Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-19
Representative Lafferty's Street Railroad
Bill to Prohibit Parallel Lines and
Giving Existing Corporations
Great Privileges-Trans.
fer of Franchises.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT

tFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
HARRISBURG, January 1S.-Representa-
tive Lafferty, of Pittsburg, to day intro
duced bill, the title of which explains the
measure as follows:
An act for the incorporation and regulation
of passenger railway companies, that corpora
tions may be formed in the manner hereinafter
mentioned by the voluntary association of five
or more persons for the construction and opera
tion of passenger railways for public use in the
conveyance of passengers in any street or high
way in any city, borough township of this
Commonwealth, provided that the construction
and operation of such railways shall be subject
to the consent of a majority of the property
owners along the streets or highways of the
proposed route, and of the councils of any city
or borough in which the same is proposed to be
built and operated, by ordinance duly enacted
In the bill it is provided that companies
may be re-chartered under this act, but no
part of this act shall be construed as re-
lease of any restrictions in regard to fares
charged and shall be subject to existing
contracts and other obligations. Two i'm
portant sections are these:
Section I7-No passenger railways or any
branch or extension thereof shall be con-
structed within the limits of any city or borough
without the consent of the local authorities
therein, nor shall any such company parallel,
build alongside of or straddle or use upon the
street the tracks of any other passenger railway
company, now or hereafter constructed, for a
greater distance than 500 feet without the con-
sent of the company already occupying the
street.
Section 1S-No passenger railway shall con-
struct its road along the route or upon lines
paralleling or running in the same direction as
those of another passenger railway already in
existence and in operation nearer than 1000
faQt nff fyo0 0lyd doft hn iltuQ IN in nyic
ence and operation, except for the purpose of
making circuit, connections or crossings as
provided by the provisions of this act without
the consent of the company whose tracks are
Section l9-Requires the company to begin
work within a year after obtaining the consent
of Council.
Section 2O-Gives the company. its officers
and servants the right to select a route over,
upon and along any bridges but steam railroad
bridges, not exceeding the space necessary for
two tracks. This act includes bridges owned
by bridge corporations or individuals, whether
such bridge spans stream or river, navigable
or otherwise, and includes all bridges over
which tracks of a passenger railway are now
laid or used, provided that before laying such
tracks they shall give a bond as security
against damages.
Section 21-Provides for the settlement of
damages by commission of three freeholders
appointed by the Court of Common Pleas,
from whom an appeal to the court may be
taken within 30 days. Damages for construc-
tion over bridges shall be kept separate from
damages for operation. Damages to bridges
may be payable If acceptable, in the stock or
bonds of the company. Street railways may
cross Others diagonally or at right angles.
Section 29-Passenger railway companies
heretofore or hereinafter incorporated under
general or special laws are hereby empowered
to sell or lease their property or franchise to
motor power companies now or hereafter in
corporated under laws authorizing such COM
panies to lease the franchises Of passenger rail.
way cOmpanies.