The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-01
GREAT WESTERN
RUNS INTO A SNAG.
Must Submit RIees' Assess
ments If Granted Desired
Right Of Way.

The Great Western Railway COM
pany, which, under a scheme of in
dustrial spur tracks. has been slowly
out surely securing for itself the bust
ness that will accrue from the terri
tory on the West side extending from
the river back to the bluffs, and lying
DetWeen- State street on the east and
South Wabasha street on the west.
ran into snag yesterday.
Inc assembly committee on streets
refused to consider it's application for
a right of wa yalong the. alley from
custer street to Fillmore avenue, be-
tween Starkey and South Wabasha
streets, until the company had agreed
10 submit to local improvement as
Sessments, and also consent to pave
between its tracks where they cross
any of the streets.
AS far as paving was concerned, o.
u Briggs. who represented the COM
pany, Was more than willing to agree
TO such a condition, but the assessment
proYiso he would not accept until his
company was consulted.
This feature, which was insisted
upon by Assemblyman Arnold and
members, was in substance that the
company, in return for the right of
way agree to the imposition of any
assessments that might be taxed
against any of its property along the
right of way benefited by reason of any
local improvements.
Gentlemen, if you insist on this tax
you will simply discourage the laying
of industry tracks" said Mr.. Briggs.
industries"
You are not layging these tracks for
your health, are you ~ asked Assem-
blyman Arnold?
Mr.. Briggs did, not answer. but he
insisted that it was not fair to impose
a tax unless land was vacated.
Assemblyman Rosen limited that the
company was absorbing territory from
which the city was now securing a
revenue in the shape of taxes. and this
decided the committee. without any
further comment the ordinance was
sent to the corporation attorney to
nave paving and, assessment amend
ment added .ne
What the intentions of the company
are may be seen in, the fact that in ad-
d1tion to the ordinance now before the
assembly the company also has one
before the board of aldermen giving it
the right of way in the alley lying be-
tween Livingston, and South Robert
streets, and extending from Custer to
Fillmore. With these two ordinances
approved, the company will have pos
session of every alley running north
and south and embraced in the terri
tory bounded by State on the east.
south Wabashaa on the west, Fillmore
on the north and the bluffs on the
south. Tracks already cover Starkey
street land the, alleys in the blocks i'm
nedlilaattely east. and west of that thor
oughfare.
- The company says it is providing for
"a innmbern of Industries in course of
construction and to be built, It, says
possibly all the trackage for which a
right of way is asked will not be put
In this year, but IT wants to be ready
in case new industries are located.
The fact that the trackage practi-
cally precludes any possibility of the
Omaha or Rock Island-roads ever be-
ing able to build east or west, it was
expected, Would bring objections from
these two roads, but neither of them
was heard from. ~ -
The council is taking it's cue from
the Northern Pacific and Rock Island.
both of which agreed to submit to as
sessments for any local improvements
made in the future and from which
their property might derive benefits.