The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-08
CITY COUNCILS.
pc salt Bill Repealed The street
Cleaning Contracts.

. .ne select branch were present Messrs. Barlow,
ann, IN Sattell, Cochran, Duffy, Franciscus, Hark-
H., ~, nVuguon, Hockey, Hopkins, Jones, Kamerly,
ing, Mccall, McCutcheon, McIlvain, Marcus
ooTiscn, oIi Piumly, Ritchie and Smith.
~: omlth IN the absence of the President did
pty in the chair. There was no lobby attendance,
Hopaoiy because the usual lobby members were
ware that the fires were Lit and that the house
The Chamber having been called to order, Mayor
OK 3 hrst message was read as thus:
10 the Select and Common Councils Gentle
teh-l herewith return, without my approval, an
uaanee na 20 grant certain privilege to the Ger
ance directs "that the Germantown Passenger
aaiiwsy Company is hereby authorized and per
ping north of the Junction Of Germantown avenue
no Diamond street; and all ordinances, so far as
S srey r arc inconsistent herewith, be and the same
1t is apparent from its face that IL provides for
he exemption of the Germantown Passenger Rail-
pay Company from the operation of a general law,
nd 1t becomes, therefore, question for considera
ION ION M whether such special exemption shall be
In former years it was the prevalent custom of
The railway companies of the city to salt their
tracks at every fall of snow which afforded any OBJ
uucton TO the travel of their cars. This produced
very general dissatisfaction throughout the com
munty many being impressed with the belief that
the practice was injurious to health, and more
convinced that 1t was very annoying and ncon-
Vehlent. Although scientific men differed on the
abstract question of its effects upon the public
health yet the fact hardly be denied that there
were discomforts and disturbances of individual
health attributable to this cause. Under such cir
cumstances an ordinance was passed February %,
4
this ordinance shall be unlawful for any railroad
or railway company to salt the tracks under pen
atty OF S75 for each and every offence, to be col
ected as other fines and penalties are now by law
collected; and on March H. 1868, there was an ord-
prevent the sailing of the railway and railroad
tracks within the city of Philadelphia" increasing
the penalty from $75 to $780, and Offering one-haf
4 of the same as inducement for information of
any violation of the law on the subject
The preamble recites that the railroad and rail-
way companies have used salt upon their tracks in
defiance of law and to the injury of the health and
ton by the Councils of Philadelphia was made
after there had been full trial of the custom and
OF the ordinance prohibiting it, enabling the cit-
Zens, by their increased comfort, where the COM
panies dd not use salt, to know, as they had pre-
yiously believed that their objections were well
the city; and although it is true that permission
had been given to salt the tracks on certain Dor
can afford precedent for any further grant espe
ciay as is asked by the ordinance to which Invite
your consideration If it is understood that rural
districts any designated portions are to be
empted from the operation of the law, the egisla-
the district of the city to which the ordinance ap
plies is in considerable portions of it, thckly popu-
lated, and is quite much entitled to the protec
ton of the general ordinance any other part of
the city; as for instance, there is closely built up
neighbOrhood from their depot on Diamond street
to the north side of Huntington street, being dis
tance of 2232 feet, or forty-two hundredths of a
to the centre of Carpenter street. length of 900
feet, or two and twentyseven hundredths of mile,
and Nicetown, both Of which latter localities have
The prohibition of salt has been beneficial to the
public generally in health and comfort. 1t has also
invited attention to the necessity of substitutes by
which the distinctions Of snow and Se ice can s be
ventive genius of our citizens has already suggested
different effective appliances for the purpose Be-
leving, therefore, that the proposed legislation is
impolitic as well as unnecessary, must withhold
my approval Of the ordinance, and respectfully
ask from you the reconsideration required by law.
DANIEL NJ. Fox, Mayor.
At the conclusion of the reading Mr.. Marcus
nuad IN m ha N
of the leanness Of the of members Of
Mr. Piumiy called the yeas and nays the mo-
ton, which resulted thus;
Yeas-MessTs Barlow. Bumm, Gatteil' Cochran
JONES' Kamerly, King, Mccall Marcus, Morrison
NaysMMessrs. Duffy, McIlvain and Plumly.
The matter was therefore postponed.
The message from the Mayor on the subject of
the non-fulflment of the contracts by the con-
tractors for cleaning the streets was then read.
1t represents that from records which he has
directed be kept it is seen that there has been
great neglect on the part of the whole four of the
Street contractors (Messrs. Buckley, Crawford Nc
ing the streets In that cleany condition which they
were bound to do under the ordinances and their
several contracts. There were several conferences
held with the contractors in presence of the COM
mittee street cleansing, when they were in
Obligations they had severally assumed; and it,
after reasonable time had transpired, and the
condition of the weather would conveniently per-
nit the work to be done there still continued to be
just for complaint against them, the city au-
thOrites would resort 10 Whatever reIeules tney
had a right to enforce. The contractors at first
showed disposition to comply with their contracts
but subseq quently they desired to know whether
they would be expected to come up to the letter OF
their several contracts
They were answered that the city was ready anC
willing to comply with the obligation resting upoI
her, and that each of them would be expected Il
perform theirs. The Mayor has not deemed 1t ex
pedent at this time to annul the contracts, as M
considered that the contractors ought to be com
PEELED to perform the covenants into which they
have 80 solemnly entered, If such performance car
be enforced and, If not that themselves and thei
suretles be continued to be held to the strictes
accountability; especially, too, If the contract
were now annulled, much time might be consumed
before parties could commence thel
work, and in the meantime the streets woull
become in an impossible condition, and the healtl
and comfort of our citizens thereby be much en-
Az the close of the reading, Mr.. Barlow state
that a communication sent to the Mayor by tn
Committee on Street Cleansing had not been re
turned with the Mayors document. This statement
he said he made for the purpose of letting tn
public know that the committee had taken actio
in the matter.
TO the Committee on Street Cleaning, and said, 1
support of it, that the committee had had an intel
view with the Mayor and the contractors, ana tha
the contractors had agreed to go on ana clean tn
streets, provided that the allowance Tor februar
was not withheld from them.
A member desired to know what GOOD could
accomplished by reference TO the committee, II
asmuch as the committee had alreauy hau tue ma
ter under consideration.
In defence of the contractors, 1t was stated ths
Mr. Bickley's allowance for February, which ma
- been withheld is $3.50; Crawford's, S262o, an
~ McGlue's, S2352 70, and that each had expende
considerable in the work during the month;
On notion the message was referred TO the CON
mittee on Street Cleaning with Instructions 10 II
port on Thursday next. -
showing what the contractors had expended durin