The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-18
ELECTRIC FRANCHISES.
ALDERMEN THINK THE ROADS
NEED NOT BE IN A HURRY.

|
Companies Petition to Use Electric
Motors Without Restrictions The
Committee of the Whole to Submit
Two Reports to the Council-How
the Aldermen Stand.
Information has leaked out that there
was quite divergence of opinion expressed
at the meeting of the committee of the
whole of the city council Monday with
reference to granting the petition asked for
by the Belt Line, City and Suburban and
Coast Line railroads. for all were repre-
sented. for right to operate their cars with
electrical power.
There was a disposition on the part of
the aldermen, under the lead of Alderman
McDonough, to give the street railway lines
everything asked for, and give it at once,
SO that the Belt Line people who, are ready
to become pioneers in the use Of electricity
as motive power for railways in Savan-
nah, might begin work at once.
Other m embers OF council took the posi-
| ton that there was no occasion to rush
| things, that matters should be carefully
investigated, and some safeguards and re-
| strlctlons provided for.
THE MINORITY SIDE.
For this reason there was strong minor
| ity in the committee Of the whole that pre-
vented prompt action, or 'obstructionists,"
| as the term has been applied to them This
minority, it seems, proposes to antagonize
| any franchises which do not carry with
them some corresponding advantages.
why" said an alderman to a MORNING
NEWS reporter yesterday, 'the franchise
asked for is worth 100000 TO the street
railway companies, aud it wouldn't be ask
| ing too much of them to give the city s., 900
year as long as the overhead trolley is
| used, and as soon as the use of
storage batteries is found practicable, as it
eventually will be, to require the street
| railway companies to abandon the I'M
slightly and dangerous overhead wires for
the storage battery system. and thereafter
remit the annual fixed charge.
ONE OF THE OBJECTIONS.
Another thing" continued the alderman.
"They want to put the overhead wires only
nineteen feet above the street surface That
will be too low on Bay street. The CITY has
granted the South Bound the right of way
on Bay street, and there wouldn't be room
for brakeman to stand on a freight car
along Bay street. If, as the street car COM
panies claim, that is the maximum hight of
the wires with the present cars In use, then
this can be remedied by the use of higher
cars. The city ought not, with the frequent
head wires to be put up without some safe
guards to life. They should be required to
put three solid dead wires above the electric
| wires, so that the latter will be to some ex-
tent protected from the falling of objects
, upon them"
Then the MORNING NEWS was correct
| in saying there will be a majority and
minority reports"
Eyes, that was the only way to prevent
| the petition from going through unchal-
lenged. There was at first a decided ma
| jority in favor of some reasonable
restrictions, but under the specious argu-
ments made the situation changed, leaving
only four members firm in their determine
ton to consent to no loose-end contract.
1T was sought by the majority to grant
| the right upon such terms as council might
hereafter decide upon. This meant nothing
definite. The council ought to know, first,
what the street railroad companies want,
and If it is good policy to grant them all
they ask for.
| LOOKING GOOD WAYS AHEAD.
"The Belt line in particular wants three of
| the principal traffic streets of the city-Bay,
East Broad and portion of West Broad
street. Now, if the overhead wire system
is the only practical system at this time,
the city ought to be in a position, when a
| safer and less obstructive and unsiohtly
system has been developed, to say to the
street railway companies, You must change
| from the primitive to the more perfect sys-
| tenn; but il the city valves this right when
it has the power to fix its own terms, the
syndicates which have obtained control of
the street railway lines of Savannah will
laugh at any suggestion of the city to do
something they are not required to do.n
| While President Johnston of the City and
Suburban and Coast lines was present at
the meeting as those lines have also a petit
tion for the same rights on their lines as
the other company asks for the Belt line, it
is understood the two other lines are not as
anxious for present action as the Belt line
as they are satisfied for the present with
the great American kicker-the mule-as @
motive power.
In a recent interview Capt. Johnston
informed a MORNING NEWS reporter thai
it will be time enough two years hence tc
adopt electricity as motive power, and
therefore. as long as the petition is denied
the Belt line must be on the same footin 9
with the other lines
AN EARLY DECISION WANTED
There was some talk yesterday of a called
meeting of council to act on the petitions
as those aldermen who favor immediate &C
ton feel that they have a safe majority anC
are unwilling to wait until the next regular
meeting of council. 1t is not unlikely tina
the mayor will be called upon to conven
tue council DeIOre Cne close or the week
and il it should be done an interesting meet
ing may be looked forward to. AS it is
matter of general public interest objection
will probably be made to caucusing on it
and the meeting held with open doors, 81
that the position of individual councilmel
! may be known to the public. 1t is under
stood that Aldermen Carson, Felligan
Myers, Harmon and Bailey, while no
opposing the adoption of electric power a.
motor, want certain restrictions provided
for before granting an omnibus franchis
to the street railway companies, and Alder
men Harris, Cam and Haines, it is thought
will unite with the minority in a conserva
tive ordinance comforting reasonable grant.
to the companies