Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-01

such = dissrtbution or cars Of said TRACTION
companies as viii send said cars 70 oenei
and additional ternnint throughous the CITY.
The ordinance then proceeds TO give one
way Company the right to construct main.
tain and operate an electric street railway
beginning at end of Northside bridge on
Seventh street, thence along Dnguesne way
| to Water street, thence along Water street
to.Wood street. Also at end Of Northsioe
bridge to connect with tracks of Transverse
Passenger Railway Company, thence along
Sixth and Penn to connect with south track
of Citizens Passenger Railway Company,
thence along Penn navenue to Seventh street,
with authority to straddle said track on
Penn avenue If permission cannot be oo.
tanned from Citizens Railway Company TO
use the track already there.
With the Consent of Another Company.
Also with consent OF the Allegheny Trac-
ton Company to connect with the tracks OF
the Transfer Passenger Railway at Sixth
and Liberty, where said streets intersect
with Market. Also with consent of the Alle-
gheny Traction Company. said company
shall have the right to operate its cars over
all the streets now used and occupied by the
Allegheny Traction Company for the opera
ton of its cars, and also upon such other
streets as the Allegheny Traction Company,
as lessor of the Transverse Passenger Rail
way Company, may have the right to oper-
ate its cars on
Also, beginning at Liberty and Market
thence along Market street to Fourth ave-
nue., thence along Fourth avenue to Wood
street. thence along Wood street on Trans
verse tracks, with consent OF the Allegheny
vides also that if the Exchange Street Rail-
way Company be authorized to lay tracks
on Market street, then the Pittsburg. Allie
gheny and Manchester Passenger Railway
Company, its successors, lessees and assigns
shall obtain consent of said Exchange Street
Railway Company to operate over Its tracks
on Market street. Also that 1t snail pc
authorized to agree with such street railway
companies as have rights and tracks on
Fourth avenue between Market and WOOD
to use such tracks for the operation OF lts
cars 1fpermission from other companies
cannot be had for the use of tracks on Mar
ket and Fourth avenue, then the said P1tts-
burg, Allegheny and Manchester Passenger
Railway Company shall have the right TO
lay additional tracks upon Market street
and Fourth avenue, over the route spec1ned.
The ordinance provides for numerous other
rights and franchises which l have really
not the time to enumerate.
Wide-Sweeping Omnibus Measure.
1t is an omnibus measure in the fullest
sense of the term. 1t seems to have been
drawn especially in the interest of lessons.
lessees, successors and assigns. 1t is evil
IDENTIFY intended to convey all the authority
and grant all the rights, powers, privileges
fit to use or exercise at any time in the fu-
ture. 1t is the most comprehensive and
complex piece OF legislation that has been
submitted to me for approval since I have
occupied this office. Never before, as far as
have knowledge. has any one ordinance
leges, and these, too without one scintilla
of compensation to the city. 1t even con-
tains provision modifying the section of
the general ordinance requiring companies
Ia oal- fN<,f<
side thereof. This paving, as provided by
the ordinance is to be limited to streets not
paved with block stone. The Transverse
Passenger Railway Company, which occu-
pies Wood street. paved bet the tracks
and one foot outside thereof with block
stone as n small compensation to the city
for its occupancy of the street.
Under this ordinance, the Pittsburg, Ale
gheny and Manchester Passenger Railway
Company is authorized to use the Wood
street tracks Jointly with the Transverse
Company. 1t will be relieved from all
paving because the street is already paved
with block stone, and yet the ordinance re-
quires no other compensation. The COM
pany is granted permission to operate its
payment of 81 to the city. What is true Of
this street will apply with equal force to
many OF the other streets enumerated in
this ordinance.
the dangerous termini men ntioned in the two
already referred to, but 1t forgets
to say anything about the numerous cross
lngs and corners that this distribution con-
verts into places Of constant danger to the
public.
Danger at Fourth and Wood.
Let me refer to one Of these. II the Pitts
burg, Allegheny and Manchester Railway
Company Is permitted to occupy Market
street and Fourth avenue, all its cars will
swing around the corner Of Fourth avenue
and Wood street ana CROSS the tracks Of the
Wylie avenue line In order to reach the |
tracks of the Transverse Company on the |
east side Of this street. We will have cars
,ircling round Wood to Fourth, and cars
swinging around from Fourth to Wood,
every minute in the day, thus converting a |
ten-fold greater danger. I might speak also |
Of Fourth and Market, Fifth and Market, |
Fifth and Wood and many other crossings |
and corners, but time will not permit. |
mention these things to show that while |
the ordinance may lessen the danger, as |
claimed by the company, at Liberty and |
it Will increase the peril in a dozen |
IN the ordinance requiring the company to |
station men at these dangerous crossings |
md corners for the protection of the public. |
as usual, and supply officers,
Who shall be paid by the taxpayer, to pro- |
5ect the lives and property OF our people |
rom the companies and corporations that |
by wrestling gratuitous franchises from our
Aye, it is said that after
awhile an ordinance will be passed placing |
tax of $50 on each street car operated on the /
Have you calculated the amount of reve-
hue this tax will producer Well, Just about
IL 600 or 1900; while it will cost the city
lot one cent less than $40, 900 annually to pay
,he officers required to signal the cars of the
and corporations at the crossings
Ind corners of our Streets. We are told that
street railways are convenience to the
public. No one deties this, but it does not |
follow that they should be permitted to
absolutely monopolize the business streets
If the city without some reasonable COM
,ensasion; They f6s "a, are convenience but the
for the benefit of the companies
md the pecun1ary advantage of their pro-
ectors.
Giving Away Too Much Value.
We have given away very many valuable
franchises without demanding any euuiya-
ent return to the city. Some of these have
'een utilized by the companies receiving
hem, while others have been transferred TO
ther corporations for valuable considera-
ions. Is it not our duty as the sworn repre-
numerous rights and privileges which are
ource OF SO much profit to companies and
are made a source OF some rev.
nue. to our cityf Ny objections to the placing
u trdcks or tuc Opcrdtlon Oh cars on Market |
treet are fully presented in my communi.
alton accompanying the Exchange street
ailway ordinance, herewith inclosed. These
objections apply with equal force to this or
finance and need not be repeated here.
The Mayors third veto was placed upon
he ordinance authorizing the Controller to
ssue his certificates upon the Mayor for
7arrants in favor of the Allegheny Light
company for lighting Municipal Hall and
he market house by electricity. The Mayor
ays: