The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-02-08
Moorhead Department
ST. CAR PERMIT
BEFORE COUNCIL

NJ Eol tGN RAISED Al NEE ING
| LAST NIGHT AS TO RlGHTtoF
| CITY TO RENT PART OF BRIDGE
MATTER is PUT OVER UNTIL
! FEB. 2s.
The lease. OF the east half Of the
north bridge the Moorhead end OF the
structure, and its use by the Fargo &
Moorhead Street Ry. Co. was one of
the important matters before the city
council last night. The local aldermen
are not quite sure that they are doing
right, or have done right in the past,
in annually permitting the street rail-
| way to use that part of the north
bridge which Is under their 1urisdic-
tion and taking from thu company
| $500 a year as rental money
| For few minutes during the dis
| cussion of the matters 1t looked as
though the street railway management
would have to get busy instanter, take
| UP the rails from the east end of the
bridge and put into effect a system
of transfer from the middle of the
| structure to points over the city, but
| q truce was agreed to and there will
| be no hostilities until the matter is
settled at an adjourned meeting of the
council, Monday, Feb. g.
The matter came before the council
when G. A. Nye, attorney for the
street railway company, presented for
the company the latters application
for permit to use the Moorhead end
of the north bridge for another year
on the same conditions as before,
rental of $500 and the filing of the re-
uuired bond. Incidentally Mr.. Nye
stated that the company was still
hopeful that the United States govern
ment would allow them to build
structure of their own over the r cd
river which would come within the
limits of their resources. Congress
man Hanna and other representatives
at Washington, he said, were working
on the proposition and there were en-
couraging signs that a survey would
be ordered and permit for a bridge
issued. In the meantime the company
asked the indulgence of the council
for another year for the use of the
bridge.
Wants Full Membership.
Alderman Peterson was in favor of
granting the request made by the
company, but thought 1t should be
done by a full council Aldermen
Kiefer and Olson were absent and out
of the city,
Mayor Davy said the question had
been recently put UP to him as to
the right of the city council in grant
ing q permit to the company to use
the bridge year after year., He de-
clared there were contentious that 1t
should be done by the vote of the peo-
pie.
Mr.. Nye said that his offhand opin-
ion would be that the council in q
matter of this kind had jurisdiction
in the matter. The courts would con-
slider more the spirit Of the law and
not the strict letter Undoubtedly If
it was substantial part Of the bridge
and streets which were being
ceded for use it would undoubtedly
come under the referendum clause
of the city charter.
Signs of Hostility.
Alderman Stanford read a provision
of the city charter and commended that
under it's terms the city council had
that there had been gross neglectS
on the part OF the street railway COM
pany. The latter had not complied
with the provisions of the city charter
which say that public utility COM
panies must file annually statement
of its affairs, physical condition of
its plant and amount of gross earn
ings Evidently the matter had been
a. h.
street railway company using the
bridge but he wanted the matter ex-
ecuted properly. and was not disposed
to cause any trouble.
Alderman Stanford moved that the
whole matter be laid upon tn table and
that pending complete settlement
Of the matter no moneys as rentals
for the use of the bridge be received
from the company.
Attorney Nye The remarks which
have Just fallen reflect some hostility
and in view of that. and the fact that
the permit for the use of the bridge
has expired 1 must ask what does the
council desire the street railway COM
pany to do7 Must ii remove the
rails from the bridge and adopt
transfer system pending settlement?
1he company does not want to as
sumo any undue responsibility in the
matter.
Mayor States Position.
Mayor Davy don't think there
is any disposition on the part of the
council to cause the trolley company
any Inconvenience, but the question
as to the right or the council has been
brought to our attention. would not
like to see the cars stop or the rails
taken UP.
Regarding the filing OF annual
statements referred to by Alderman
stanford. Mr.. Nye said he had to con-
fess that not until a few hours before
! wss he aware Of such a provision in
the charter, and it must be plain to
| the aldermen that the compilation of
such a statement would take consid-
erab'e time to prepare. and to him It
was a question whether 1t was pos
sible to make such a statement on
| account of the Interstate features or
the transporting of passengers to and
1 fro over the lines of the company
And. on second thought, the provision
applied to other utility companies.
and they were sinners just as much
as the street railway company has
been.
/ During rather informal discus
sion of points which suggested Them
| selves on the matter at issue the
/ al {ra1lxy