Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-01
TWO VETO MESSAGES
On Traction Consolidation Sent to
Councils by Mayor Gourley.
OPPOSED TO GIVING FRANCHISES
Without Any Consideration at All Being
offered to the City.
CONTRACTS NOT YET COMPLIED WITH

CONTRACTS NOT YET COMPLIED WITH
As announced previously In THE DIS
PATCH two veto messages from Mayor
Gourley were read in Councils yesterday,
and passed over the veto. The first one,
which was written February s. and has
been sealed up in possession of President
Ford of Select Council ever since, is as
follows:
To the President and Members of Select Council:
GENrLEMEN-I respectfully return to your
honorable body without my approval an
ordinance entitled "An ordinance granting
the Duquesne Traction Company the right
to enter upon, occupy and use certain streets
and highways, and supply motive power to
and operate certain passenger ana street
railways" and known as Select Council File
No. S95.
Ii 1 understand the first section of this Or
dinance rightly, and there is but one section
grants the Duquesne Traction Company
powers in relation to the Pittsburg. Oakland
and East Liberty Passenger Railway Com
pany similar to the powers given the same
way Company, the Craig Street Railway
Company, the Highland Street Railway Com
pany, the Williamsburg Street Railway Com
esaraeter e Sy ana ordinance No PAS Of Select
Council, granting the DuQuesne Traction
Company right to enter upon, use and occupy
certain streets, and passed by your honor-
able body February q, 1880.
Like the First Ordinance.
The first section of the ordinance which
return TO your honorable body is very simi-
lar to the first section of the ordinance of
1880, and. SO far as am able to determine, is
intended to confer similar powers, but
touching different companies. lf am cor
rect in the interpretation of the ordinance,
then. in my Judgment, no necessity exists
of the ordinance Of February q, 1890 au-
thorizes the DuQuesne Traction Company to
extend the powers conferred In section to
other companies than those enumerated In
that ordinance.
III" says this section, "the DuQuesne
Tracrion Company shall hereafter ut any
time contract with any other passenger or
street railway company or companies to
furnish or supply power for the traction or
operation of cars over the railways of any
of said companies, which shall be con-
consent of the city is hereby given to such
future contract or contracts, and the said
DuQuesne Traction, in order to enable 1t to
eeoRomisslly and eOnvsnsn'ly carry ns%s out
after make, Is hereby given, in, on, under,
over and along the streets, lanes, alleys or
highways OF this city, tncluded within the
routes of any and all such companies, and
the branches and extensions thereof, and
which shall be constructed as aforesaid, all
the privileges and powers given to 1t in the
first section Of this ordinance, on the streets,
lanes, alleys and highways therein referred
Let me suggest that You refer to the first
section of tho ordinance of 1880 and compare
with the first section of this ordinance. To
me the powers enumerated seem practically
identical, and, If so, section s. just quoted, is
certainly sufficiently broad to enable the
Duquesne Traction Company to extend
hnS mn TO of ha~ IN
which it may enter into contract
The Promised Expenditure for Paving.
Section 5, of the ordinance of February q,
1890. is as follows: 1.-THE said Duquesne Trac-
tion Company, in consideration of the rights
and privileges hereby granted. shall, within
30 days after the passage and approval of
this ordinance, by q writing executed under
its corporate sea. daily attested by the proper
officers of said company, and to be filed in
the Office of the City Controller, bind itself
that there shall be expended in good faith
within two years from the date of the pas
sage and approval of this ordinance, not less
than twelve thousand five hundred Us. 500)
dollars per mile in paving, with block stone,
nance each and every mile of single track
of any of the street railway companies
enumerated in section ! of the ordinance,
motive power shalt be supplied by the said
DuQuesne Traction Company"
Such is the consideration given the city by
the Duquesne Traction Company for the
rights and privileges conferred upon it by
the ordinance OF February "a, 1890
In this ordinance there is no consideration
whatever for the franchises sought except
that required by section of the general
ordinance referred to- and which provides
for paving between the tracks and one foot
outside thereof. And this work has already
been done by the companies occupying the
streets upon which the Duquesne Traction
Company asks the right to enter for the pur-
pose Of Constructing, main tanning and oper-
atfng motors, cables, electrical appliances,
etc.
No Consideration to the City.
The ordinance gives the Duquesne Trac-
tion Company absolutely unlimited power
above, on and under the streets occupied by
the Pittsburg and East Liberty Passenger
Railway Company and the Central Transit
Company, provided consent of said COM
psnies is obtained, without any consider
alton whatever to the city. 1t is an exceed
ingly liberal measure, granting extensive
powers, and should, therefore, in my judg-
ment, contain a provision requiring con-
sideration of character. Very respectfully,
II. l. GoURLEY, Mayor.
The second veto is of an ordinance giving
the Pittsburg Traction Company rights of
way over the Duquesne Traction. 1t reads:
To the President and Members of Select Council:
GENTLExEN-I beg leave to return to your
honorable body without my approval, an
ordinance Is. c. No. 304l granting the Pitts
burg Traction Company the right to enter
upon, occupy and use certain streets and
highways and to supply motor power to and
operate certain passenger and street rail-
ways. This ordinance authorizes the Pitts
burg Traction Company to enter upon, use
and occupy, with the consent of the respect
i've companies, all the streets occupied by
the Duquesne Street Railway Company,
Craig Street Railway Company, Highland
Street Railway Company, Larimer Street
Railway Company. Williamsburg Street Rail-
way Company, East End Stree. Railway
Company, Howe Street Railway Company,
Grant Street Railway Company, Central
Passenger Railway COMPANY. Market Street
panfes of a like character. 1t authorizes the
company to construct, maintain and oper-
ate upon any or all Of said streets such
and necessary or convenient appara Gus and
mechanical fixtures by means OF overhead
system. cable or otherwise, as said traction
company may at any time select for the
traction or operation OF cars.
The Very Broad Powers Granted.
1t empowers said Pittsburg Traction Com
pany to construct maintain and use such
conduits cables and appliances as it may
deem proper for the application of cable
power, and also to erect such posts, poles,
supports or other devices as said traction
company may from time TO time select to
support any overhead electric system for
the supply Of motive power 1t further
more authorizes the said Pittsburg Traction
Company to operate its cars upon any or all
the railways of companies already desig-
mated. 1t IL similar to the DuQuesne Trac-
tion Company ordinance, which have just
returned to your honorable body without
my approval.
That ordinance grants the Duquesue Trac.
tion Company unlimited rights, privileges