Arizona republican., 1917-02-02
DISCUSS TRACK
 PAVING; FRON
 VARIOUS ANGLES

That the Phoenix Railway company, if in proper financial condition, would : be ready and willing to pave that DOT tion of the avenue now occupied by it's tracks. and has no other reason for it's apparent refusal to make this improve ment, Was the explanation Manager $. H. Mitchell presented last evening be- fore the city commission and d gather ing of interested property owners, when the matter of the paving of l North Second avenue came up for dis cussion That the property owners objected to assessment for the work al- ready done, because of the failure of the street railway company to pave at the same time the balance of the street was improved was the state ment of Attorney C. D. Jamison. ap- bearing for the owners of the frontage affected. That there should be some remedy, either temporary or Derma- nent whereby all parties would be sat isfied. was the idea of Commissioner George N. MacBean. who spoke of other cities having met similar difficult ties by permitting street railway com p@nies to fill in the space between their tracks with crushed gravel or other material until such time as they were in a position to pave.
 ] There was q large attendance a the commission chamber when Mayor COrpstein called the meeting to order. All the commissioners with the exccp- ton of Alr. Woods Were in their chairs.
 In introducing the subject. Manager Mitchell spoke al length His talk, from notes. left little unsaid from the standpoint of the company.
 My understanding is, said Mr Mitchell. that this meeting is called for the purpose of acquainting your honorable commission with the reasons why the Phoenix Railway Co of Ari- zona has not ed along its tracks on streets already paved and refuses at present to pave its tracks on other streets which are expected to bt raved in the near future.
 Permit me to say. gentlemen. that this apparent refusal on the part Of the railway company was simply and solely on account of it's financial con dition, and will s;s4 further, that if our financial condition were in proper shape, il would not he necessary for his city commission to make any de- mands upon us, other than to notify us that the streets Were to be paved and We you'd he eNnected to pave also
 Railway Has Trying Times
 The Phoenix Railway Go. has been ir existence since 1S92 and during the years that have intervencd since that date. it has had some +erv trying eN- periences in endeavoring to exist. Of itself il never could have existed had it not been that the owners who had unbounded faith in this great Salt River Valley were willing to put their money and energy into the property. and who had always looked forward to the day when they would reap q reas- enable harvest from the property. Up to the present date harvest time has uot appeared. Fifteen years ago they looked forward to the completion of the Roosevelt Dam. when the population of this city would increase to 3e.0G0 or 40.000 persons from which number they could draw a certain percentage. (which would bring sufficient revenue to break even. or bring some profit This hope like many others. has never ms terialized
 Flight years ago we could not forsee the growth the ast1m0bile would Ireach. and it has reached such propor- Ions today that l. has become a ser ious competitor of the railway The personally Wned machine has taken not only the owner and his immediate family but they in turn take many of their friends. all of which tends to re- duce moneys which we should receive.
 "fn-the year of 1910 paving demands appear on the scene. which bring with 1t new demands and troubles.
 1912 with statehood. brings many new requirements ard regulations, some good and some very 4prcason- able All however. tend to incrcase our cost of oDeration. with TO consid = eratiOn as to how to maintain CT in- crease our revenues These demands = were met to q very large extent by - money advanced bv the owners
 , +'DeruuDdS for iDcTca eel fracEagQ ) and additional paving requirements ? have increased to such an extent that $ the owners cannot see where the end f will be Consequently. they have been f obliged to call a halt in advancing r more money. Some of these demands 7 consist of the double tracking of West 7 Washington street lines that has been forced upon the company. when in re- aity the companv has little or no need