Arizona republican., 1910-04-26
BUCKEYE RAILROAD
 FRANCHISE. QUESTION IFS PRoGREss BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AWAITS PENp-
 ING CONFERENCE.
West Collins Addition Annexed Overland Telephone Company
 Given Extension of Time.

The meeting of the city council last evening drew a large assemblage of ! the citizens of tie Irvine addition who
 are concerned in the application of the
 Phoenix & Buckeye Railroad company for right-Of-way along Buchanan street for a distance of two blocks in that addition. Nothing was accomp- lished finally, though an hour was de- voted to oratory in which the council. the citizens and the railroad partici- pated, resulting in the making of an appointment between the citizens and
 the railroad promoters to try and get
 together on friendly terms, at 10
 o'clock Wednesday morning in the board of trade room. Under a suspen- sion of the rules :he ordinance bring ing the West Collins addition within the city limits, was read the third time and passed, and action was taken
 in respect of some other matters. All members of the council were present except Councilman Cisney of
 rhe Fourth ward. The railroad matter
 came up first and formally by the pre- sentation of an ordinance by George
 Purdy Bullard representing the Phoe
 nix & Buckeye Railroad company.
 granting it a franchise to construct its
 line across all the streets and ave
 nues between the NJ. & P. depot and
 the west line of the corporation, in
 cluding the two blocks on Buchanan
 street, under discussion. Mir. Bullard
 made a statement reciting the history
 of the railroad project. and the desir-
 ability of construction for the benefit
 of all business interests, pointing out
 the necessity for immediate action to
 enable the company to build in time
 to save its franchise and bonus.
 Councilman Hackett of the third
 ward opposed the franchise only on
 the ground that it would in his opin-
 ion decrease the value of the property of the residents along the two blocks
 in question so they could not sell out at a proper figure nor could they re-
 main there and raise their children in safety from the passing trains. He said there were twenty-one children in the families affected, fifteen Of whom are under ten years of age. He said he wanted to see the road built. but he thought the company should buy the property or compensate the owners for damages. Numerous of the citizens assembled voiced the same sentiments. A colored man arose to say he was one of the owners of prop erty there and the railroad had offered to buy him out at a right figure. Ii was then developed that the citizens had been getting together and had submitted list of the properties and their valuation to Councilman Hackett who was asked to read it, but he re- fused, saying it was not complete.
 In the meantime the ordinance had been officially read for the firstetime and as Councilman Hackett opposed further action. the rules could not be suspended last night and the council had gone as far as il could. The cross fire of speechmaking brought out from H. NJ. Lewis who as a committeeman of the board of trade. has been work ing in the interest of the railroad, statement that if the citizens in the two blocks affected were in a frame of mind to act together and present fair proposition. either as to selling or compensating damages, he believed the railroad company would be glad to meet them half way and settle the matter out Of court as it were, for there seems to be no opposition to the franchise ordinance in any other quar- ter. The cOuncilmen sat by for time while there was more speechmaking. resulting in the appointment for a meeting between MT. Lewis and the citizens at the board of trade room Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock. Mir. I ta1 th.. aftf fn today in getting together and finding out just what they would do in the way of proposition for a clean right of-way through the property. or what they. felt they would be will ing to take and permit the right-of-