Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-03-19
RATES
AND CAR TRACKS
AND OTHER QUESTIONS CON-
FRONT COUNCIL.
Objection to kinI of Rails Used by
Street Car Company on Elizabeth
Street-Matter Referred to Com
mittee on Streets and Bridges.

Very few startling feature
claimed the attention of the Cit,
Council yesterday evening. The most
important features were:
The announcement by Mayor
Kowalski that the fire insur-
ance rates had been raised from
80 10 n cents.
The discussion as to whether
or not the citizens should be
assessed eight per cent interest
on deferred payments of their
one-third of the paving.
The discussion as to whether
or not the street car company
would be permitted to use the
heavy railroad rails or forced
to use the grooved street ear
rails.
The folly of establishing
precedent by giving the city
poor as decent a burial as the
county poor receive.
The calling of the attention
of the council by G. p. Dancy
to the fact that the last session
of the legislature made it un-
lawful for those holding posi-
tions of profit or trust to Of
ficiate as election officials.
AS chairman of the street anG
bridge committee Alderman Cobolini
told the council that z. G.. Forto had
told him that he would replace yard
for yard all the dirt used in fixing
the retaining wall on Levee street
and asked that the committee be EN-
powered 10 accept this offer. Alder
man Thorn moved that the ma tel
be left with the committee. The
motion was seconded by Mr.. Black
shear, and unanimously carried.
Street Car Tracks.
Alderman Cobolini said his atten-
tion had been called to the kind oi
rails being used in the construction
of the street car tracks. He sait
the heavy railroad rails used would
be bad TO pave against. A result OF
their use would be the wearing OF
grooves in the pavement These
would be dangerous to vehicles. and
would become filled with accumula-
tions Of dirt. He then read from
the ordinance the regulations as tC
weight Of rails and the protection
of the tracks with six-inch planks
in certain parts Of the city.
The mayor then asked G. w. Win
stedt, who was present, TO give the
council his opinion. Mr. Winstedt
responded, stating that he was moi
in any way interested, except as a
citizen; that he had first last Sat
urday been down on Elizabeth
street, where the two blocks of rails
were laid: that he was very much
surprised to see heavy steam railroad
rails being laid, instead Of a street
ear rail. He always had been under
the impression that the franchise
was for modern car line with
grooved Trails. He further called
the councils attention TO the fact
that the city had demanded from
Mr.. Stegman such a modern rail, al
the time the city had the matter OF
a street car franchise up with Mr.
Stegman. Also, that the franchise
applied for by Mr. De Bruen offered
a grooved steel rail.
He stated that he had looked uI
the present franchise and was sur
prised to find that the grooved Trail
as required in the Stegmafh and
De Bruin franchise - was
not explicitly set forth. Yet, on tbs
other hand, there was nothing il
the Robertson franchise by which
the grantee could force an ordinary
railroad rail on the city. Mr.. Win
stedt pointed out that, even if th'
city council had overlooked thi:
vital point in accepting and grant
ing the franchise as prepares b.
Messrs Rentfro and Cole, attorney
for the grantee, il was not too late
to remedy the matter, as article
seven of the franchise distinctl
binds the grantee, his successors, o.
assigns, to comply with any ordi
nance relating to. not only the op
Grafton or maintenance, but also th'