The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-04-27
Joint Committee Appointed
to Settle Controversy With
Railroad Company.
CITY MUST NOT YIELD
SAY CLUB LEADERS
Railroad Should be Compelled to
Build Station According to
Agreement.

Hirsch, four councilmen and fou
members of the Commercial Club, wa
appointed last night following dis
cussion of the plans for the new pas
senger station submitted by the Frisco
to confer with the officials of the rail
road in order to bring about a peace
full understanding between the cit.
and the Frisco in regard to the fran
chise ard the erection of the new
passenger depot. This committee vii
meet in the near future to make ar
engagements for a meeting with The
Frisco officials.
After viewing the plans, which were
presented to Mayor Hirsch by F. G
Jonah, chief engineer Of the Frisco
several days ago, both the councilmen
and the members of the Commercial
Club came to the conclusion that they
were not satisfactory and could not be
accepted. The committee which will
meet with the Frisco officials, is COM
posed of Councilmen Bowman, Kaess,
Schuchert ana Vineyard, and Sam Sher-
man, Judge Edward d. Hays, f. J.
Deal and Fred Naeter, representatives
of the Commercial Club.
Judge Hays, in lengthy discussion
last. night, argued that the City Coun-
Gil should not yield an inch to the rail-
road company, but insist that the pro-
visions of the contract between the city
and the railroad be complied with by
the. railroad. The city, he said, was
entitled to the depot, as required by
the ordinance passed five years ago by
the City Council.
"The contract entered into by the
city and the railroad provides that the
latter should build a station at cost
of S35,000," he said, land the work
was to have been completed at least
two years ago. Regardless of the re-
cent increase of the cost of building
material, the city can compel the rail-
road to erect building which would
have cost that amount three or four
years ago, even though it would re-
quire a larger sum now, because of the
increased cost OF material.
'"fhe contract was made five years
ago, and if the railroad suffers a loss
by failing to comply with that con-
tract, it is not the fault of the city.
The city should not yield an inch to the
railroad, but insist that the railroad
build such a building as it could have
built three years ago, regardless of
low much the structure would cost at
this time"
Judge B. F. Davis supported Judge
Hays in his view on the relations be-
tween the city and the railroad. He
said the city could expect the railroad
to erect a much more expensive build
ing than was provided for in the or
dinance. The money for the building
had been set aside by the railroad after
the passage of the ordinance, and for
that reason, he said, the railroad could
wei afford to invest at least as much
more as the interest would be on the
sum of the appropriation.
Aside from that, Judge Davis as
serted, the railroad had increased its
earnings in Cape Girardeau by virtue
Of the increase in rates, and should in
return treat the city as fair as the city
had treated the company. He also
urged that the City Council make alb
no concessions to the railroad
Others who urged the city to stand
pat on the ordinance regulating the
kppstruction of the passenger sta
ton, were: Clyde Vandivort, VIM. H.
Stubblefield, F. J. Deal and Fred Nae
ter Mr. Vandivort said that several
cities in Southeast Missouri had new
passenger stations. Many of these
cities were much smaller than Cape
Girardeau, and he said these buildings
were superior to the depot the Frisco
proposed for Cape Girardeau. He OPP
posed a concrete building, and advo-
Gates stucco or terra Gotta struc-
ture.
Mr. Deal and Mr. Stubblefeld said
the fact that the railroad had increased
its revenue from the city should be
sufficient reason for the railroad to
compensate the city by building a
modern and first-class passenger sta
tion.
Mr.. Naeter reviewed the controversy
between the railroad and the city for
the past several years. He said he
met Mr.. Jonah in st. Louis two years
ago and was shown the plans the Fris-
CO. had drawn at that time for the pro-
pused station in Cape Girardeau.