Evening journal., 1905-04-27
General Manager GrOOk
Declared That High
Taxes Might Bring
About State or MuniCi-
pal Ownership Of Rail-
ways Here

At a special meeting of the Street
and Sewer Directors held this morning.
Richard w. Crook. general manager of
the ePOples Railway Company handed
to the board a check for S3960.52, that
being the amount in full owed the de-
partment by the company for street
paving.
The departments original bill as pre-
sented TO the railway people by the
directors was in the sum of S40S5.52.
OF this amount the department de-
Quoted S125 for sand and paving at
Sixth and Clayton streets.
The settlement of the bill by the
railway company brought forth some
remarks from Mr Crook regarding the
disposition of certain material which
he claimed was the property of the
railway company and which he allgede
had been used by the directors for
WORK on the streets. The material re-
ferred to was rouble stone and sand
which was originally used on Seventh
street and which was taken up and
removed by the department when the
street was repaved with fire brick.
This Mr.. Crook said was the property
Of the railway company, it having
bought and paid for it.
NO POSITIVE STATEMENT.
Mr. Crook could not state positively
to whom the money had been paid but
Thought however that it had been paid
to Simmons & Brother.
Asked if he could produce checks
showing to whom the amount had
been paid. Mr.. Crook replied that he
could The amount involved is about
$780,
Mr.. Crook stated that his company
had always acted fair and above board
in it's transactions and only wanted
what belonged to it.
THE fact is" said Mr. Crook, that
the railway companies here are over
taxed. They are taxed on poles and
Jon roadbeds and it may not be long
before the State or city will have to
I take over all railway corporations. We
are continually paving new streets and
have already spent over 100000 for
a paving alone"
The directors were in accord that If
the railway people had been deprived
of their property that they should be
reimbursed and instructed Mr. Crook
to produce vouchers setting forth that
the payments had been made.
Secretary Christy said that the
books of the directors did not show
that the material had been paid fol
by the company and was under the
impression that it had been presented
10 it by the goodness of heart of the
department
"Fo to your company" said Mr.
Gray, tell them to produce theil
vouchers and Wen straighten matter.
out"
FRANCHISE GRANTED.
The matter of extension of the lines
of the Peoples Railway Company wai
the especial purpose for which today
meeting was called. the subject having
been carried over from the last regular
meeting.
After going over the proposition
carefully on motion of Mr.. Gray tn
resolution was adopted unanimously.
The proposed extension of the line
begins at the intersection of the cen
ter line Of Woodland avenue ant
Church lane or Nineteenth street, ant
extends along Church lane to the cen
ter of Benson street extended. and al
so beginning at the westerly side o
Delaware avenue and extending alonl
Benson street TO the southwest bound
dry of Rockford Park. In lieu of thi
franchise the railway company agree
10 surrender woodland avenue fror
Nineteenth street to Rockford Park.
STICKS SHARPENED.
The subject of laying conduits b
the eBn Telephone Company came u
Tor short discussion. Mr.. Gray state
that he believed that in the work {
relaying streets which had been open
ed by the company an inspector shoul
he appointed by the directors and pai
by the company. whose duties shoul
be to see that the earth and stones al
put back properly. There is a cor