The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-02-22
Knehans Sends Railroad
Tribune Editroia!, Showing
Sentiment of People.
COUNSELOR AND MAYOR
OUTLINE FIGHT PLANS
Prosecutor Will File Suit Daily
Against RailrOad-Shops
Are Closed.

Following the announcement tha
the Frisco had closed its machin
shops in the Cape and had dismisse,
virtually all of its employees, Cit
Counselor Oscar A. Knehans yester
day wrote to w. F. Evans, the genera
solicitor of the Frisco, calling his at
tention to the fact that the F'risc,
had violated its franchise with thi
city. and declared that Cape Girardeal
would file suit against the company
Mr. Knehans also sent an editorial tax
en- from The Tribune az representing
the sentiment of the people. The edi
torial follows:
"The City Council is entitled to
commendation, even for its belated
decision to resent the Frisco Rail-
roads conduct toward this city. The
officials Of that road seem to be un-
willing to live up to any clause Of
its franchise.
ats promises to build a new sta
ton have not been kept. It's assur-
ances that the people of this city
would get a 60-cent coal rate have
been contemptuously violated. It's
equipment is second-class and its
service is abominable.
Cape Girardeau has been lenient
to the point of stupidity with the
Frisco. This city he's acrented every
afront without protest, hoping that
each offense would be the last. But
it has only invited fresh violations.
at now adds Insult TO injury by
removing what secondhand machin-
cry it has left in this city to an
other point, and reducing its force
of employees to the minimum.
'1f Cape Girardeau's franchise is
worth the paper it was writteni on,
it is worth enforcing, and if it isn't
worth anything, we may just as we'll
reach this conclusion now.
Either the Frisco should keep its
agreement with the people here, or
it ought to be denied the privilege
of running into this city. The FriS-
co has throttled the town. 1t has
enjoyed a monopoly and at the same
time rendered service Nat ,wou I
bring a protest from 4 fishing re-
sort.
"Its franchise with the city pro-
vides a penalty for each violation.
If Cape Girardeau had enforced the
penalty clause TO the limit, the total
fines would now equal the aggre-
gate value of the railroad. Cape
Girardeau is not entitled to SYM
pathy. 1t deserves condemnation"
In 1911 an ordinance was passed
fixing an agreement between the Frls'
co and the city by which the former
would erect q new passenger depot and
that the work would begin three years
after the passing of this ordinance
The building was to be completed al
least five years after the passage OF
the ordinance. Nothing has been done
so far by the railroad toward COM
plying with this ordinance other than
tbe announcement that work would
eventually be begun.
Another agreement violated by the
Frisco is the 60-cent rate on coal. The
railroad has charged an additional Il
cents, making a total of IS cents {
ton.
Mayor Kage announced yesterday
that unless the Frisco agreed to return
the machinery removed from the Cape
Girardeau shops and put the machin,
lists back to work, the city would file
suit against the railroad on a charge
OF trespassing.
81 want you to bring a new suit
every day." the Mayor told City Coun'
selor Knehans. "The Frisco is going
to live up to its contract or the city
will declare it an outlaw and sue il
every day it operates in this city"
The Terminal Railroad few year;
ago violated its franchise with the city
of St. Louis and the city attorney, a
the request Of the Mayor, filed a new
suit against the Terminal each day
charging the railroad with trespassing
The city collected Judgment in each