Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-07-09
THREE.HOUR HEARING ON
CHANGE OF ST. RY. TRACKS.
Aldermen Postpone Action Until Next Mon
day--General Manager lvers Explains
Cost and Opposes Changes Ask
ed for by the Petitioners.

the street was macadamized | think
the railroad should be given the grade
and the road built up To ii"
Charles r. Written testified that
he was in favor Of moving the track
to the center OF the avenue. 1t would
| give a wider street and would better
the property on the street
| r. Burt Stevenson, agent of the Ed
wards Mill, believed that the change
| of the track to the center of the road
would do great deal of good He
said that ears came down over Wes-
tern avenue at high rate of speed
and that in driving to and from his
stable he found the danger great
Atty. Heath asked Mr. Stevenson, as
the representative of a company pay
ing one-sixth of the tax of the city,
| if ne had any idea how the amount
should be apportioned.
The witness said that he had not but
Mr.. Heath persisted: What do you
| think fair"
That's a matter fer the city eoun-
ell and the railroad commissioners to
decide. l do not feel competent to
pass upon it,
Mr.. Milliken. recalled by Atty. Ma
| her. referred to q fatality on Western
avenue in which man had been
/ killed in turning onto Cushman street,
| which lie said would not have hap
| pened had the track been in the CEN
ter of the street.
Ivers Estimates Cost.
| General Manager Ivers, called by
Atty. Heath, testified that the cost of
/ -
street would be SlS43 on the basis of
!, 1000 feet of track to be changed This
figured all possible expense except
the removal of wires or poles. The
/ track would have TO be put in front
of several houses He could see no
| benefit to the railroad from the
| change. Manager Ivers thought there
was some motive besides the safety of
school children in the change asked,
/ for he recalled that the city had given
the Street Railway a location in front
| of a schoolhouse on Bangor street.
Atty Heath reminded Mr. Ivers that
! it was not the city but the people
under petition that had required this
| change of location.
! Manager Ivers stated that the cost
| of the construction on Western ave-
! nue. would be s2961. That change was
| of-no advantage 10 the company eth
err 1t was a great deal more dan
| gerous to have the track in the cen
ter of the street. Now the track was
out of the way of teams and auto
| mobiles.
Atty. Maher brought the hearing
back to The Hospital street petition by
| asking Manager Ivers where he got
| the 1900 feet he had mentioned as the
| distance the track was to be moved.
From the city engineer" replied
| Mr.. Ivers
4 made it 50 feet more" added Mr..
| Billings
| Manager Ivers went on to say that
| in taking the track to the center of the
street the only advantage was to the
| abNting owners. 1t would destroy a
splendid boulevard.
| Cost Figures Questioned.
Engineer Billings then explained in
| detail the cost OF construction. His
figures were sharply questioned by At
| torney Maher and Mayor Moves. The
mayor thought that 81 a yard was too
much to ask for the removal of dirt.
He believed that it could be done for
| so cents yard.
Attorney Heath explained the two
different laws under which locations
| We're granted on Hospital street ana
IsWestern avenue on Hospital street
the use of joint poles could be COM
pelled on Western avenue it could
not.
Attorney Maher asked Manager Iyers
If aonctrttefifp N the pitN aonId NOT ba
made for SIT 900 a mile.
lit would he nearer $4,000 n mile
for the double track on Congress
street: single track would cost $50,
600: not less than $4,000 a mile for dirt
of macadanl.
The matter of the construction on
Water street, Augusta, was next taken
up and Mr.. Ivers said that.it probably
cost $4,000 or $1,000
.'Then YOU mean that Congress street
has got 100000 a mile better track
than Augusta has?" asked Attorney
Maher
1T has 10 times more traffic"
How soon will the track on Water
street have to be rebuilt?"
Not before u years.
ExAlderman -Gannett in Opposition.
x-AldeIman Guy p Gannett spoke.
as a taxpayer of the city, against the
proposed change on Western avenue.
He argued that the change would make
a dangerous situation for teams and
that the city could we'll find better
ways to use its money for street i'm
provement than to try to make the
street railway move its tracks on
Western avenue. He believed that the
track on Hospital street should be
moved for the benefit of the school
children but only for as short a dis
lance as possible. EIe was opposed to
the present double track on Water
street on the question of safety.
Closing Arguments.
Atty. Heath in his closing argument
cited the law under which the petitions
We're drawn. which provided for a