The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-03
A PLAIN BUSINESS MATTER.

IIlS SUR railway COIIlpdny SIOulu Wi
unfairly place itself under the provisions
Of the city charter without a protest. OF
course it was to be expected that it
would proceed to show how financially
impossible it must be for it to consent
to the imposition of the gross earnings
tax. We are familiar with all those
things from of old. Probably if any
body had suggested ten or even five
years ago to the gas company that it
ought to pay a gross earnings tax it
could have proved incontestably by
figures that to do so it would have to
levy an assessment upon it's stock
holders. Nevertheless it has found it
self comfortably able to do so with
out complaint, and to grant very great
favors and concessions to the city in
addition.
The same is true of the street rail-
way company. 1t protests that 1t
would be ruined every time its assess
ment is raised by the board Of equali-
cation, but we do not hear that it de-
faults interests on it's bonds or passes
dividends on the large amount of stock
which represents nothing but profit to
the promoters. Certainly the company
would not be doing it's duty to itself
if 1t did not put up a front in an en-
deavor to escape from the existing sit
uation, and it is equally certain that
the city must stand by it's guns and
that it will win.
1t could be wished that Mr. Lowry
had satisfied himself with referring to
the excellent service that his company
is giving st. Paul in very many re-
spects without talking nonsense about
privileges claimed by him but claimed
absurdly. 1t is true, as he says, that
st. Paul and Minneapolis have one ''of
the most substantially constructed, the
finest equipped and best operated street
railways in the United States" 1t is
also true that there is no city in the
United States where the people pay
more handsomely for that convenience.
1t is, furthermore, quite proper to an
swer that the new situation created by
the rendering of Mr.. MichaePs opin-
ion should be tested in the courts.
While there appears to be no substan-
tial difference of opinion about it, but
both sides agree that Mr. Michael is
right, yet where interests so large are
involved Of course there should be
some expression of judicial opinion.
The courts are SO reasonably certain
to uphold the view already taken that
1t is sensible and practical for us to
look at the situation as if the opinion
rendered were final.
Now it is unworthy of Mr.. Lowry's
unless we are to credit It
to his admitted sense Of humor, to re-
fer to the old horse car franchise. That
is as dead as the horses with which
they used to operate it twenty years
ago. Fancy the absurdity of claiming
that some right once granted upon our
streets, but thereafter superseded by
another and different grant and then
entirely abandoned, must remain in
force and capable of resurrection for
all time to come. The thing is so pre-
posterous in common sense. as well as
in law, that Mr.. Lowry greatly weak
ems his case when he appeals to mo-
nopoly that does not exist.
The street railway company possess
es exactly what rights it has acquired
by the ordinance under which il now
operates, and has no less and no more.
1t will certainly pay the gross earnings
tax and comply with the other pro-
visions of the charter if our people
insist upon it. That they will insist
we think there is no reasonable doubt.
IL would not be exactly wholesome for
any member of the council to take
position directly or indirectly looking
=
burden that it must presently assume.
Neither do we think that the council
can be persuaded to grant to any secret
representatives Of Mr.. Lowry who are
seeking them under another name the
privileges that he wants. The public is
hardly to be fooled by so very COM
mon and transparent trick as that.
st. Paul wants nothing from the
street railway company that is not lust
and fair and in conformity with the
legal rights of both parties. Again we
say that the only thing for the city au-
thoritles to do is to stand pat, and they
will win all that they demand.
If the same determination that is av-