The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-22
ALDERMEN AFTER
TROLLEY COMPANY
Seek to increase Como. Harriet
Without Disturbing Com
promise

The sphinx like silence and pleasant
smile vouchsafed by NJ. d. Mum. at
torney for the st. Paul City railway
company, to the assemblymefI who in
nocently inquired of him whether the
company admitted the right of the
common council to increase the street
car service on any line when-the COM
promise was adopted is all~too well
remembered by certain members of the
council in view of recent developments.
A resolution passed both bodies of
the common council two Weeks ago
making it imperative for the street
railway company to increase the serv-
ice on the st. Paul end of fhe Como
interurban line so that cars MOULD run
in each direction every seven minutes
both morning and evening. The serv-
ice has not as yet been increased, and,
like Banquo's ghost, the smile and nom
committal manner of Mr.. Mum rises
up and confropts the councils iaaen with
the intangibleness of their position.
Aid. BantZ, through whose ward the
line runs, is not disposed, Ito stand
quietly by and permit the company to
f1agrantly defy the authority of the
city council, yet neither he nor the
corporation attorney have suggested
any legal steps compelling the COM
pany to obey the mandate.
If the company persists in its course
of refusing to recognize the right of the
common council to order better service
the council viii be compelled, through
the corporation attorney, to bring some
sort of action seeking to force the
street railway company to recognize its
rights.
May Test Compromise
If the courts have to be resorted to
in order to test the validity of the or
dinance it has been pertinently sug-
gested that the entire fight between
the city and the street railway COM
pany might as we'll enter the -contro-
versy, and that the legality of the COM
promise be also tested.
The tones used by the coIncilmen
and the corporation attorney imme-
diately after the settlement or March
/ had been effected has changed on the
part of certain aldermen to a deepen
ing series of growls which threaten to
again bring to the front the compro-
mise resolution.
The common council does not like
to confess itself beaten at this time.
The members do not contemplate with
pleasure a grapple with Mr.. Lowry on
the question of their right to increase
SdT SStNlCt. % 10 ~, lnQlCdlCd ny
certain members, would be to confess
to the people that they are negligent In
not Incorporating such clause in the
compromise. ~i-e- r-s.'
In searching around for some weapon
effective enough to bring the company
to terms without the necessity of a
legal battle, certain aldermen have I'M
dertaken to investigate just how far
police surveillance over street cars can
| be spread. In other words; r'they- are
| trying to ascertain whether the health
and safety of the people would be suffi-
Gent warrant for the city council 10
pass an ordinance requiring the street
railway company to permit no more
people on car than there are seats to
accommodate. If such an ordinance
would be legal, 1t is believed, that a
club would be placed in the hands OF
the city fathers that would be a guar
| anty of future subserviency on the
part of the company.
Whether an ordinance of this nature
will actually be introduced, or wheth-
er its proposal is but a step toward
another compromise, cannot be deter
mined at this time. Certain Ii is, ac-
cording to Aid. Bantz and Hackney
that the company will increase the
service on the Como interurban line or
| drastic action will be demanded of the
legal department of the city.