Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-07-27
COMMITTEE HEARING.
The Franchise of the Horse Railroad C
 Under Discussion,

| The Franchise of the Horse Railroad Co Under Discussion.
 The committee appointed by the court of common council to give public hearing on the question of changing the motive power of the street railway to electricity, met in the district court room last evening. Upwards of thirty persons were present, including the committee. Mayor Webster called the meeting to order, was made chairman, and Alderman Cross was made secre- | tary.
 | w. J. Rigney started the ball rolling by declaring that he was in favor of | allowing the road to use electricity. q | have been in Boston," he stated, 'in Worcester and in several other cities and have seen how electric roads have | benefited the working people. Men who before had to live around the shop or mill can now get out in the suburbs l and own homes of their own and live better. l was against the change until saw its benefits. I never saw an acci- dent connected with the getting on or off. When I signed the petition against the road did not know what was do- ing"
 l City Clerk E. c. Kilduff was the next to express an opinion. "I do not wish to be understood as being opposed to the use of electricity in operating our street railway. I would like to call the atten- tlon of the committee to the fact, how ever, that this company is in possession of a valuable franchise for which they never paid dollar, They now ask | further concessions and additions to that franchise. I do not think they should have 1t unless they accede to certain things. They should agree to pay their part of the expenses incurred in work along their lines. They should pay the assessments levied against them in the past and agree to pay what will be assessed in the future, without re- course to law. They should reduce the fares for those hours when people go to | and return from work, and for children going to and from school, thereby giving them some compensation for this valu- able permission. Again a certain code | of ordinances should be made guarding life and property, and an especial ordi- nance compelling the company to adopt | the improved methods of the future and not stick by the trolley"
 M. J. Brzezinski: "Children do not have far to go to school Tn any part of the city at the present day, and this proposition to reduce the fare seems to me to be nOnsensical."
 Town Clerk J. J. Madden said q understand, Mir Chairman, that this committee had been appointed to find out what concessions the Horse Railway company would make. 1 think we should hear from some of their repre- sentatives so that the citizens may talk intelligently on the matter. I would call your attention to the fact that this comDany's charter was granted by the state and given without any op- position from the people of the city. I think that company having fran Chlse so valuable that it's stock is quoted at 250 and asking additional privileges should contribute certain percentage of its earnings to the city as is the prac- tlce in other places. They should pay for the paving of streets between tracks They have right of way which did it go through private property they would have to pay large sum for, and I think they should pay the city some | thing for it."
 Thomas Kelly: "This question has got down to a commercial question. The Horse Railroad company want to lesson their expenses and declare greater | dividends. They want more privileges from the people. I think the people have right to ask what they think it worth. It is worth the carrying of working people between the hours of six and seven and twelve and one, for three cents. Then men could go home to meals they now have to carry in pails. This is as little as any one could ask and would be no burden to the electric road.'
 No one else wishing to speak the hearing was then closed and the com mittee discussed the subject among themselves. It was finally decided to adjourn until Thursday at 1 30 D. m. when a committee from the Horse Railroad company will meet with the committee from the council.
 The Trolley Has Its Dangers.