, 1873-09-05

Can tho Strect-Cars 13o Taxed
J.. for Revenue?
Tho Question Debated Before the Council
Committee on Railroads.

The Council Committee on Railroads-Alder-
men Woodman, Bidwel, Sweet, Dixon and
Quirk, ,-vas IN seagion yesterday afternoon, and
considered petition Of tho Chicago Plate and
Bar h1ill Company for m extension Of time,
from Aug. 81 to operate their railway track on
Thirty .f1st Btroot and resolved to report In fs~
vor OF extending tho TINA ilvo years.
Tho communication from Luke Norton In rcf-
cronco to Il. B. Bogue and tho Chicago & Pa
ciao Railway Company, handed TO tho COMMITTEES
July II, will be recommended to bo placed on
flo.
An informal, short, but lively. discussion waa
had On tho subject Of tho Illinois Central side-
tracka on the Lake front, with final determine
tlon to get some ono to Introduce resolution
In tho Council ordering them takon up.
Aid Tracey resolutions, directing tho Council
to prepare an ordinance compelling railway COM
panies to pay license on street cars, roforred to
the Committee June 30, VIVA taken up and dis
ouBsed. 1t had been tho intention OF tho Com
mittoo to lenr tho opinion OF Corporation
Counsel Tuley on tho legal pointa presented in
the matter, but ponding bis return to the city,
Mr. Bradley, President Of tho West Side Com.
pany, Mr.. Uennossv. Of tho South, and Mr., Tur.
ner, Of tho North sido Company, wore intro.
duce1 to tue COMMITTEES: 1t wss thought bort
account Of 0lr. Tuleys abaeuce.
Sir: Bradley was invited BY AID: woodman to
giye his viows o. tho subject, which he did rs
foows s mr. Tonne4sy has already rs etatea @ to
IN tie meotinE), ",that wo don't
discussion until Mr.. Tuley is presont. Mr.. Tuley
| has told me. that he had no idea in tho world
that the city had authority to LICENSE our cars
for revenue. He told mo. a year or two ago,
ey city 'eer eena sset eansa he % Is ''a
police regulation1-!a simply nominal ta1.
Bamo point to the same effect. It ia the WOW
tho courts take Of tho mattor. don't think the
city could enforce such q liconso, for tho reason
thet Its !evonne is derived 3D., from anotne. an.
.A sen. aotchdss - has 's fasi; EindIY furnished
mo with memorandum Of tue gross receipts Of
tho city for all tho vehicles that arc liconsod.
n.lfg Icensos n1o 'aaaea a Tho rm
Tint tint our l contracts arc all uniform.
We havo laid out, IN pairing streets, in the last
twenty months. S64. .50o.o1. Wo have entirely
| removed tho payemonts on several HtroetH. In
tho last four months OF 1871 we paid out nearly
$121,000 for paving. Onr street expenses
lust year and half gil told have boon s6G 560 01.
Wo pay out for paving just twice az much as the
any fair proportion of the regular expenaoa in
mixing street improvemonts, but thoro ia tou
great disparity made hero."
AID. Dixon stated that tho matter was
! first proposed when tho Appropriation
bill waa pending. There was an item in tho bill
Of 81, ,0d0, which Mr.. Tnley hold tho city was
Liable for, for repaving Btreots wloreon tho Veal
6ido Company ran: The Company had been as.
acssed but rofusod 10 pay the tax and had carried
tho caao to tho Supreme Court, which tribunal
had sustained them. Lie wanted to collect thn'
$40, 600 by license tax.
1fr. Honnossy explained that ho did not think
l r&r n}a Eoy&tS Ar