The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-04-16
STREET CAR
SERVICE MAY
BE HALTED
State Likely to Discontinue
Operation of Car After
July First
NO FRANCHISE GIVEN
Property Owners on Fourth
Street Want Pavement
Laid Between Rails

Service on the state owned street
car line, over which one car is oper-
ated from Main and Fifth streets to
the capitol building, may be discon-
tinued after July /, according to some
members of the state board of ad-
ministration. The last legislature
refused to make an appropriation to
meet the deficit which will be incur
red from operating the car this year,
and money from other departments
will need to be used if the state is
to continue to operate street car.
The state has no franchise from
the City of Bismarck to operate the
car line, the franchise having ex-
pEed about two years ago. The old
franchise, which was granted many
years ago and before paving was laid
on the streets of Bismarck, contained
a provision that the state should
pave between the tracks if pavement
was ever laid on the streets over
which the car line is operated.
Pavement was laid by the state
between the rails on Main street and
for two blocks on Fourth street but
the remaining blocks on Fourth street
over which the car line is operated
have never been paved between the
tracks and no legislature has ever
made an appropriation to compete
the paving work.
When the franchise with the city
expired the board of administration
made no application for new fran
chise as the members of the board
knew that the city would demand that
the paving on Fourth street be COM
pleted. The car line is being oper-
ated with special permit from the
city and this permit may be with
drawn at any time.
PropeA.y owners on Fourth street
are continually bringing the paving
commission. The property owners
declare that the. state should make
good its agreement to lay the pave
ment, and President A. p. Lenhart
and Commissioners j. A. Larson and
j.. B. French of the present commits
sion do not believe that the property
owners should be forced to stand the
expense Of paving Fourth street be-
tween the car tracks. The commits
sioners are of the opinion that the
street in its present condition is a
menace to auto traffic. and this paw
ing matter is likely to be among the
first important questions to come
before the new ommission that takes
office next Tuesday.
Several merchants on Fourth street
and Main street object to the car line.
They declare that the operation of
the street car makes parking at the
45 degree angle dangerous and that
many drivers refuse to park their
cars on these streets, going else
where to trade. They suggest that
service on the car line be discon-
tinued or that the downtown term
inal for the street car be at Fourth
and Broadway streets.
Members of the board of admin
istration are Indifferent to what ac-
tion the city may take toward the car
line. The street car line costs the
state about $4,000 year but they fig
ure that the money is we'll spent
(provided the legislature appro-
pirates the money! as it is con-
venience for the employees in the of
fices at the Capitol building, who
they say would be forced to walk
back and forth to their work if the
operation of the car is discontinued.
1t is understood that group of
Bismarck business men win ask the
city commissioners to hold con-
ference. with the state board Of ad-
ministration and the the attitude of
the board ON the paying on fourth
street, to learn whether they intend
to operate the street car after July
/ and if the down tokn terminal may
be changed to Fourth and Broadway
streets.
1t is expected that the whole mat
ter will be threshed out within the
near future.