The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-06-11
COUNCIL WORKED
ON FRANCHISE
CITY COUNCIL HELD ADJOURNED
SESSION LAST NIGHT AT WHICH
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE SUB.
MITTED AMENDMENTS TO THE
STREET CAR FRANCHISE.

The matter Of the franchise for the
street railway vas considered in full
last evening at an adjourned meeting
of the city council, and there was con-
siderable discussion resulting from the
amendments that were submitted by
the ordinance committee. "A communi-
cation was received from the Fargo
Commercial club asking the council to
pass the street railway ordinance as it
stood, and the report of the ordinance
committee last night was the result Of
h receipt of that communication.
Following is the report Of the ordi-
nance committee:
To the honorable mayor and city coun-
Gil of the city of Fargo, N. D.:
Your ordinance committee, to which
the proposed street railway franchise
was referred, report as follows:
franchise ordinance, which
was prepared by the attorney for the
street railway company in Chicago,
was introduced for the first time and
referred to your committee on May is,
1912. 1t is intended to repeal and take
the place of the present franchise ordi-
nance, known rs No. 299, which was
passed Sept. 1S, 1904, when the street
railway was constructed.
Not to city's Advantage.
Your committee immediately o
ceeded to consider this franchise and
has been working industriously since
the franchise was referred to us. we
first compared the proposed franchise
with the present franchise, and while
it is generally supposed that the only
concession asked by the street railway
company for building the Dilworth ex-
tension is an extension for thirty five
$3.50 years Of the franchise they now
have, your committee found many
points of difference between the old
franchise and the one proposed by the
company. and the language used was
greatly different. These differences
were in favor of the street railway
company. They are important and
substantial differences, and if granted
would work against the interests OF the
city and the people.
Many Conferences.
Your committee tnereupon prepared
a draft of a franchise, copying the old
ordinance No. 299, with such amend
ments as would give the street railway
company an extension of the present
franchise for twenty-five (25) years
from this date, and thus comply with
what your committee understands was
the consideration to be given by the
city for the building of the Dilworth
extension. We submitted this draft OF
the franchise to the local attorney and
managers of the street railway COM
pany and had a conference with them
and with the committee from the. com.
mercial club. The mayor and city at.
torney were present at this and Other
meetings of your committee. This con.
ference resulted in a disagreement, the
company insisting that their franchise
should be recommended by your com
mittee, with such changes as could bt
agreed upon, and we insisting that the
old franchise No. 299 should be re.
tanned, with such amendments as coulC
be agreed upon by the company ant
the city council. We have since haC
two more conferences, and the com
pany at the last meeting of the coun,
ell, June 8, submitted another fran.
chise to us, which we have considered
by the council. This franchise over
comes some Of the points o
difference, but it's language Il
radically different from the pres,
emit ordinance No. 299. This fran
chise is also hereto attached. We hav,
prepared some amendments to the oil
franchise No. 299. embodying sucl
points of difference as we could recon,
mend and which in our opinion gran
the street railway all additional pow.
ers necessary to s the successful
4 VIVA VA ~ III
and will facilitate the building OF othe
interurban lines in the future.
BY these amendments the company i
given the following additional powers
Additional Grants to Company.
]. The present franchise is extende,
for twenty-five (25)years from tn,
present time. The company asked al
extension of thirty-five (35l years, bu
operation Of the Dilworth extension
Of twenty-five (25) years, we recon
mend that Fargo pass an ordinance 70
the same length of time. The old ordi
/ nance No. 29S was for twenty GO
| years.
2.-The company is given the RICH
to carry i~nterurban freight and ex
press, provided they shall use Il
such service only their w equip
; ment, and that freight cars shall b
Of the same appearance and style a
passenger cars. This amendment wi
aid II developing future interurba,
business, as is desired by the mer
chants and commercial club.
8. The company is granted permits
sion to use other modern motiv
power, excepting steam Only cleo
! trio power can now be used and W
are informed that gasoline motors al
r now used on some roads, and espe
cially on interurban lines. In orde
to aid In developing the interurba.
! business we recommend such a
!. amendment. However, the motiv
power to be used to be modern j
! any event, and in successful us
elsewhere.
a. The company is permitted to lis
!. The bridge crossing the Red river q