El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-08-10
ARE CITIZENS SURE THAT AN
open SUBWAY IS BEST WAY?
lBY II. d. s.


yaducs required certain stTeats-North santa Re 10
North Campbell nClusiveOn OF near the present grace
level
II the paragraphs quoted had been worded as sPe-
officially to bar the city requiring the substitution
Of electric through the subway IN place OF coal and
oil burners they could not more efecuay have tied the
Under the ordinance as written, the destructive
smudge Of smoke the choking ana slckenlng OIL
fumes and danger of live sparks could 90 right on forever
unhindered; excessive blowing Of whistles me roar o-
blowing off while awaiting block signal, could not be
intereTed WITH except under the abatement OF nusanoe
clause to which little weight IS 10 De Attached III l7
instance, as everybody knows without argument
It looks as If the paragraphs quoted had been drawn
with the particular purpose of barring the city nom ever
requiring electric traction through the subway head very
carefully once more the third paragraph quolsu aOo
Evidently the railroads were not asleep
Three railroads or five counting the east and west
systems as two each viii use the subway In few years
with the steadily increasing traffic. there viii be freight
trains passing almost constantnlght and day win only
few minutes Roadway. Recall that every bit OF trans
continental freight through FL Paso both ways VIII use
these tracks, that excepting for the Santa Fes talc
every bit Of freight ransshpped between Mexico and the
west viii use these tracks; that every pound Of freight oI
Arizona and southern New Mexico and originating lneLg
for the east including the vast traffic with the mines WI
pass over these tracks and all California freight for 81
PasO territory; leave the passenger trains "hoy OUT OF
account and YOU can get idea of what this huge
traffic VIII amount TO few years from now
With electric traction subway, the nuisance Of such
heavy traffic IN city would be largely done away VITA
With soft coal and oil burning steam locomotives II N
become almost intolerabe The tunnels Of the locomotives
will be Just below the level of the street surface
Unless the railroads viii agree adopt electric traction
within reasonable number Of years, all freight tTaiIlc
should be the southern part OF the CITY, even
If sssenger traffic be allowed the surface the
present E. P & S. ". nghtofway after consolidating
trackage with the G. H & S A and abandoning OF partly
abandoning the present ordinance provides the use OIL
Main street ra traffic The railroads have got so L
together there ought TO be little difficulty IN working ou
better plan
Section IS bars the city forever from repeating the
ordinance or any part Of It, OF from changing H.
The ordinance itself rushed through duTlng thS
closing davs of the old and Notwithstanding
its tremendous importance and the fact that the matter
could wait without prejudice, the council passed
II as an emergency act expressly waving and SuSPeaE
the provision IN the city charter which requires al or
dinances be read in open meeting OF the CITY couno
at two regular meetings Such excessive haste was moi
fair TO the people 90,
railroads to keep working on the problem, ana 10 se'
anew on some plan better than the present one II TINS
one should fail receive the sanction OF the people Inc
present condition Of blocked crossings IS almost intolerance
and the railroads will lind II increasingly hard operate
on present rackage and under present methods In sen
5sr51ca +bp -re change The Herald regards the pro
posed solution as injurious the future interests Of the
city for all time, IN spite OF us apparent P-gsell
r1ent Of conditions; electric traction through the subway
should the very least be provided 1or now OF WITHIN
years; the city should not so completely eoua-e
rights of regulation; and further effort should be MADE
10 solve the Durango street crossing problem more larry
The south side belt line proposal should De most care
fully considered Il may be possible the remova
Of most of the tracks, especially main line AID yaT
80, f-- the main pa-rs Of the residence and business
thereby secure the opening Of many blocked streets an
the aboIshng Of many grade crossings II may De poSSo
to reroute the railroads IN such way that they may Sh
around the southern part OF the CITY ana ouSlue OI
present eastern limits If the Chamizal dispute is really
in the wav better wait til 1t is settled
It viii be better for FL Paso to wait until II IS imam
cisuy abIe and then TO contribute 100000 or NOR
toward proper solution Of the railroad problem Tor al
time than to accept at this time arrangement that to
variety Of reasons IS against Puohc Pohcy ana CSl
to result to the derment, permanent damage and per
petual handicap Of the city In its natural Development
It would pay the city Of FL Paso to spend slUOOO o.
here and make thorough investigation OF the whole poo
lem and complete report Pending that, vote agains
-be street-closng ordinance next Tuesday is vote q
reconsider" The railroads viii be willing to continue
negotiations for they III pleased with the es-lu
conditions as are the people generally
Wilhelm has said nothing so far as reported, abOu
eating his Christmas dinner IN Washington.
One thing E. Paso refuses TO become excited over