Arizona republican., 1911-09-27
RAILROAD
LEGISLATION
City Council INDUCES In Reg
UIatiOn Enforcement
ACCOUNT OF STORM WATER
Finds Out That the Guar
antees Against Political
Changes of Grades Seem
a Trifle Unsatisfactory
Accepts Land for School.
ACCOUNT OF STORM WATER

The city councilmen, in official .ses-
sion last night, talked and talked
around and about the allegation that
the Phoenix Street Railway company
had laid its tracks some part of an
inch too high in some of the blocks
of the new paved streets of the city,
but failed TO find out whether the
superintendent, Mr.. Mitchell, knew the
grade fixed by the city engineer on
which they should be laid. nor why
he had not so laid them. except that
Mr.. Mitchell said that the company
was endeavoring to do its part to
ward giving the city Of Phoenix the
best streets possible. In the end.
however, the action taken by the
council did not turn upon anything
so technical as why" Mr.. Mitchell
did not do this or did do that. but
rather on the question of the require
ments Of the city storm drainage
grades and system.
The one fact which no one dis
puted and on which all the council
men, particularly, seemed agreed, was
that the grade Of the middle Of Wash
ington street, as now fixed by the
city engineer for the new paving
work, was as high as the property
ends Of the sidewalks AS a conse-
quence, if the center were raised any
higher. as the action of the street
railway company in the laying of it's
track in some blocks already done
might make necessary. the water
would then in case Of a big flood. be
backed up over the walks into the
Easements Of the stores, being unable
to run off to the west
Councilman Warren had moved and
Councilman McDermott had seconded
a motion to require the street railway
company to root up its new track. al
ready firmly cemented and paved
down in three blocks Of Washington
street, and relay it some seven
cighths of an inch lower than it is
laid; but a perception that the town
is going to he in bad enough shape
for the state fair, and that this raise
Of seven-eighths of an inch in the
blocks from Fifth street to Second
street would not affect the drainage
matter, finally made the council lis
ten, in some quarters reluctantly, but
in all finally. to the proposition of
Councilman McElroy, to let these
three blocks of track remain at the
grade on which they have been placed
and require that all the rest Of the
track be laid on the grade required by
the city's paving specifications.
There was an alternative PROPOSE
ton talked Of for a while-to let all
the rails be laid the portion of an
inch above the city's grade which
they have been in the three blocks
mentioned above, the city to then
build up the remainder of the street.
between the two tracks, an inch high
er than now arranged for by the city
plans in the paving, but that propO-
sition was finally cast aside by the
dea that it could not he carried out
without endangeTing the storm water
lrainage system OF Washington street
Dy overflow.
on the final proposition to cOndOne
The violation by the street railroad Of
he city's grade specifications apply
ng to it on the three blocks of
street from Fifth to Sec
md street. Councilman Cisney called
Intention, subsequently, to the fact
hat he did not vote.
In a half facetious, yet half earnest
way. the councilmen then proceeded
20 ease their minds by handing Supt.
Mitchell few other complaints, such
IS that he hadn't moved the center
poles i'm certain streets, the poles for
he removal of which Mr.. Mitchell
said, were on hand, and the removal
IF which would be attended to just as
soon as he could detach a sufficient
force of worlImen from the still more
IMPORTANT work of laying new track
IN Washington street; the matter OF
lenders, which Councilman McDermott
said he had made a matter of solemn
conscience and campaign promise be-