Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-21
ON THE OTHER HAND.
Mr., 0. P. Scaife Takes Issue With T.
N. Magee on Street Railways.
EXPLAINING A DOUBLE DANGER.
The Parallel Clause Would Forbid Viaduct
and Allegheny Lines,
PREVENTING NEW TRANS-RIyER ROADS

The Laderty street railway bill has eX-
cited more comment than any bill yet pre-
sented to the Legislature. THE DISPATCH
yesterday contained an interview with F.
M. Magee, ESQ.,, who, it seems, wrote the
bill, in which he stated that the clause pro-
hibiting paralleling did not affect this city.
Mr.. o. P. Scaife, President of the 0bserv-
atory Hill Passenger Railway, (the Allie
and he takes quite different view of it.
To DISPATCH reporter he said:
am glad to notice the position taken editor1-
ally by The DISPATCH on the proposed DILL
In my opinion no more outrageous act was ever
introduced into Legislature. Any one ac-
quainted with the topography of the two cities
of Pittsburg and Allegheny, can easily see how
it will prevent accommodation to vast numbers
of our citizens in the rapidly growing outlying
districts. Particularly would this be the case
with the city of Allegheny, which is not as well
supplied with passenger railway facilities as
Pittsburg. One of the objective points OF all
lines in Allegheny is Pittsburg, and to get
there, a new line must necessarily reach one of
the numerous bridges crossing the Allegheny
river. In fact these bridges become
THE HUB Oh CENTER
of the various systems. Those now existing
are the Pittsburg, Allegheny and Manchester,
crossing the Sixth street bridge, and by a
special act of the Legislature it has an entire
monopoly of this bridge, which cannot be dis
turbed. This road has branches, or radiall lines,
one extending to the West End, via Lacock and
Rebecca streets, and another to the East End
via Ohio street, the main line extending west
on Ohio. The Pleasant Valley represents
another radial line, crossing the Northside
bridge via Sandusky and Federal streets to the
northwest, and owning the Peoples Park Rail-
way via the Hand street bridge and Anderson
street, diverging on Federal street to the north
east The Union Line, crossing the Union
bridge, running west is owned by the Pitts
burg Allegheny and Manchester Company.
Now, there is a large area of territory lying
between these various lines which is still un-
accommodated with street railway conveyance,
except the people walk long distance, and
even then cannot find accommodation, as the
business is too great for existing lines to handle
properly.
PARALLELS ESSENTIAL.
1t would be impossible, however to construct
a new line into these sections, so badly needed.
without paralleling for a considerable distance
nearer than 1000 feet the other lines, as the
center of the systems viz the bridges, is ap-
preached, SO that the paralleling clause of the
proposed bill would effectually cut off all fu-
ture accommodation to this vast and growing
portion of Allegheny.
The Observatory Hill Passenger Railway-an
electric line recently constructed-was chart
cred under the act of 1879, the termini being
Wood street and Sixth avenue, Pittsburg. and
the city line on the Perrysville plank road, Al
legheny. The portion from City Hall, Allie
gheny, to the junction of the Perrysville and
Butchers Run roads, about three and a half
miles, was first constructed at an enormous
expense and under great engineering difficult
ties, opening the entire northern portion of the
city, conceded by all to be the most beautiful
suburban country of the two cities, but which,
for want of facilities. had been lying in an en-
tirely undeyeloped state, and necessarily so be-
cause neither cable nor animal power could be
used, owing to the grades and curves. 1t re-
manned for electricity to solve the problem
The Observatory Hill line having proved sue
cess. the franchise was obtained from the Allie
gheny councils, on the petition OF almost all
property owners, to complete the line along
Federal street to Lacock- and thence by La
cock to Sandusky and the Northside bridge.
WHAT HINDERED THEM
An ordinance wasintroduced in the Pittsburg |
Councils for the Pittsburg end, but beyond |
reference to a committee, has never been acted |
upon. The company, however, had prepared |
to enter on the construction of the extension to
the Northside bridge when the decision of the |
Supreme Court was announced declaring the |
act of 1879 unconstitutional under which the |
road was chartered. The company was then |
compelled to await remedial legislation from |
the present Legislature, and an ordinance is |
pending in the Allegheny Councils extending |
tension to the Northside bridge and also pro- |
riding for the construction of branch line into
part of the territory heretofore mentioned, |
which is without street railway accommodation. |
1t will be thus seen that should any bill cover
ing the rechartering of street railways at pres
ent, without charters under the Supreme Court |
decision, contain clause prohibiting the paral- |
leling of lines nearer than 900 feet or the plac-
ing of additional tracks upon any street for |
more than 800 feet, without the consent of ex-
isting lines, no extension to Pittsburg of the |
pOuld hp Doda /
constructed, as proposed.
When Mr. Fred Magee states that the pro-
posed bill does not affect the city he is laboring
under very grave mistake. to say the least |
If specially written to cripple the growth of |
Allegheny City, it could not have been better
framed. 1t is well known that the lines now
crossing the bridges are totally unable to ac-
commodate the travel, and there is an urgent
demand d for new lines with increased facilities.
WHAT DEPENDS ON IT.
The growth of Allegheny is dependent in
large part on its citizens having facilities to
reach the business centers. To close the ave-
nues of entrance to her outlying districts
would be to endanger her prosperity for many
years. Instead of legislation prohibiting the
of lines, so far as Allegheny is con-
the use by new lines Of the tracks of existing |
lines for like distance lDhere they lead to
bridges, SO that additional lines, when needed
may be constructed to the business centers. |
Such legislation will be very strongly urged by
the citizens of Allegheny.
To all appearances this Lafferty bill seems to
have been specially designed to injure the OBJ
serYatory Hill Railway and to place it in the
hands of monopoly now existing and seeking
TO obtain entire control of the streets of ALLIE.
gneny and Pittsburg, through the Legislature,
which it could not obtain through the Coun-
ellis. 1t is not proposed to allow the electric
line to carry its passengers to Pittsburg, but
they must change cars and pay two fares as at
present.
A SAMPLE sTRANGULATIoN.
To show how far reaching the effect of the
proposed bill would be, it is well known a char
ter for bridge of magnificent proportions has
been issued to cross the Allegheny river from
Arch street to Fifth street, Pittsburg over
which no street railway could cross because be-
ing nearer than 600 feet to existing lines
1t is claimed by Mr.. Magee that the parallel
ing clause is inserted for the benefit of Ph1la-
delphians. How this can be SO am at a loss to
understand as everyone visiting that city
knows almost every street running north and
south and east and west has its parallel lines in
but few instances over 800 feet apart and car
rying vast numbers of passengers What is
rapidly growing city of Allegheny in the near
future, if allowed to grow without legislative
or monopolistic creations.
A bill is needed, and must be passed to
allow all companies chartered under the act of
1879 to have their existing charters made valid,
Nothing more is needed than to have the old
act apply 20 the enLlre oBaue instead OF to cities
Of the second and third class, and thus remov-
ing the objections of the Supreme Court
No effort will be spared to acquaint the
Legislature with all the facts, and to secure
not only the elimination of the Objectionable
features of the proposed bill but also the in
sertion of a clause allowing the use of tracks
Of other street railways leading to bridges as
have indicated. That would be honest legis.
alton for the people, and not In the interests
Of proposed monopolies-
Electricians Visit Allegheny.