The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-05-17

Despite the fight put up by F. b.
Myers and associates and the con-
tention of the counsel for the Mesa.
ba Traction Company that the
awarding of the street railway fran
chise by the city council without
the Offering of same for bids was
legal. Mr.. Myers and Mr.. Robinson,
OF St. Paul, representing the Trac.
tion company, appeared before the
council Tuesday evening and while
failing to admit with any degree of
positiveness that an error had
been made in not calling for bids
for such franchise advised the
council that no less a legal light
than Judge Mum, of st. Paul, con-
sidered it would be wise to remove
any question of the franchise con.
forming to law by advertising same
for sale to the highest bidder.
Speaking in behalf of the Trac-
ton Company Mr.. Robinson also
advised the council that his com.
pany would in no manner consider
carrying out the terms of the fran
chise as adopted and awarded, cit
ing two important changes that
would need the attention of the
council before the franchise would
be acceptable to the interests to
which the franchise was originally
awarded.
One of these changes was the
provision in the first paragraph of
section seven, providing for hourly
service. This provlso was desired
to be stricken out in it's entirety,
while the provisions for the balance
of the section, pertaining to satis-
factory service, was to be left to the
company's decision.
Another provision meeting with
80 decided opposition by the COM
pany as to prohibit consideration
of the franchise as passed by the
council is the posting of a $4,000
cash forfeit for the performance of
certain amount of work within
specified time.
Barring these Objectionable fea.
lures of the document, Mr.. Rob-
inson stated that within two weeks
after the awarding of the franchise
by bids-with theae features re-.
moved, his company would, if sue
cessful in their bid, have men on
the ground completing permanent
survey and acquiring right-of-way.
He asserted that they were not ped
dlers of franchises but meant busi-
ness, but under no circumstances
could they accept of the franchise
as framed, adopted and published
without bid-at an expense to the
municipality.
He further, responsive to an in.
quiry by Alderman Owens, assured
the council that IN case of the Ne.
saba Traction Company being the
successful bidders Virginia would
be the starting point Of operations,
and characterized as "absolute rot"
the rurnor that his company would
grant to some towns certain rights
not granted to Virginia.
The time in which the company
may accept the franchise as grant
ed-without bids-expires on Wed.
nesday next, the 22nd, but Mr.. Myers
aeaured the council his written re-
fneal of the franchise would be fled
within the week. and the council
will therefore be free to take mp the
question of new franchise, framed
in accordance with company de-
sires, at its next regular meeting.
A query by President Kimball as
to what became of the many people
filling the city Jail and eating at
public expense. and proposition
by him to start chain gang crush.
ing rock with which to pave the
side streets, brought forth the fact
that the council, by some strange
coincidence, had with thenn repre-
e