The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-18
THE DEMAND OF THE SCHUYLKTLL
MA VTGATTON COMPANY.

MA VTGATION COMPANY.
AND now, on the 18th of September, 1869,
the Schuylkill Navigation Company presents
to Councils bill of damages amounting to
four hundred thousand dollars, which the
grievously overburdened taxpayers of Phila-
delphia are asked to add to their enormous
liabilities deficiencies, and debt. For most
of the items in the long and oppressive cata-
logue of municipal obligations something
tangible was acquired, but this bill, if paid,
will furnish nothing of permanent value here
after, for it is made up mainly of demurrage,
and of the alleged losses of the canal company.
The contracts made more than forty years
ago forbid the city from using water-power
to propel the Fairmount Works when the
water does not rise to the top of the Fair
mount dam, and as this contract was un-
auestionably violated, at time of great pub
lie emergency, the company has at least
plausible or perhaps legal claim for damages;
but before the amount is definitely fixed, the
whole subject should be subjected to
thorough and searching legal investigation.
No controversy whatever could have arisen
on this subject if the precaution of placing
auxiliary steam engines at Fairmount had
been adopted, as it should have been, years
ago. By timely expenditure of two hun
dred thousand dollars, all the evils of water
famine would have been averted, and all pre-
text for the present bill of four hundred
thousand dollars avoided
1t is useless to grieve over the errors of the
past, but they may serve salutary purpose if
they warn Councils against the repetition of
ci mil O.. Of Oroic tccio
and impress citizens with the necessity of
guarding against reckless extravaganza on the
one hand, and against a postponement of ap-
preparations of vital Importance on the
other
Whatever action may be taken on the bill
presented by the Schuylkill Navigation Com
pany, the mere fact that they are pressing
such claim indicates more powerfully than
columns of comments the evils of q dilatory
policy. But while the canal company and
the city have alike suffered by the neglect,
and while there is much in the action of the
company during the drouth that is commend
able, Councils should be extremely cautious
in passing the appropriation asked for, or
taking voluntarily any other considerable
sum of money from the depleted Golfers of
the city treasury, to adjust this difficulty The
c0npaay can Seek q remedy IN Me courts, and
they can decide aohat sum ItSlade1l1l,50 should
and mast pay, Qnder tile circumstances, aojtt
greater eractneSS than Councils, uhO haze Mus
tdTheaTd bit one side Of tile story.
The drouth of the present season has been
unprecedentedly severe. 1t is an event beyond
the scope of ordinary calculations and con-
tracts-a 0SSttation Of Pr0oidence for lohich
courts scould be almost as sl0oo to daoaqd dam-
ages resulting from unforeseen contingencies,
as for tie disasters accruing from a tornado
or an edrthqudbe.
Is it absolutely certain that the unparalleled
low stage of water would not have obstructed,
to some extent, the operations of the canal
company, even if the city had not violated its
contract Perhaps so. Still, the fact should
be distinctly proven
AS the company undertakes to supply water
power not only to the city but to other GUS
toners, and as they have been subjected to
great loss by failure to obtain the amount
needed for their various purposes, is it not, in
turn, liable to suits for violation of its con-
tracts =? Perhaps not, but still this subject
may be worthy of investigation, especially if
it shall appear that the company has not been
diigent and effective in providing ample
supplies of water, at all seasons, and in spite
of drouths, by erecting sufficiently capacious
dams OF reservoirs at OF near the head waters
of the Schuylkill
Even if no defense can be found in eithe
of these suggestions, is not the amour
of damages claimed by the President of tn
canal company excessive? On its face i
certainly appears to be. BY the last annua
report made to the Auditor-G General it appear
that navigation opened about the 25th o
March and closed on the 9th of December, tn,
season of operations exceeding eight months
The total receipts during that period from
tolls were less than one million of dollars
being at the rate of less than one hundred
and twenty-five thousand dollars per montl
during the boating season. And yet, for a.
interruption of its operations during perio
of excessive drouth in 1869, for about on
month, the people of Philadelphia are aske
to nav the round sum of four hundred thou
sand dollars, or more than one-third OF tn
entire revenue of the company during 1868
Stress is laid upon the amount of damage
due to the boatmen, but the last report 0
j at-4 sit-t tA~ 2 .--'--