The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-08
Business Mems League Urges
Passage of Ordinance as First
Presented to Council.
OPPONENTS RECEIVE HEARING.
Amendment Most Censured Is
One Prohibiting Company
From Increasing Its Rates
Except by City Law.

At the public hearing on the Terminal
Dill before the Railroad Committee Of the
House Of Delegates yesterday arguments
were advanced for the passage OF the Ill!
by the House without the amendments
adopted by the Council.
Elias Michael. chairman of the Railroad
Committee of the Business Mems League
and principal speaker for the bill, said
that he had been authorized to state that
the Terminal Association would under no
circumstance begin the work of increasing
the terminals under the restrictions placed
upon it by the hill as amended by the
Council.
The amendment which came in for the
most censure is the one prohibiting the
Terminal To increase its rates except by
city ordinance.
Many Of the speakers said. the legisa
tive body OF Il city had TO moral or legal
right 10 attempt to dictate in this matter
Mr.. Michael compared the amendment To
a property owner who would attempt 10
dictate the price at which Il grocer I"
whom he might chance To rent should sell
the articles in his store.
He also pointed out the fact that there
is no concentrated opposition to the bill as
1t was introduced in the Council the last
time, but that only here and there is
there an individual who wishes the bill
killed.
Further than this he urged that the
House defeat the amendment demanding
the payment of $4,000 year by the Ter
minal To the city. He said that the amount
represented per cent interest on an In
vestinent of S6Qo,J09, and he considered 1t
eNorbitant.
The speakers for the bill impressed
upon the committee the fact that the bill
as drawn up by the Business Mems
League is not bill of the Terminal. but
one thought TO be the best possible result
representative interests OF the: city.
Others who spoke for the bill were:
Judge Ferriss George w. Parker. +, c.
SrIaas HAIRY 3 HaYeS G a p c Ma
J. l.. Birge. Edward Dewey, William j;
Lemp. Nicholas Bell, y. d. Brown and
William Lonergan.
OF those who spoke. against the bill. T:
K. Watts was the only one that opposed
1t in its entirety. The others represent I'd
interests along the proposed route of the
some minor changes by amendments.
They were Henry r. Hall and Herman
4. Haeussler, who represented interests
on the levee: John F. Green. representing
Atlantic street property owners; Leon
Hull. who owns property on Scott avenue
and Twenty-first street. and Thomas War
rem. who presented his plans for a pavilion
and warehouse on the levee.
William Lonergan, VINO owns property
on Atlantic street, created some surprise
by declaring that he would like to see
the bill passed. He made his speech for
the bill Immediately after others who rep
resented property interests on Atlantic
street had spoken against 1t.
Chairman Wiedmer of the Railroad Com
n'ttea took all the data the speakers pre-
sented. On account of Its volume he said
that it would be almost impossible for the
committee to get through it in time to
report at to-night's meeting of the House.
but doubtless Il report would be ready by
Friday night.