Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-25
BILL NO. 50.
The Grade Crossing Measure Vigorously
Assailed-A p. r. r. Dodge.

The Grade Crossing Measure Vigorously
Assailed-A p. r. r. Dodge.
From the Philadelphia RecordJ
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company is pull
ing the wires on Councilmen and Legislators to
secure the passage of bill No. 50 to stop the
building of railroads at grade The measure
as presented by Mr.. William F. Stewart of the
Eighteenth ward, was drafted by Pennsylvania
Railroad agents, and the original copy, as in
troduced in the House, was found to be in the
handwriting of Alexander X. Pedrick, a rail-
road lobbyist who occupies desk among the
reporters on the floor of the House of Repre-
sentatives at Harrisburg. Pedrick is the
open and ayowed agent of the Penn
sylVanla Railroad Company. His desk is
the honey pot for all legislators who
want free passes or the more substantial favors
of the rich corporation. He openly distributes
the gratuities of his employer, making no con-
cealment OF his mission in the halls of legisla-
ton. He makes copies of all bills that relate,
even remotely, to railroads or corporations, and
sends daily reports to Captain Green, whose
function as Vice President of the company
mainly consists in caring for its political and
legislative fences. While Mr.. Pedrick pulls the
strings for the legislative puppets on the popu-
lar side of the General Assembly his assistant.
Captain Potts, keeps watch upon the Senators.
Recently the services of the Pennsylvania
Railroad lobbyists were utilized in an effort to
put an absolute stop to all railroad construc-
ton in the big cities of the Commonwealth,
The merchants of Philadelphia were clainoring
for belt line railroad, and the shippers of
Pittsburg were asking for the marginal road
that was to relieve them from an oppressive
monopoly. While William R. Tucker and
Others acting independently, were antagoniz-
ing and delaying the belt line scheme, the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company fixed up Coun-
ellis and the Legislature in favor of bill to
stop competition under the pretext of abolish
ing grade crossings.
Mayor Filter sent an earnest and emphatic
protest to the Legislature against the passage
of Bill No. 81 The manipulatOrs Of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company were not able to
answer his objections, but in order to provide
an antidote for this vigorous protest they
called upon their tools in Councils to pass
series OF resolutions in favor of the bill. To
each member of Councils who was regarded as
pllaole Mr. Latta sent the following private
letter:
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY.
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL AGENT, :
PHILADELPHIA, ADrtl II, 1883.
Member G. --th Ward:
DEAR STR beg to inclose you herewith copy
of resolution to be introducedin Councils to-mor-
row n the interest ofthe passage Of the bill known
This measure has received the support Of the
newspapers to great extent, and am glad to
say that the objections raised to some of the pro-
visions Of the bill by his Honor the Mayor of the
city will be fully met by proper amendments at
explanatory in this direction, and it will give me
pleasure to have your vote and support for the
passage of this resolution indicating to the Legis-
lature at Harrisburg that the city Of Philadelphia
Is anxious to have some law upon the statute books
that will regulate the great problem of grade cross
ings in the future. Yours truly,
WILLIAM j. LGTTI, General Agent.
As result of the above letter Councils en-
dorsed the lniquitous measure. The last chap
ter in this story of great crime against the
material interests of Philadelphia and Pitts
burg will be unfolded to-day or tomorrow in
the State Senate, when bill No. 81 will be
called up for third and final reading.