The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-17
CITY SIMPLY
ASKS STATE TO
. PLANK ITS LINE
Status of Street Railway PROPOSE
ton Rests with Governor
and Board of Control


The status of the street railway
railway controversy between the City
Of Bismarck and the, State of North
Dakota in connection with paving be.
tween the tracks today rests on the
action which the state board Of con-
troll and the gqNeerHppr will take on
the resolution unanimously odopted
by the city commission last night
and which will be communicated to
the board today.
That the city is reluctant to order
the board to tear up its line on Main
street and on Fourth street between
Main and Thayer-a distance OF three
blocks-is shown in the proposition
submitted to the gOverOr and the
board today which modifies to an ap-
preciable degree the resolution ad-
opted week ago which was drastic
in it's demand for the removal of the
car line because the state did not
have funds to pay for it's share of
paving.
The City's UItimatum
The citys ultimatum reads. that ''if
the state will put in new ties2in the
first district placing them insconjunc.
ton with the contractor and the state
furnish the labor, the city will pay
for the laying of the paving cover
ing the space outside of the rails, the
state to plank the space between the
rails, these ties to be obtained ready
for placing within 80 days." The
same proposition as mentioned ar-
plies to the territory also covered by
district No. z except that the state
will have until August ! to get the
ties on the ground.
This proposition was submitted and
was made nthe basis and under
standing that the governor and the
board of control agree to recommend
to the next legislature an appropria-
tion to REIMBURSE the city for the
sum amounting to at least one.half of
the actual cost of the paving.
The Other Alternative
The second proposition presented
in formal language to the board and
the governor today relates that ''if
proposition No 1 does not meet with
your approval, the city co,:,mis sion
asks whether you are willing TO re-
build said car line with new ties
within the length of time set by you
(six months.) If not, ana our first
proposition does not meet with your
favorable consideration, the city cGm-
mission asks that the state remove
the rails and ties from Main street
and on Fourth street from Main to
Thayer and ask your prompt action
in order that the paving may not be
delayed" ...
The ultimatum added, I'VE would
appreciate a prompt decision"
Issue Of the messing
The street car line proposition
was the issue before the commission
meeting last night. VITA but $1,000
provided by the state. for the main.
tenance of its street car line for a
period of two years, the city faces a
peculiar situation TO pave the
street at the cost of the city and the
property owners whose property
ADULTS the paving would be- taxing
the property owners heavily in view
of the fact that the street is 40 feet
wide compared with a width OF
25 feet on the other streets. Then,
too, the rails on the car line are not
of the standard size and the state
lacks the funds to put in standard
rails which would he heavy burden
because of the price 70 steel Plank
ing the inside of the rails seemed
the only course for the commission
to pursue until the state is in pos
lCootin0o4 o Paoo ThTss)