The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-20
ESSENTIAL POINTS.

form. the discussion that has been going on over the
bills pending in the Municipal Assembly for the i'm
provement of the railway terminals can be narrowed
down into three propositions. One of these has beer
thus stated: City franchises should bring suitable
compensation to the Municipal Treasury Another is
that the abolition of the bridge arbitrary would be
great benefit TO the business interests of St Louis
The third is that the proposed ordinances should
tain clause providing for the abolition of the bridge
arbitrary the suitable compensation to the Munich
pal Treasury
y great man: other things have been talked about
and written about in the Of the discussion that
has been going on over this Terminal ordinance. but
the substantial opposition their enactment has been
concentrated in the demand for recognition of the three
propositions above stated. There is nothing to be
gained therefore. in discussion of extaneous issues
and it is reasonably certain that agreement upon the
three propositions outlined would put end to the
controversy and stop the delay that is obstrucns
the Improvement of the city's railway terminals.
1t is quite interesting therefore, to that there
is already practical unity of sentiment regarding two
of these three propositions. Few people deny that the
city Should receive suitable compensation when it
grants franchise 20 private or scmipubc corpora-
ton The expression of This principle is trite that
1t practically constitutes declaration of automatic
truth 1t is a statement of very much similar kind
to say that the abolition of the bridge arbitrary
would be of great benefit 10 the city There would he
material reduction in freight rates, so nobody vii!
deny that The business interest of the city would henc
iii thereby
The real question therefore, In this discussion is not
whether III" city should receive compensation for n
valuable franchise whether it would be good thing
to get rid of the bridge arbitrary but whether the
aboon of the arbitrary should be insisted upon in
connection with the pending bills and made condi-
a itn tn,
siticn who has inteigenty and carefully con-
sidered the existing situation will insist.
1t has been publicly admitted BY the very ner-
Chants and manufacturers who have been most
earnest and persistent in the past in the endeavor TO
get relief from the bridge arbitrary that the attach
ent of an amendment 10 the evee loop bill requiring
the abolition Of the arbitrary viii he grave and peril
Gus blunder.
This was made quite plain in the discussion at the
hearing of the Joint Committee of the Municipal As
sembly on Thursday afternoon. 1t was brought out
very ponte,y in the of this discussion that
neither the Terminal Railway Association nor the
fourteen proprietary lines that constitute and control
the association have any power the bridge arhi
trary For the abolition of that arbitrary the con.
sent of The trunk lines of the country must be OBJ
talhed and that means not only the consent of such
great corporations as the Pennsylvania and New York
great trunk lines which have interest in ST Louis
and can be influenced in possible way to favorable
action by refusal TO permit the projected improve
mcnt Of the st. Louis terminals
lhe policy which makes East st. Louis the terminal
point III the making of rates to and from the Atlantic
scaboard. rather than St Louis is policy which ex-
enas TO every railway crossing the Mississippi Valley
from ST. Paul 10 New Orleans. 1t is policy which
Affects the interest of many railway companies that
have absolutely no concern in St Louis. or if they
have are concerned only TO do the they can to
divert traffic and business from this city to Chica go
and points further north Oh the Mississippi River
Consider low what it means for the Municipal As
Sembly, at the time when less than month remains
Tor the beginning of the work, say the Terminal
Association: You shall not have permission to i'm
prove the terminal facilities of this city in handling
both passengers and freight unless you bind your-
selves that the great trunk lines of the country will
axe up and reconstruct the whole basng system of |
Alternating on passenger and freight business be-
ween the East and the West, throughout the whole
ength of the Mississippi Valley, as to carry out a
eform st. Louis is demanding
The preense that such thing as this can be done
within the limited time that now remains for its ac-
ompishmen rests upon the assumption that the Ter.
nnal Railway Association is asking great and valu-
lble franchise from the city. No sane person can be
successful execution of such deal. Most intelligent
eopie know that the proposed terminal ordinance does
lot grant any great and valuable franchise On the
ontrary. the great and valuable franchise the Ter
nnai Association already has by reason of various
ordinances enacted in past years and what the pend
ng bills would give is merely right to improve the
acliltles and can hardly be called franchise at all
Il the true sense of the word
1t conveys no privilege that any other railway or
my other corporation individual could afford TO
i've single dollar for by itself alone Its value is
MY in connection with franchise and not as fran
chise Those who are DANGEROUSLY protesting that
he Terminal Association is to get great privilege for
Inadequate compensation confuse the public mind nv
discussing the character and value of the privileges
onfeTed in previous grants. referring to them as if
hey were to be derived wholly and only through the
eSislation now pending
1t is high time for the House of Delegates to take
ounsel of common sense and egislate for the public
GOD within the limits offered by the existing oppor-
unity and be sure they do prevent the great bene-
is the city would derive from the improvement of its
away terminals by foolishly following to fruitless
esns the futile schemes of vsionaries 1t is time for
ction and not for inaction.
SCHIOKOyICS AND HANNA
Government by the army is bloody success in