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-W nlh iBCa) a T omat t _ AowEnmbine. * RIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1923. f '----_"'_":'m-r--------------------t inlutin inss mcrerelterencene i mrergaess ' at the City Hall, yesterday with the > j city's battle to secure separation of Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Railway grades in the northwestern portion of the city. After arguments from G. R. Geary, K.C., Corporation Counsel, and W. C. Chisholm, K.C., counsel for the Grand Trunk Rail-- way Company, had been heard, & conference was held between en-- gineers and counsel representing the city, the C.P.R. and the G.T.R. At the close of this conference Hon. F. B. Carvell, Chairman of the board, was advised that it had been agreed that the engineers should prepare plans to be submitted to the board within three months showing how the grades should be separated from the highway levels, either by depression or elevation, if the board decided to order the separation. The city had an application before the board asking that an order be issued directing the two railway companies to collaborate with the city officiala in the preparation of * plans for grade separation at Royce, Wallace and St. Clair avenues and Bloor'street and Weston road. Wants a Definite Plan. Hon. Mr. Carvell, in reply to Mr. 'Geary's arguments, doubted if the board had power to order the rail-- ways to collaborate.. He thought the board had jurisdiction in matters |such as this only when a definite plan had been prepared. Once the plans were before the board it could say whether or not the work out-- t lined was necessary and should be \ done.' Even if the board ordered the railways to collaborate with the city, he doubted if the city's case would be greatly helped. He sug-- gested that the city should file its own plans and make an application for an order directing the railways to carry out the separation as out-- lined by the city's plans. Mr. Geary contended that the board had all the powers of a court, including the power of mandamus, and could order the collaboration. He said that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company was willing to collaborate with the city, but that the city had experienced difficulty in getting the G.T.R. to state what it intended to do. Scerutinizing Expenditures. Mr. Chisholm stated that the Grand Trunk was loath to commit itself to any scheme which might involve huge expenditures to add to ! the load already being carried. It wished to have further information before going any farther into this project. At this point Hon. Mr. Carvell ex-- plained the position of the board toward the National Railways. He _ said that for some time the board had refrained from placing burdens of capital expenditure on the Na-- tional Railways, but he thought the itlme, had now come for plain speak-- ng. + "It has now come to the time we should make the position of the board in regard to the Canadian Na-- tional Railways clear," he declared. '"'Since I have occupied a position j on the board we have deliberately refrained from making orders in-- j volving the expenditure of money, except in small cases. I don't think we've ordered the expenditure of more than $5,000. "I think the time has arrived, now that the Government of the Domin-- ion of Canada has become a railway | manager,; when we must treat it as a a |raillway company. We cannot listen * to the claim, 'The Government has not got money.' * f "If the construction of a public work becomes necessary for public | safety, or for some public necessity. then we will have no hesitation in ordering it.. We are not saying we are launching out into squandering . Y e mm money, but we must treat it as a y ®