The Saint Paul globe., 1903-12-21
MONDAY, DEC. 21, 1908.
THAT CROSS TOWN LINE.

1t is now up to the people OF ST.
Paul to decide whether they shall
have a cross town street railway line,
or whether this needed improvement
shall be postponed indefinitely. The
time for action has come. The situa-
tfon is perfectly plain, and If our peo-
pie do not bestir themselves they may
know exactly what will happen.
The street railway company has
completed a loan of $10,00O,OOO for va
rious Improvements and projects now
in contemplation. 1t has appealed to
the city council of ST Paul and has
dazzled the eyes of some members not
open to other influences by brilliant
promises of the immense amount of
money that it is about to spend here.
Looking at the list of projected addi-
tions to it's facilities, we think that its
promises must be scaled down very
materially.
The central feature Of these is the
construction of two new interurban
lines. We see no prospect that either
will be built Immediately. As we have
said. that which is to run to Fort
Smelling must wait for the construc-
tion of bridge across the river, and
that again for congressional approval
and appropriation. 1t will be many
years before this route will become
available, unless the street railway
company should be able to persuade the
city of st. Paul to commit the colossal
folly of taking the responsibility for a
new bridge at Fort Smelling upon it.
self. The other interurban line, as
an extension of the Merriam Park sys-
tenn, is scarcely more practicable until
the question of bridges shall have been
determined
The real gain to the city from the
proposed improvements will be found
as we have pointed out before, princf-
pally in extensions of service like that
on the Rondo line, in a possible line ia
South st. Paul-although that project,
too, is very much in the air at the pres
ent time-and in the improvement CT
service and cars in certain directions.
Farther than that the company's funds
are to be spent mainly in the building
/ OF new car barns on Smelling avenue,
and spur tracks to connect these for its
own convenience with it's different
lines. If one may hazard a guess. IT
would be to the effect that about %
per cent of the $1O.OO0,0OO loan will be
spent in street railway improvements
within the limits Of st. Paul I'm the
next five years or more, and that about
25 per cent of this 25 per cent will go
into additions really affecting the COM
fort of the people and adding to the
value of the street railway service.
This is not a prospect that should
tempt to any concession regarding the
route of the cross town line. The COM
panys main purpose in It's present
plan is to disappoint public expectation
and desire in this particular. It does
this not willfully, because It takes ah-
stract pleasure in injuring St. Paul
but because it has plans of its own. T,
needs those tracks on Smelling ave-
nue., and it proposes to put them
down and call it cross town line
Everybody knows that SUCH a line
would be Of no more value to our Iocar
travel than line between White Bea,
and Bald Eagle lakes. Yet If the conn.
Gil gives assent to this plan, we shall
be told for ten years to come when we
ask for real cross town line that one
has already been built in response te
public demand. and that we must he
satisfied with that.
Once more we urge the people of 81
Paul to act. You cannot find a differ
ence of opinion anywhere on this sub.
5ect. Every citizen. if spoken to. VIII
declare that a cross town line is our