Telegram-herald., 1891-05-27

As viii Dc seen by the council pro
eecdiags, the Reed Lake slectrte ffaa-
elise sas rallrOadec through last nlgft,
with the most indecent lAste. and III
utter disregard OF precedent or OF the
protests OF psople nlos- directly Affect
ed by the proposed ROAD. TIE passage
or the ordinance as amended, without
allowing time for It's publication. Is
little less than public outrage. This
action - worthy OF pot-house politi-
Clans and tlme-seTysrs-and OF such
material the majority OF the present
council seems 20 DO chiefly composed.
There exists 40 pubic necessity FOR the
Reeds Lake electric road. lt will IN
convenience the public vastly more
than u slll benefit the public. Ii viii
neye: pay expenses II built. It will m
Iure most or tbs property along the
proposed route, and wall render prAe-
ucSlly useless the only decent street
remaining for driving 10 the lake. Tho
streets covered by the franchise are
narrow. and a double ira <, such as II
- proposed 10 build, Will practically
occupy the entire roadway. The street
railway lines now running eastward
from the heart OF the city are more
than sufficient to Accommodate the traf-
nc. The Reeds Lake road, II built,
will prove 8 useless obstruction To the
streets through which 1t Iuns, and n
losing investment Tor those who build
u. No street car system Iii this city has
ever Jet paid q cent in dividends. The
city Is not large enough to support two
systems and afford either . living
profit. There is now but one street
running directly up the hill which IL
not obsiructed by a street railway; but
il may be expected that the denagogues
OF the common council Will give this
TO any irresponsible concern that asks
for a franchlse.-Eaglc.
The council last night, by a vote of 10
TO 4, granted the Reeds Lake Electric
railway company franchise from its
East-st. terminus down into the bust
ness center of the city. Only a few
week. ago these same aldermen, by al
most an equally decisive vote, refused
10 grant this franchise on the ground,
seemingly, that 1t would be- unwisc
policy TO again introduce the cut-throat
competition which had led TO the build
ing of needless parallel lines, nearly
bankrupted both the old companies and
forced them into q consolidation which
istl iCSulbCa Vic "a
useless OF miles of track which, in the
fierce competition for territory, had
been put down st thousands on thOus-
ands of dollars expense. What has
caused thissudden and rad zeal change Of
opinion in the council? Doubtless the
public feeling reused against the Street
and Cable company by reason OF its
position taken III its difficulty with ITS
striking employees, and especially by
reason of Its most unwise and impru.
dent declaration of war against the
right OF its employees to JOIN \ union
under penalty OF instant discharge.
IL Is not at all strange that, corsti-
tuted ~ il is, the council should have
suddenly changed front on this ques-
ton, considering the strength and in-
fiuence of the labor organizations in
the city. coupled with their army of
sympat hizers outside the unions. and
the refusal of the company to arbitrate.
Nevertheless, The Leader believes that
the action Of the council last night will,
IN the end, prove most unwise, when
viewed from the standpoint of the gen.
eral public interest, and rs measure
looking to the securing OF permanent
and satisfactory street railway service.
The history of the cut-thrcat COMPETE
ton between the Cable company and
its old rival, and the disastrous results,
is fresh in the minds of the public-or
ought to be. What good reason is there
for not believing this history will repeat
itself as between the Cable company
and its new rival which has now been
invited into the city as competitor.
unless indeed the property owners
along the route succeed by legal con-
test in vetoing the new line? Time
will tell.-Leader.