The New York herald., 1876-02-01
DERELICT CORPORATIONS.
Street Railroad Companies in De-
fault to the City.
SUITS TO RECOVER OVER s5oloOO
The First Effects of the Herald's
Good Work.

The overcrowding OF the street cars is not the only
grievance the people OF this taxrdden city suffer at
he hands OF the directors and stockholders Of the rich
car corporations There is an ordinance OF the Com
mon Council which commands the companies 10 take
out license for each Of their cars.
nwas passed in 1866, and reads as fonows:-
m % e S sns h Tsss h pag aSnhSs nE
riy treasury the sum Of 500 annually for license eert.
he small horse passenger which shall each pay the
Soond-Each certificate Of payment license shall be
affixed 70 some conspicuous place in the that DO
Inspected By the proper officers.
below syey passenger car run upon any Of The city
f License the proprietor or propretors thereof shall be
see. 70 penalty Of $50 to be recovered BY the Corpora
benefit OF the city treasury.
Under the law some Of the companies are compelled
pay in addition TO the license fees percentage upon
their receipts For years several Of the companies
have resisted these payments and have given no return
10 the city for the right OF occupying the streets with
lher tracks alleging that their charters exempt them
from such payment For some years the sixth,
Eighth and Ninth avenue roads paid these dues and the
others continued in default year or two ago the
Eighth refused TO pay, and now there are but
Two roads-the Ninth and Sixth avenues-that pay.
Recently the Finance Department has taken proceed
ngs IN the courts through Corporation Attorney Boyd
sganst
THE DKREucT COMPANIES
and suits pending. The suit against the
Eighth avenue company will be called on first and made
test case The sums claimed by the Comptroller are
given below and cover the years from 1850 to 1874 in
Central Park, North and East River Rail-
road ....................... s6O,O5o 90
Dry Dock, East Broadway and Battery Rail
road ........................,.... s,246 rs
Third Avenue Railroad. lbs 900 90
New York and Harlem or Fourth avenue. 81, 600 90
Sixth avenue Observation-Disclosures. II $50 90
Eighth avenue. 80 700 90
Broadway and Seventh avenue. .......... e. 800 90
Ninth avenue. Observation-Disclosures. 1900 90
Hudson River Railroad tdummes) .......... 7l50 90
Bleecker street and Fulton ferry. ....... "a 200 90
Forty second and Grand streets. ......... 10000 90
Houston and West Street Ralroad.... L. 600 90
Twenty third I6O0 90
Christopher and Tenth streets............. $50 90
Harlem Bridge and Morrlsania. ........... l1oO 90
Total. sol, 79e rs
Some time ago the city sued the Third Avenue Rail
road Company. and on the being carried 10 the
Supreme Court the company victorious The other
companies, however, II is said, have not tenable
grounds for successful defence and the Comptroller
very hopeful oil beating them IN these suits Tor penal
ties under the last section OF the above ordinance
Rave THE COMPANIES FORFEITED THEIR CHARTERS
The law, II Will be observed distinctly compels the
companies TO secure license for each car from the
Mayor and post 1t in the car. Not single company
has complied with the clause that requires the posting
Of the license and but thIeo of them have taken
out the licenses AS all the companies under the law
subject to the requsons OF the municipal
lies u becomes interesting question whether they
have not forfeited their charters Some years ago the
Mayors Marshal was in the habit OF issuing licenses
after this style
New York Ss''
BY MAYOR.
To all whom these presents shall come,
Know ye that pursuant 10 the ordinance of the
Common Council passed Dec 81, 1859, do here
Route. by license - TO - horse railroad car for
the conveyance Of passengers for hire in the said
city; 10 run the same as noted in the margin, &C
- This license to continue in force until the FIRST
Monday IN January jar next unless sooner i revoked ,e
the day Of -, 1877.