Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-12
THE LOCAL RAILWAY MIDDLE.

THE LOCAL RAILWAY MIDDLE.
Some local agitation is commanding at
tention relative to the modification of the
franchise of the new street railway COM
pany. The company was chartered to OPP
crate its cars by electrical motors from
storage batteries. Since then experience
has demonstrated that this method of pro-
pulsion in the present development of
electrical science cannot be economically
employed, and that capital, ever wary of
risks, will not invest in it. The railway
company in question has asked permission
to substitute horses for electrical motors,
until such time as the storage battery sys-
tenn is brought to economic perfection, and
1t shows that unless this is granted it can
not operate It's lines in a manner to meet
the demands of the public for transporta-
ton. 1t also asks for certain extensions,
conceded to be reasonable and for public
convenience, by which its mileage will be
slightly increased.
Under the original projection of the
road, subscriptions from property owners
along the line were solicited, and the ag-
gregate Of these subscriptions is only about
one-tenth the cost ofthe road There now
come before the Board of Trustees sub
scribers representing about one-fourth the
subscribed sum, and protest against the
grant of the privileges asked for In other
words they insist that electrical motors
shall be used, whether or no. 1t is NOM
mated in the bond, they excIaim, and we
will have the pound of flesh. In plain
English, that is the long and short of the
matter. But with all due respect to these
citizens, and whose sincerity we are not
disposed to question, we submit that they
are pursuing a policy detrimental to the
best interests of the city; that they are
making mistake which they will regret
if they are successful. If they are assured
shat their subscriptions are not payable
until the road is operated by electricity,
and they believe that the road is
not beneficial to the city if the cars
are drawn by horses and if they
feel that they are not morally or
legally bound to meet their subscriptions,
all they have to do is to refuse to pay if
demand is made upon them Certainly
they have no better standing before the
Trustees of the city than any other citizen
of the municipality.
So far as the Trustees are concerned, they
have neither legal nor moral right to con-
slider the issue between the subscribers and
the road. If the latter does not keep its
contract, the subscribers have their remedy
in the Courts-either afiirmatively to COM
pei performance or defensively If sued for
their subscriptions. They certainly have
no right to use the municipal legislature
as a means of enforcing claims against the
company. The Trustees will be guilty of
a serious breach of duty if they act in
this matter with the contract between the
company and its subscribers at all in
view. The simple and only question for
them to consider is, What is best for the
whole people? They have only to con-
slider these propositions: Is the road
public benefit, and is It's operation by cleo
tricity economically possible? If not pos
sible, will The public interest be conserved
by permitting the cars to be propelled by
horsepower, as the cars of other COM
panies in the city are propelled? VIII it
tend TO conserve the public interest to
force the company into bankruptcy? win
the city as a whole be benefited or injured
by the operation of the road with horses?
Did the projectors of the road in good
faith believe, as did the scientists here and
everywhere, that an economic storage
battery had been invented, and are they
blameworthy for the failure of the inven-
ton to keep up to the level Of its promise
The truth is, and this fact every citizen
knows, that the laying and operation of
the road has been a great benefit and a
convenience to the people; that the COM
satisfaction to the public, and that the line
is general good. To drive such road
out of operation, or to driyeling and in
adequate service Just sufficient to hold its
franchise, will benefit no one, but on the
contrary viii do infinite injury to the
town, and the reasons are so patent that it
is wholly unnecessary TO recapitulate them
The extensions asked are not openly op-
posed; il, however, behind the present
contention there is intention to prevent
the extension in the interest of COMPETE
tive lines, then a grave mistake is made.
The new line is really a benefit to existing
ones; two lines reaching Agricultural
Park will augment travel to the Park
without depriving any existing line OF
patronage. Experience has demonstrated
that, tn the increase of the facilities for
travel, travel is stimulated, so long as the
increase is not disproportionate to the pop
ulation As matter of fact, two lines tc
the East End will prove beneficial to both.
The RECORD UNION cannot be charged
with bias in this matter, since it ha:
heretofore manifested and still entertain:
friendliness to the old lines, because they
are in the drift of public enterprise, tent
to the upbuilding of the suburbs ofthe city
are great public convenience, and in later
years at least, have been operated by pub