The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-24
STREET RAILROADS.
THE NEW ORLEANS CRY RATLROAD
COMP1NY'S PROPOSTITON.
~ wants Cheap Exte,uiOn Of vaIu-
able Franchise, and Makes Ex-
tra0rninari1y Liberal
Concessions.


Concessions.
II On more mature consideration of the
Iproposition Of the New Orleans City
3Railroad Company to fave the charters
of their various lines extended, new
facts suggest themselves, which we ven
ture modestly to put forward, at the
same time taking the opportunity tc
congratulate the City Administrators
for the wisdom they have shown in not
acting too hastily in the ns.tter.
The first privilege granted to this
com pany was in 1859, on or about the
first Of April, through which they estab-
| lished the Magazine, Camp, Dauphine
and Esplanade street lines, paying
therefor bonus of 1896, 900 Subse-
and other privileges were secured by
| them. The expiration OF their contract
for the four first named lines, which was
| for twenty years, takes place about the
middle Of 1879, or i'm about three years.
At this early period they come before
| the City Council and ask for an eXten-
sion Of all their contracts for sixteen
years from date. on extraordi-
narily liberal conditions. In com
pensation for this new franchise
| they propose, In n nut she'll to consid-
erately permit another street railroad
company to share with them tho use OF
the neutral ground between Camp and
Magazine streets, to remove their
tracks on Canal street shell road. be-
tween Claiborne street and the Ridge
cemeteries, to the neutral ground, and
to plant some trees, SOW u few bushels
Of Bermuda seed and establish q few
benches along the latter route, and be-
sides to run all-night cars; but not a
single dollar do they Offer to give to the
city for what we innocently thought was
very valuable franchise.
1t is true, that taccording to the report
OF Administrator Landry the shifting
OF the tracks mentioned will cost them
s25 900, the curbing, grading, etc. $13,-
900, and the trees, grass and benches
$1,000. all more or less; making n total
of S43. 900. Even admitting, for the sake
Of argument, that this company cannot
be compelled under certain contingen-
ces TO put their track where 1t will not
Inconvenience the shellroad travel, and
that they cannot be made to share the
neutral ground, between Camp and Mag
azine streets, with the Orleans Railroad
Company, some more liberal person
might be found to do the same things,
aud more. at the expiration OF the n. y.
CITY Railroads contract. In fact, from
actual appearances, this is not beyond
the limits Of probability.
In his report fayoriug ahe adoption
the resolution in the matter of this ex-
tension, Mr. Landry. sto enhances the
claim OF the company. states that it has
paid 10 the city since 1861. in bonuses
and taxes, &4G9. .S77 ~ for the extension
Of the Canal street line to the Lake
$95, 900, and for dummies $l8, 400 Doubt
less Mr. Landry. was prompted by the
best Of motives when he took these
figures into consideration tofecommend
the passage of the resolution. They ut
terly fail, however, TO convince us that
u man who pays his Just debts IS
entitled to any other credit than that Of
being Of good faith. And in this the
company may not claim the virtue Of Il
poor man, since it has in ore instance
to pay in advance, ,sand III the other rs
soon rs the taxes become due, les the
sheriff might interpose an eXecutory
process in the way Of argument. Again,
the expenditures Of the company to
establish their line to the lake can
hardly be looked upon oven as an abb
stract consideration, and MI. Landry
might as well have included the ex-
penditures OF the company from the mo-
I0enb bIlty DlDht Slouhu " tciou uShs
their first line Of street railroads, as the
cost of the lake road.
In all this there is only one apparent
concession We say apparent, because
it can hardly be called concession. In
appearance it promises q good deal, but
when thoroughly sifted it fries like
lean pork. In short, sections five does
not provide for all night cars according
to the general impression. Certainly, |
it does say that the city OF New Orleans
reserves to itself the right to compel the
company to run cars on such routes
operated by them rs will secure the
leaving of at least one car from the CEN
trail station nearClay statue, ,at every eren
hour between midnight and daylight, |
but it does not say that this provision |
shdHfo part Of the agreement between
the city and the company. And IL 1t
did, what would this extraordinary con-
cession amount to? To an extra car at
2 o'clock in the morning and another at |
4. the only eren hours between midnight |
and daylight in this latitude. Mark
we'll, also, that nothing Is said OF the
fare that the company can exact, nor
about "all-night" cars from
the suburban stations to Canal street.
All things considered, 1t looks 100
much like a one-sided affair to be enter
tanned seriously, and it assumes the pro
portions of an enormity when it Is said,
on the authority Of high official, that
q gentleman OF this city has expressed
his willingness to give
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS
for the privileges asked by the New Or
leans City Railroad Company for forty
three Thousand dollars, under our ad-
mission for the sake OF argument.
II Ia a,ilant therefore that the best |
course the city administrators can
pursue will be to take time by the fore
lock and advertise for proposals to pur-
chase the rights and franchises Of the
City Railroad Company before the ex-
piration of their contract. This will be
the more urgent, when the time comes,
since. as Mr. Landry says in his report.