El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-08-11

S. N.-~r me steps L.aA are now DtLL-
taken TO sink the tracks were and
are the result OF agreement between
.La city an. tEa railroads, and was
nor forced except ass public sentiment
and public EeC# S-lry force al issues
of o. publ. nature.
Aside from This. 7 think there is q
means 10y which the city might COM
pei the railroads 20 build a belt line
along The river 'front.' out q discussion
az this proposition NJ this particular
time would avail nothing.
The railroads having agreed with
the council 20 sink The tracks IL the
people vote for that undertaking,
have thereby conceded the public .u-
terest in this question and the right
of the public 10 act with reference
thereto
some Railroad Arguments.
II is poor enough argument that the
question or .ulla.lE tracks around
The city is rgt now before the people.
out what could -e more pL-trE are
Eumel- than that the sinking OF these
tracks viii procure an expenditure Of
$l,Ouu.OHO bE the railroad companies.
IS e would, OF course, ike to see the
Slp01Ho0 spent i'm FL Paso. and would
be very much pleased % have it,
spent uellare.E- tomorrow, If pos
slble-uu- the expenditure Of $1,000
coo in III Pasl by the railroad compa-
MES Is matter OF small mOmeu- as
compared with the conditions which
must inevitably be endured forever
hereafter, it this proposition should
be iaForauly voted upon by the peO-
pie. The s. 100000 that VIII le spent
in the construction Of the subway
VIII have soon become a matter OF the
past, 10 have been forgotten within
year. while the subway viii be be-
meath our noses TO spout smoke and
the OuCr OF burning oil into our nos
rr-ls during the centuries yet 10
come and once We have cons lrIcted
the subway 10 must follow that the
question OF belt line viii have been
5lelFel l9F all time.
I recognize the fact that the propo-
sltlOn 90 run the tracks around the
south side OF the city is not without
lis difficulties, and that problems in
connection herewith must be solved.
What Would be Gainedf
What VIII we have gained after We
have voted IN favor Of the sinking Of
the tracks and the big ditch has been
The tracks occupying ali Of Main
street VIII remain just where they
are, and just as they are. The prop
oSlLou upon which the public viii
vote does not involve the removal
of single railroad track from any
part OF the highways Of The city- il
does not even promise 20 put an end
10 using these tracks for switching
HuFu1Ses- In TACT 10 is as good as
confessed that the object Of res0rtiug
20 subway is designed TO enable the
railroad companies to continue their
switching facilities just as they exist
today, and with no promise whatever
tnat the switching nuisance VIII be
lesseued, but with a certainty that il
VIII become more and more intol-
cradle as the city grows larger
The long trains Of freight cars that
nave constantly been switched back
and forth TO the smelter above the
city, across four or five Of our main
arteries or commerce. will no doubt
continue 10 be switched back and
forth as they have in the past. and If
j am not mistaken, the switching OF
these strings Of freight cars consti-
tute considera BILE portion OF the in
convenience and annoyance that is
being endured By the public today.
Where the Improvement
But me tracks Of the Southwestern
Railroad company between Main and
Franklin streets are TO be sunk, big
ditch, beginning somewhere down in
the Southwestern Railroad company
reservation. viii be dug westerly
along the present right Of way Of the
southwestern and viii pass under
certain streets over which the traffic
is very large such streets to be
Dridged over the big ditch This will
indeed be but poor makeshlft Of and
for the nuisance as 10 now exists.
There viii be no less noise. no less
smoke. and. I venture to say. little
less danger TO the public We viii
not have 10 stand and wait for the
trains TO pass. 10 is true. but the town
viii be quilted" by the big ditch. I
while the smoke and dirt we now
have overhead viii be beneath our
feet heucef0rth.
The decision OF the railroads and /
city council to resort to the subway /
method as a solution OF this Drob-