The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-07-23
Arrogant Position of Street
Railway Officials Is Topic
of Hour in the City-Refuse
to Acceed Wishes of Coun-
Gil and Citizens,
Public Ownership is Only Rem
+ edy.-Thousands Of. Best
! Citizens Willing to Take
Steps to Build a Proper
Street Railway System.

Inc poncy OF the street railway
company in arbitrarily refusing to
build a cross town line when demand
ed by a host. of the best citizens OF
Duluth is stirring up the wrath of all
the people. ..,~
Gradually We are beginning to learn
that 1t is time to be up and doing
something for ourselves. It has been
the policy Of the Duluth Street Raj
way ctmrany ever since Herbert War
rem has been it's manager to give to
the people only small portion of tl;a1
which they want. The record Of this
company Is that no improvement was
ever made in the system or in the SER
vice until the company got good and
ready to give it. Much is being said
just now about the money spent last
year In rebuilding the line. The COM
pany officials point to it with pride,
and when the people ask for anything
further they rebuke them by saying::
People Expect too Much.
"What do YOU want? Don't you ap-
!:preciate what we did for you last year?
Will you never be satisfied? Are you
'always going to complain? ?" And d
whole lot Of such stuff as this. The
truth Of the matter is that If the
street railway company had not re-
built its system when it did, 1t would
be worth but little more than so much
scrap iron today. The rails were old,
crooked and worn. The ties were rot
ten, and the over head system was
being supported by lot Of second
hand hay wire. Even the cars were
rickety, slow. and unsafe, and a dis
grace, to such. q progressive city as
Duluth. What ever the street car
company has done it was forced to do,
not because 1t had any unusual or
spasmodic love for the people, but be-
cause the company itself was ashamed
lof its edl,.sl y, hem times were
uiisssda llni the company. ,1psr
| It HAS row had several years to get on
| It's feet, .aild If ever any extensions in
the system are to be had they must be
rlade> now.
! Many People Denied Service.
Have. YOU, Mr.. Reader, ever thought
OF the number OF people in Duluth who
| are denied street car service; the peo-
pie who are obligd to cross town to
and from ttir work; the workingmen
at West Duluth, who live one, two and
three miles from the railway tracks,
and the people on the side hill who are
from six blocks to mile from a street
chr 1ine2 In no other city in America
would such condition of affairs be
tolerated. In most cities the street
! car companies are the progressive
spirits OF the town. They build their
| lines into unsettled communities for
| the purpose OF encouraging settle
n1ent therein. It Is not the policy Of
the Duluth company to do anything
like this. Not a singe extension has been
made in ten years except that which
was forced by the courts, and even
then 1t was done reluctantly. Not
a new car has been added to the SER
Twice, except after a strong popular de-
nland, and then only after the old cars
had become so badly demolished that
they were unfit for further use.
/ Company |. Causing Agitation.
If there is one thing that this COM
pany Is doing more than anything else
it is that of creating and forcing public
sentiment in the interest Of the NUM-
Ecipal ownership and control of the
street railway system. Already the
l.spark has been set, and not few pub
lie spirited citizens are taking the que
given by Alderman Moore at Monday
evenings meeting of the city council.
Mayor Cullum has already said that he
stood ready to join a movement for
the purpose Of duplicating the present
System. BY the terms of the Duluth
Street Railway company's franchise
the city council has little power over
the company. The: franchise was
secured from the state legislature, and