The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-12-11
Addresses Letter to Superintendent
Urging That Ninth Street Service
Be Continued Until Negotia-
tions Are Entered into.
SAYS CITY DADS TRY
TO GIVE COMPANY AID
Realizes Street Car Industry Hard
Hit by Conditions; Shows How
Difficult It Is To Put improve
ments on Street

Ina letter addressed to w II. Wads
worth, superintendent of the Chicka
sha Street Railway company, Mayor s
c. Durbin urges the car company not
to discontinue the Ninth street car at
his time and goes into detail as to
opening the Alabama avenue project.
The letter follows
In an interview published in last
evenings Express, You are reported
to have said in substance that the rea-
son why your company is unable to
lay the proposed line on Alabama av-
enue from Thirteenth street to the
college and thereby continue to give
service on the Ninth street line is be-
cause the city council has failed to
open up Alabama avenue. In an edi-
torial recently published in the same
paper, there is a similar statement or
inference.
Nov, as you know, the city author
tiles have tried to be fair with your
company, realizing, as we do, that all
street car companies are hard pressed
financially by reason of greatly in
creased expenses of operation, on the
one hand, and diminished revenue, re-
sulting from the great increase in the
number of automobiles on the other.
Though good and intelligent citizens
have urged us to go into courts or
before the corporation commission for
relief, we have preferred to help you
work out your problems so you can
continue to give good service on both
lines.
"It hurts, therefore, to have it said
or intimated that the city is delaying
or preventing your company from lay
ing the proposed direct line to the col
lege, especially since it is not true.
you recall that when we had
conference some weeks ago, at the
time service was discontinued on
Ninth street, the following arrange
ment was made The city was to
grant your company a right of way
on Alabama avenue. This right was
granted by an ordinance passed with
out delay and published on the oath
of October. Mr.. Hendrick agreed to
give a right of way across his unplat-
ted tract on condition that necessary
fences were built The Chamber of
Commerce agreed to build these
fences. Your company at the time
was satisfied with this arrangement
and did not ask us to grade the right
of way, construct culverts or do any
thing else. You did not promise to
lay the line at once, for reasons which
were explained, but expected to do
the work within a few months and in
the meantime to give, or endeavor to
give service on the Ninth street line.
as it the intention of the company
now to repudiate the arrangement
which was made and to lay your line
only on condition that the city shall
do the grading and construct culverts
when necessary?
Il wish it were possible for the city
to do this or anything else that is nee
essary to keep your lines in opera
tion. But municipal corporations, like
street car companies, are hard press
ed financially. The maximum rate of
levy for a city's general revenue, as
provided in the constitution, is ten
mills. This has been lowered first to
seven mills and now to six mills.
Moreover, a greatly increased per cent
-