The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-26
TO GRANT THE PETITION.
THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE
STREET RAILROADS.


by All the Lines Under Certain Re-
strictions-The Committee of the
Whole Submits Two Reports to the
Council - Alderman Falligant Turns
Loose on the City and Suburban and
Coast Line Managerents-The En-
terprise Company's Petition for an
Exclusive Franchise Sat Down Upon.
1t was street railway day with the city
council yesterday. The issue began
in the caucus, which lasted forty
minutes, and it is understood that the ordi-
nance below, which was read the
first time, and which will pass at the next
meeting, had a section whacked out of it in
the caucus room which provided that, in
addition to the usual and regular taxes re-
quired Of such companies, the sum of 81 900
annually should be paid, and as soon as the
companies should adopt, with the consent of
council, some system regarded as safer and
more acceptable than the overhead Trolly
system, and should remove the poles and
wires from the streets, the levying OF the
tax would be discontinued.
When the matter came up in open coun-
Gil the following majority report was re-
ceived as information:
That the petitions of the Savannah Street
and Rural Resort Railway Company, City and
Suburban Railway Company and the Coast Line
Railroad Company, for the use OF electricity as
motive power be granted. and they are here
by authorized to erect an overhead system, sub
Ject to such conditions and restrictions as the
city council may from time to time adopt.
wHACK AT MR.. PARSONS LINES.
A minority report by Alderman
Falligant was listened to with the closest
attention by the council and Capt. john
ston, president of the City and Suburban
and Coast Line. 1t was as follows:
In the matter of the above petition, do not
see on what grounds the City and Suburban and
Coast Line railway companies can come before
council, who are trustees OF the people OF Sa-
vannah, and expect any more favors to be
granted to them. The Whitaker street car line
is part Of the Savannah, Skidaway and Sea
board Railway Company'S original line granted
to the stockholders of that line with two pur-
poses in view: one the advancement and
growth Of the city southwark, and the
other speedy and direct connection with
the suburban residences of
number of our citizens who helped to build the
road and whose summer places were along its
lines. Rights OF way within and without the
limits Of the city were obtained for the railway,
and many thousands OF dollars have been in
vested along its lines by citizens of Savannah,
and good faith requires that these lines shall be
maintained or else the charter forfeited. The
city granted tie use of the line in the city as a
part Of an inside and outside line for the con-
venience Of the people of Savannah: and the
abandonment OF one part OF the line should be
an abandonment OF all parts, leaving the city
free 10 dispose Of the Whitaker street privilege
TO such new party and on such new terms as it
pleases- In other words, the city did not grant
the Savannah, Sk1daway and Seaboard Rail
way Company the use of Whitaker street
in perDetttO. but only for such term
as the charter itself had TO run, which, be-
lieTe. was twenty years, and which has there
fore now expired, the railroad company only
remaining in possession as a sort OF tenant at
will. The council, therefore. may be in position
10 retake possession of this franchise, especially
as It seems TO have been originally obtained
without consideration, and is certainly not
being used now with that respect for the prom
ises under which it was obtained which is re-
Qulslte to a proper regard for the interests of
the people of Savannah. The streets of the
city are for all useful purposes the property of
the whole people, and not that of class or corpo-
ration. and all uses to which they may be put by
consent Of council must be for the good of Tire
whole people, and not for the special benefit of
class or corporation.
THE CITY AND sUBURBAN's HISTORY.
The City and Suburban railway is the out
growth Of the wrecked Savannah, Skdaway
and Seaboard railroad, in which $4,000 of the
good earnings of our people were swamped. 1t
is the further product of Sl5000O more of
watered bonds and stocks, to make which good
the citizens OF Savannah are made to pay
double fares in going from one part of the city
TO another, and are compelled to so by devious
and tedious routes in order that such
uOuDl9 IdreS may De eXdCUeQ from them. This
company had track on Anderson street, con-
Meeting with its Whitaker and Abercorn street
lines, so that parents and families wishing to
visit their dead at Laurel Grove cemetery could
take the cross line and save time. The astute
president Of that road saw coin in grief, and
under pretext that this connecting link did
not pay makes the tributes of love measure
or profit by requiring such grief-Stricken suf-
ferers TO come down to Liberty street for one
fare, and 90 back again on the Barnard and
West Broad street line with another fare thus
making each tribute of love pay 20 cents for a
10 cents ride.
The same thing occurs now in going to the
Coast Line depot. Passengers must pay cents
to get to the Broughton street line, and cents
more by that line to the depot, again squeezing
out of the people of Savannah 10 cents for a
6-cent ride, when if these changes had not been
made the 5-cent ride gave more convenient and
less tedious service. These entire new arrange
ments have been made not to benefit Savannah
or her citizens but to find means OF squeezing
out OF her long suffering people more money
Tor less service and this service itself vexatious
roundabout, unnecessarily costly, and by no
means what the people Of Savannah are en-
titled to In return for the use of the streets for
street car purposes.
This company, also. has grossly outraged
goodly number of the citizens of Savannah
whose summer homes are at or near its termini
With the malignant threat made by its pres-
dent that he would ruin a valuable section of
this county. its policy has been directed to ac-
complish such ruin and TO take vengeance upon
and lnfiict material loss upon many of our
MolbAy SlIllcuSs WHO put MIN IN the posi-
ton of having to abandon their business in The
city for half OF every day or abandon their sum
mer homes, where large sums have been in
yolved and where their families spend their
summers.
repeat that a company or companies pur-
suing and Still pursuing such malicious course
and using artifce, preteXt and cunning whereby
TO fleece the people of Savannah have poor
grounds on which to come before q body like
this, the trustees of her peoples welfare, and
ask further opportunity to make more money
by more comprehensive application of the
squeezing process.
THE ORDINANCE AGREED UPON.
The minority report was not argued. but
was also received as information, and was
followed by an ordinance by Alderman
Carson, which was read the first time. The
ordinance, emitting the title, is as follows:
SECTION l. Be it ordained by the mayor and
aldermen Of the city of Savannah in council
assembled, That, subject to the terms and CON
ditions hereinafter expressed, the Savannah
Street and Rural Resort Railroad COMPANY the
City and Suburban Railway Company and the
Coast Line Railway Company, three corpora
tons located in the city Of Savannah be. and
they are respectively authorized and empoW-
cred, TO use and operate railway carriages and
cars to be propelled by electricity on and over
their tracks now laid and used in
the said city of Savannah The electricity
TO be used as a motive power shall be sun
piled by means of a single overhead
line or conductor such as is ordinarily employed
in the system commonly called the single
wa no