Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-14
STREET RAILWAY SERVICE.

In the thirteen years Of existence the local street
RAILWAY has performed valuable service to the city of
Grand Forks in maintaining that contact between
various sections of the city which would have been
impossible without this utility. Without the street
railway the growth of every section would have been
retarded. and the development OF many districts
would have stopped. Large property values have
been created in the district near the university and
in the districts adjacent to Lincoln park and River
side park which could not have been created without
this service. Those new property values have con-
trlbuted their share of the revenues of city, county
and state, and will continue to do so unless they are
destroyed by the collapse of the street railway sys-
tenn.
In performing the service which has resulted in
the creation OF these values the street railway has
been operated at less than cost Dividends have
been paid IN only a few years; none in excess of 6
per cent; and none at all for the past FIVE years. The
business has been economically managed. No fancy
salaries have been paid. No compensation has been
PAID to any person whose entire time has not been
devoted to the work of the street railway. The
business men who serve as directors have always.
donated their services. A capable manager has been
on the Job to provide satisfactory service without
waste.
The money needed for the construction work
Which will be necessary for track laying in the new
pavement in the south end of the city cannot be paid
out OF current receipts, for there are none beyond the,
immediate necessities of operation. 1t cannot be
borrowed under existing conditions, because there is
no prospect tor the near future OF revenues out~of
which the loan COULD be repaid. The material must
be purchased and put in place with the pavement
or the south end of the line must be abandoned. The
situation resolves itself into one of selling additional
stock to the general public or relieving the company
OF claims which are made against it on account of
street repairs.
The discontinuance of a mile of the south end
of the line would mean a serious depreciation in
property values throughout that entire district. It
makes a material difference in the selling value of a
piece of property whether it is a block or a mile
from the street railway. 1t would diminish by one
third the number of rooms available during the
school year for university students. 1t would lessen
the usefulness of the remaining part of the line to
residents in other parts of the city, because it would
destroy their contact with the south end. 1t would
work a hardship on hundreds of working people
who live in the south end, and who have no other
means of travel to and from their work than the
street railway.
These are some of the facts in the case, con-
corning which a decision must be made within a
very short time. -. d..
The city is growing. Within the area reached
directly BY the street railway scarcely any vacant
property now remains. Important industries which
are now being got under way will provide employ
ment for hundreds of new citizens. New homes and
new business places must follow in. the natural
course. With the present crisis tided over there is
every reason to expect for the street railway before
very long not only augmentation of the business on
its present lines, but the extension Of those lines into
territory at present sparsely inhabited. Discon-
tinuance of any part of'the service at this time and
under our present prospects is unthinkable. For the
good of the entire city a way must be found to pro-
vide the needed funds and continue the street rail
way service uninpaired.