El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-25
DO
NOT FAVOR
BONUS
AL Agree That Interurban
Would Be a Fine Thing
and Would Help FL Paso.
MANY THINK THE
100000 is TOO MUCH

do YOU favor giving the Stone Web
ster company $4,000 10 build the In
terurban Hne2
Under the circumstances. what DO
you think Of the proposition OF the
company in asking $4,000 for con-
struCting the line2"
These questions. asked OF 50 or more
business men, men who are not direct
: " interested in the valley line pro
jecL brought out the pertinent fact
that but four Of the entire number IA
vCred the giving Of the bonus while
the expressions Of opinion against the
bonus proposition were strong and In
a number of instances to the point
Many held that the Stone Webster
company was morally oil gated 10
build the line in exchange for all the
1GvOrs which had been granted the
company by Ell PasO, including the
franchise and the bonuses given that
company for the construction Of lines
away from the business district
For business, political and other rea-
sens, a aJOrity Of the business men
preferred that they not be quoted for
publication on the questions put TO
them, although they consented to dis
cuss it freely with the assurance that
their opinions were wanted in order to
get q consensus Of public opinion re-
gardlng the project which has been
or vital interest TO the city since the
project Of the valley line was first
Practically the same basic reason
was advanced in each instance when
the answer to the first question was
AL ---E -AEeeL e. MS reason was star
Cd simply, that the stone Webster
company is not in need Of such a bonus
IN order to construct the road.
No Right to Ask Bonus.
Belng corporation which has
abundant means with which to con
strucr the valley road IL has no right
70 request that the citizens OF Ell Paso
sAoulu put up $bUsuUO TO build the line
Tor It, many Of the business men said
another point made BY a majority OF
the men seen was that while the prop
In
were directly interested in the line
might get together and raise any bonus
the company might ask, they had no
right 10 ask the citizens in general to
subscribe to q project which would be
Of direct benefit TO these land owners
only and OF only the most indirect ben
SLlI 20 the mass OF people in FL PasO-
One business man expressed it with an
example II you viii build me q house.
1 viii live in it, he said While this is
not taken as fair statement Of the
case 1C IS Indicative OF the feeling ex-
pressed by many against the bonus.
Agree II Is a Good Thing.
II was held BY the men answering
Jne question IN the negative that while
The tnterurban project was a splendid
tnlng IN Itself, II should be built BY
the company which would reap the
line With a rightOfWay worth many
thousands OF dollars offered them free
and a small bonus TO be offered by the
men directly interested in the building
or the line because OF the Increase in
value Of their lands. the Stone Web
ster company should be satisfied. the
business men say, and should not ask
the citizens In general to put up their
GOOD money to build them line down
the valley.
Suggests Home Company.
The proposition OF forming a stock
company and letting the citizens sub
ScEloe 70 stock with which to build an
Independent line down the valley, was
suggested Dy q number who were asked
regarding their view OF the project
such a company could be Organfzed
the stock subscribed the line built and
company IS asking as a bonus one
merchant said. Then the line would
De owned and controlled BY local capf-
tai and would be paying dividends IN A
short time II not from the ffrst dav II
was operated.
One business man advocated the
granting OF a street car franchise for
the city streets as an inducement to
some other company TO come into the
Held and build the interurban line Of
those who answered the question IN the
affirmative, one man qualified his an
SWer BY saying that while he did nor
believe the bonus was the right thing
yet rather than not have the line he
would De willing TO subscribe to the
bonus fund another man favored ft
because he frankly admitted that he
mad land In the valley below Ysrera
ana hoped that IL would be extended to
No class Of men were selected for
ne test but those who are seen daily
by the reporters on The FL Paso Her
AID staff In making their daily rounds
None Of the active promoters Of the
line were questioned. as their position
regarding the project Is well known
rom their public expressions and their
Efforts in favor OF the valley road
Some OF the Expressions.
4 rev OF those VINO did not object to
being counted on the subject Expressed
their views as follows
J. H. Nations: 7 am for it but I do
not want Il TO stop there. Let them
build the line to Tsleta and then -
Town the valley and we will raise a
}enus in the lower valley to assist
L E Gillette: It do not favor that
much bonus being given the Stone
~ eDSter company. I am in favor OF a
mail bonus, but $4,000 is too much
me company wants the people to build
S enough
B. Blumenthal- Let the street car
ompany take a chance the same as
ia when came here. 1t wants \ s11re
hing down the valley. for the bonus
VII guarantee 1t against any loss. 10
ne guaranteed me that T would NOT
ose W1en 1 went into business here
M DO not believe a big cOmpanv
Ike this one should have such a guar
T. J. HALL Il believe -sucb. a line v-,l7
e paving proposition from the stat
no 1 90 not believe the people should
e taxed SO much for such things"
H. l. Ems instead OF giving fha
tone webster company $50 600. let he
raise this amount and with
ne cheap power which we wifi ba-o
ton with the completion OF the deD,
Re can equip and build such a line ana
Olders."
Van c, Wilson. The bonus win ba
good thing for the company
F. Moye; 'The company mas rnf11fo-.
ven u IN the form Of the franchise
II Paso. With this franchise r-iveT
free, j DO not believe that it Should
SIX one cent as bonus FOR bufiSfD~
re me am opposed to 1t and 7 foIS
e clearlng house so when tie MAJ
r was being considered %
A. p. Coles. aAs do nor +t,s.r- -,
VIII be possible to set the iDfe-1,-Jr---aLL
ltho9J bonus, FL PasO sboui5 49,
e Sov.oO0 asked for by the S+oSe
S S-ier5 ~ Feyton J. Edwards: "A pras+
ing LOT FL PasO and the cor10,4S,,tS+-,---
III ought 20 be built whether re 49,
e put up the bonus or not II -SS-S-
ing people from the country to +oS-e
40 ---s--- uot otherwise come IL wiz
Continued on Next Psge1