Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-01
PAVING BLOCKED
ON TWO STREETS
BY CAR PROBLEM
Three Commissioners Re-
fuse to Vote for Improve
ments Involving ASSESS
ment of City Electric.

Last nights paving protest near
ing held by the city commission
brought out three points of interest
to the residents of Albuquerque:
First-The City Electric COM
pany is expected to enjoin the city
commission from placing liens
against, its property for the pave
ment of the street car riSht-of-way
on North Second street,
Second--At least three OF the
commissioners will vote against the
paving Of streets on which the
street car tracks are laid until the
courts have decided whether the
City Electric company may be COM
PEELED to pay for the paving of its
right -of-Nay
Third--Should the paving of
South Edith street be ordered. on
the stipulation that the street car
company pay part of the costs. 1t
is more than likely that the tracks
will he removed from that thor
oughfare.
The meeting also showed that a
large majority of the property
owners on South Edith, West New
York avenue. and the Luna circle
want those streets paved. and IL IL
were not for the vexatious problem
of the street railway, the improve
ment could be ordered.
Swope Makes Statement.
Commissioner Swope said he op-
posed the ordering of the paving
on South Edith street until the
courts had ruled on a legal action
he declared the City Electric is GO
ing to bring to protest the issuance
OF liens against 1t for the paving Of
its right-of-way on North Second
street. This action is TO be brought,
il was stated as almost certainty,
despite the fact that the city has
agreed to allow the asphaltic pene-
tration mix type to be used between
the rails instead of concrete. as
first specified. This was a conces-
sion TO the car company.
Commission Hughes declared he
would not vote for paving en- any
more streets where car lines are
laid, for the reason that the City
Electric company already owes as
much for paving as he feels it
should be allowed to owe. Mr.
Hughes said the problem is not
confined o Albuquerqhe alone. but
has been met with in large cities,
and in Denver. he declared. it
broke the Tramway company. He
said the company's books for 1921
showed a substantial loss. and that
ALBUQUERQUE cannot afford to be
without a street car line, which
might re1l't if The CITY Electric
wefe fsrcf Z tinto bi1 i,lupts-.
Compllssie lcr Clyde TinEie,t said
that after an examination OF the
books, showing the Indebtedness OF
the City electric company for paw
ing, he did not favor taking on any
more Indebtedness of the same
kind.
William Wilcox. an interested
property owner, said he had under
stood the City Electric had paid a
dividend last year.
Hughes said, in response to an
inquiry, that the City Electric has
the right to pull up and abandon
any Of its lines that it is able to
show do lot pay operating ex-
Ipenses. IF the South Edith street
line is torn up." said he. "it will
work great inconvenience on the
children who will attend the new
Highland schools
They would need an airnlare to
get TO one of EN-" said Commits
sioner Tingley.
Sentiment seemed to be almost
equally divided among South Edith
street property owners as to
whether the car company should
be compelled to pave the streets or
whether The property owners
should pay for the car line at in
tersections and the car company
should he allowed to bring its
tracks to grade and oil the surface
.of the right-of-way between cross
streets.
Some time ago the City Electric
served notice on the city that il
would resist the assessment OF
liens against its property for any
further right-of-wsy paving order
ed by the commission.
At its meeting Tuesday night the
commission will make its final
decision as TO the paving program
on which hearings were held on
five nights last week.
Present at last nights meeting
were Chairman Walton and Com
missioners Hughes. Tingley and
Swope.