The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-05-24
Company and Council in Clash Which
May Result in Abandonment
Of the Electric
System.

FORT MADISON. Iowa, May IA
The city council met last night and
rejected all the bids for work on the
seven blocks of proposed street paw
ing. The decision was made after
the councilmen had gore into execu-
tive session and had taken the matter
up as committee of the whole. The
action constitutes a temporary yield
ing to the quest Of the city street
railway company.
Fort Madison is facing a situation
which promises to leave her without a
street railway. The Fort Madison
Street Railway company threatens to
tear up their tracks and quit the busi-
ness II resolution now before the
city council goes through. The reso-
luton calls for brick pavement Of
seven blocks of Front street and
states that the expense of making the
Improvement between the rails of the
street car track shall be borne by the
railway company. They, in turn, are
objecting strenuously to the proposed
assessment and declare they will
throw UP the franchise before they
will submit to the assessment.
The subject is becoming a popular
one. Citizens are taking sides in the
discussion because indications point
to either a loss of the railway or
cessation OF the city improvements
The bulk of the railway stock is
owned by one or two individuals and
one of these. D. A. Morrison, has
been quoted as stating that the road
could not profitably make the desired
expenditure. 1t is claimed that the
company is not a very paying institu-
tion just at the present time and they
are unable to see their way clear to
paying the amount called for.
The railway company owns about
three miles of track in the city, com
prising the only system. The nature
of the city, being scattered out over
SO much territory as it is, makes the
greatest need Of a street car system
of some sort. The location of the
Santa Fe shop on the western edge
of the city makes 1t necessary for the
employees to make daily use of the
cars and is another reason for the
continuance and naturally the line
has the effect Of bringing the trade
from the outskirts Of the city.
On the other hand 1t is argued
That the condition OF the road ac-
counts for the non-profitable business,
that improvements Incident to tle
proposed assessment and If extended
to the road itself would put the con-
cern back on a paying basis; that in.
adequacy to provide for large trade
when It is offered accounts greatly for
the loss. Also that the Santa Fe has
been in the habit OF providing suitable
conveyance for It's employees and once
ran one-coach special for its work
men to and from the shops AS far
as the centralizing OF trade is concern
ed the West End merchants would be
quite willing to see 1t more equally
divided.
So the situation stands. The Com.
mercial club recently held meeting
10 try to patch up a solution but OF
course had no power to take definite
action.
Similar improvements in another
part OF the city some years ago were
temporarily objected to but the mat
Ter never became SO strained as II
now is for 1T has been stated from
good source that the employees have
been told to be on the lookout for
other Jobs and expect discharge al
any moment