Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-08
ported, and we had better have good service
from one company than poor service from

from one company than poor service from
two.
Again, the men who have made this invest
ment. are entitled to great consideration
and we should consider long time befor
we resolve to cripple them We don't Nee
any motor and bolt fne or cable road now
nor any additional street car franchise, aut
we should consider before we break tn
boom.
The cry that our street car business is q
failure, or overdone will cost us individually
over million dollars. We cannot stant
this cry.
The franchise on west side was granted K
compel the present company to give ser
vice on the west side, and rs soon as L
agreed to lay down the track, tue runners Of
the franchise turned it over to this company
The idea should be kept in mind that what
we want is good service-not poor service
and, the granting of additional street fran
| chises, is at best an experiment, II not
very doubtful one in which no one but the
promoters of new schemes have any interest,
and the result may wound our boom.
!
cannot but see, that if a dull time comes, his
property is first hit and last to recover and
that this dull time will effect the street GERS
as much as any other property, and that, II
the company have shorted in travel tie out
side street lines will be the ones, that the
poor service will be given on-Dividends to
the present company means, good service on
its lines Stop the dividend, divide the
dividend,-and we the property owners Suf-
fer our boom suffers.
Again, street company must earn good
dividends, to meet accidents. 1t IS
a matter Of qualification that this
company have had no accidents
to amornt to anything. Yet one accident
may occur that will cost the company the
earnings of the entire lines for three months:
and we must consider all these things A
series of accidents, even in good times, may
cripple the company. In fine, nothing should
be done to bring about poor service on pres
ent lines and cripple ''our boom, but on the
other hand we should see that it retains good
dividends, pay its bills and damages, and
keep it in a position where we can cuss it
without feeling that we are cussin a pauper,
but strong, healthy, rich man who de
serves it.
Campbell, Powell, ct al, who hold stock in
the street car company are not entitled to
consideration, but the Wichita Street Rail
way company, corporation which under a
franchise has undertaken to perform pub
lie service for the public under certain re-
strictions and penalties, is entitled to consid-
Grafton, because the public have an interest
in the company giving good service. And
the public not the street car company nor
the new franchise getters, Is the real party
in interest, and the public demands good
service, not new franchises. The way to get
good service is to see that the company gets
good dividends If the public is not being
served properly the franchise points out a
way to demand it. Has the public demand
ed anything? Is the public suffering for
more or better facilities.
The promoter of new schemes is the
humin bein that is sufferin. The public is
uoW SCI Nou ny cilu IhC
expectation or we Oldest inhabitant.
The promoter of new schemes shares the
opinion of Vanderbilt regarding the public
and the public through the city council needs
more protection from new schemes than
anything else.
The idea should be borne in mind that all
franchises are granted to subserve some
public interest, and unless there is a real
not fancied, public interest to be subserved,
no franchise should be granted
BELT LINE.
In what way will the damage be lessened
on street by having belt line instead of
an ordinary standard guags railroad COM
pany operated on a street?
The belt line is to benefit the stock holders
and levy tribute on the incoming railroads.
The standard guage is to benefit both the
railroads and the city,
Which will you take, ~