The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-08-31
STATE UTILITY
BOARD ASKED TO
.WljELCH FRISCO
City Wants Franchise Com
pIiance-Maj. Houck TO
Appear To-day.
NEW ROAD MUST HAVE
STATES CERTIFICATE
Houck Also Will Ask $1,50O,00O
Bonds be Guaranteed by
Railroad.

Steps to force the Frisco through the
Missouri Public Service Commission,
70 maintain its franchise contract with
the City of Cape Girardeau, will be
taken today in Jefferson City when the
reorganizers of the road appear before
The commission for certificate that
will grant them the right to do bust
ness in the state.
At this hearing unsecured creditors
of the road will appeal to the commits
sion to order their claims secured or
guaranteed by the new road, before the
desired certificate is issued The City
of Cape Girardeau will appear as such
an unsecured creditor and ask def
linitiOn Of the city's rights together
with guarantee that they will be
maintained.
The city will be represented by Ma
jor Giboney Houck, who will also ap-
pear before the commission to ask that
bonds of the C. G. & N. Railroad, which
the Houcks hold, be guaranteed by the
Frisco according to that railroads con-
tract, before the new road is allowed
to go ahead with its plans.
/ Major Houck received a dispatch
yesterday advising him that the hear
| ing for the Frisco will be held today,
| and he departed yesterday afternoon
for Jefferson City to attend the hear
| ing.
The reorganizers of the Frisco carly
this week obtained their charter from
the secretary of state and the next
step was to obtain their certificate of
Inconvenience and Necessity" dOcu-
ment issued to all railroads by the
Public Service Commission.
In gaining that certificate, the road
must prove that it is prepared and
capable of doing business in the state.
After that would be procured the road
would be prepared to go before Judge
Sanborn and have the recent sale of
the road approved by the court.
Major Houck recently was in Jeffcr-
son City and he made arrangements to
be notified when the hearing for the
road would be held on the certificate.
He got his wire yesterday morning
and informed City Counsellor Knehans
of the impending action.
Before plans for the city's action
could be concluded, Major Houck was
forced to depart on the afternoon
train. At a conference with Mayor
Rage, Knehans was ordered to go the
limit in the fight for recognition from
the new Frisco.
He thereupon filed a wire last night
setting forth the Cape's case and ask
ing Major Houck to represent the city
before the commission. Knehans was
unable to 90 to Jefferson City for the
reason that he is working in tic Cape
on his case before Judge SanbOrn to
be taken up next Tuesday in st. Louis.
His wire to Houck was as follows:
Gust learned that new organization
Frisco Railroad would apply for GER
tifcate of convenience and necessity to-
morrow. Because old Frisco Railroad
Company did not comply with our
franchise No. 935, and because parties
interested in pending matter resisted
application of City of Cape Girardeau
to have new company perform the OBJ
legations of the railroad company I'M
der such franchise, the certificates Of
should be denied, unless
new corporation will adopt and per-
form the obligations assumed by the
Frisco Railroad under such franchise.
"You are authorized to represent me
as city Counsellor of Cape Girardcau
before Public Service Commission and
apprise commission of conditions here.
If hearing can be set after Wedne5-
day, city would like to be heard.
United States Circuit Jugde Sanborn
in September, 1913, ordered receivers
IF Frisco to adopt and perform, during
'eceivership, the obligations assumed
~ Frisco Railroad under franchise
number 935.
oscar A. Knehans,
"City Counsellor"
Major Houck will endeavor to have
he commission hold up the Frisco's
certificate and set a date for a hear