Of material damage
that the demonstrators were fighting for.
Il do not know that the street railway
company would do me any damage as far
as money goes, said p V healy but
here comes that street railway company
and gets franchise covering all but five
of the 331 streets and avenues Of this city.
and here they come and want one Of
those streets that are now exempt They
have a franchise on South Topeka ave
nue., and the people on Emporia have
built their homes when they knew that
there was not To be a street car line on
that street, and they do not want the line
there Why does this company want this
street that has always been exempt
when they have franchise on a street
one block west Tt is that principle that
were fighting for"
The matter was opened by Kos Harris.
who is the attorney for the railway com
pany. He stated that when a street car
line was built on North Topeka avenue
the price OF property was doubled. even
with the poorest street car line in the
country
a Z. Rudd, who owns $50 feet of ground
on South Emporia, was the next man on
the lCor. He stated that he had made
study Of the question being considered.
and that his houses in the eighth block
on South Emporia were better built and
in better condition than some Of the
houses on North Emporia and North To-
peka- out that his houses rented at So.
so and S25 per month. while the houses
on North Topeka and North Emporia
rented at from $50 to $40 per month. and
this was all on account Of the street rail
way being near or on the street
Mr.. Earl Y. Blake represented some of
the property owners who wanted the
street car line. He had been informed
that there were something like eighty
five property owners who wanted the line
built on Emporia while about forty-five
had signed the remonstrance. The in
terests Of the people on the street were
identical and in his opinion the line
should be built. as almost double the
number Of peopel wanted the line
S. 3. Amidon represented a number of
the property owners who demonstrated
against the building of the lire. He made
an eloquent appeal to the committee not
10 grant the franchise, and based his ar
guments on the point that only the resi-
dents of that street who owned their
property should be considered. He stated
that in the petitions presented there was
large number Of people on Topeka and
fremont avenues who had signed the Pc
titions. while the remonstrance con-
tanned only the names of people who
owned property on Enporia- and that ac-
counted for the list being so small.
There is now pending in this council
the proposition to allow the Orient rail-
way 70 build a line on fremont avenue
said Mr.. Amidon, "and here comes this
monster railway company wanting to
building line on Emporia avenue. We
az know that such a course would com
pletely destroy the value Of all property
between these streets No one wants to
live on a street with railway and trains
running UP and down all the time. neither
DO rhey want TO have a street car line 10
destroy all the pleasure they might have
from driving on that street The South
Emporia avenue residents have bunded
their homes when they knew there was
no franchise for car line on thar street.
and they do not want their property di-
minished in value for the good OF some
other street.
Tom Noss has signed a petition for a
car line on South Topeka. on which street
h. lives IT want car line near me
II II can be built on Topeka avenue let
Il be 50 have signed q petition TO that
effect and am willing TO stand 10y that
petition il the car lire viii only come
but the company has informed me that
they viii not build on Topeka avenue
and want "a line near me and they viii
build OF Enporia.
DIT Hornor. who lives In the tenth
block on South Emporia made the strong
est argument for the hundiag of the line
''Nhen railroads buiid IIne thrcueb the
country thev have committee, svso ao-
praise the land ~ the farmer. ana he Is
compelled To accept The price these men
decide on" said the doctor. This cas-.
IS similar The farmer is compelled To
accept the price Named because it Is done
Tor the benefit Of the public This city
condemns streets for a street car line
simply because it is public benefit and
n Improvement ana makes property on
that street and near II Increase in value
many fold. The building Of this line
simply shows the difference between this
city and Derby. one Is advancing. i'm +
proving and is aggressive. whsle the orher
stands still and will remain 50 untn
deems day We must have that railroad
or the southeast part OF the city can
not advance as the other parts have II /