Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-03
TROLLEY EXTENSION.
Much Depending on Outcome .
 Hearing To. Morrow.

Hearing To. Morrow.
 Some of the city officials consider the movement on the part of the Wa terbury Business Mems association with reference to the Oakville trestle question, i'll advised so far as the city is concerned, and claim that they cannot understand why such step should have been taken on the eve of the date for a hearing on the widening of the street at the Oakville bridge. 1t seems the city is willing to meet the company half way on certain things, but many take the ground that the city should bear all the burdens pro- yided the company agrees to build and operate the road. The matter was hinted at last week at the meeting of the meeting of the department of public works, but inasmuch as the hearing on the layout of the street at the disputed point was set for to-mor- row it was deemed unwise from the city's standpoint to go into the pros and cons of the subject, but it seems somebody upset their plans.
 That Oakville trestle question is a big one and if the present city fathers care to look 1t up they will find that if the trolley company has not gone .
 blame cannot be traced to the city. Af- ter good deal of sparring the com pany finally decided to try conclusions with the steam railroads in the courts to determine whether or not the abut- ments are in the highway. If this con tention could be made good the New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail- road Go would have to remove them at its own expense and then it would be easy to adjust the matter of expense between the city and the trolley com pany. The litigation was to be car ried on in the name of the city, but | win or lose, the trolley company was to pay the costs of the trial. Later on another agreement was reached where by the trolley company was to go ahead with the road on payment of fifty per cent of the total cost. Tn making up the figures they were as- sessed half the cost of new bridge over the river directly north of the bridge. When the papers were ready to be signed, Colonel Burpee, then counsel for the trolley company. 1n- 1 formed City Attorney Kellogg that the directors were not ready to sign the contract This is doubted in certain l quarters, but it ought not to be diffi- l cult to get the facts. MT Kellogg knows and it is but fair to assume that if re- 1 quested he will not hesitate about l throwing little light on the past his | tory of the case, The city attorney and the mayor were very angry at be- l ing trified with and neither could tell why the company backed out of so- l lution of the question sTvhieh at one time 1t claimed was emii1ently satlis- 1 factory. It is presumed that some body put flea in their 4ears and prompted them to adopt the policy of delay and in the end public sentiment would force the city's hand and the taxpayers would pay the piper. It is 1 a three-cornered snarl, with the city of l Waterbury, the Connecticut Rallway l and Lighting Go and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Go in the ring. It was predicted at the outset that Waterbury would some day get a solar plexus blow, and be found sprawIing outside the lbreastworks and l it looks as though the man who said so was no Wiggins. The city officials
 who dealt with that matter in the past wanted the trolley and could have
 come to terms with the company were 1 it not for outside interference which
 made the company feel that it was bad policy to pay for something that 1t
 might have free by waiting few
 months, consequently they never got together The present administration
 finds itself in a similar box and it will
 surprise nobody if the company does ] not win in the end without striking a | blow in the courts. If everybody
 would say to the trolley company what
 most of the city officials are saying to
 private property owners on West Main
 street who feel aggrieved at the award ] of benefits md damages for the open dng of the street, the Oakville trestle l imbrogIio would have been settled long
 ago and the steam and surface rail- roads would settle. The property owners are told that if they don't like the city's attitude they have redress j through the courts, while the trolley Is i patted on the back and told to present l a stiff upper lip to the powers that be and things will come it's way. The l trolley people are all right and as a rule they are willing to meet the city i half way, but they won't do this if i they can do better. Why should they? ,? Everybody likes to drive good bar gain for himself and anybody who rails at the trolley company because it
 does not pay when 1t may go free Is a strange character.
 OAKVILLE BAZAAR