Morning journal and courier., 1893-02-11

pOrtant in this state that 1t is about time that 1t should come under the management l of some board. I at first thought the rail- l road commission would be the proper board to have charge of these roads, but upon tn auiry found that electric roads are new | thing, and SO believe that separate street 1 railroad commission should have charge of them. I consequently drew this so-called Root bill and propose to have commission formed of men well qualified in electrical matters to take charge of these roads Another season for 8 commission is that great many roads o-day extend into other towns. In the cities we are now com pelled to do one thing, in the towns an- other, and we know not where we stand, and such board would remedy this. have tried to give such 8 commission the same power over street railways as the railroad commissioners have over steam railroads. As regards the Hamersley bill I do not wonder that my brother Robinson desires to change it. Take the question of bonds ill that bill. If such law had been on our statute book when steam railroads were first asked for they would never have been built, and if the measure should now become law no street railroads would bs built. In any enterprise money must be procured, and by bonds. The real ques- tion here to day, however, is as to wheth- CT we shall have separate street railroad commission or not. While such a commis- sion will no doubt meet with some opposi- tion from the electric light com panies, 1t seems but proper that they, as we'll as all eleotr 0 tranway companies, should come under thls commission.
 Senator Seymour of Norwalk, who ap- peared for tram way company from Nor walk to Wilson Point desired to have his charter acted on separately and not be tied up by any general law, as he was of opinion that each charter should stand or fali on their respective merits, and no commission should be appointed. He l also thought these roads should have power to carry baggage as we'll as pas sengers.
 Attorney Pardee of New Haven, in be- | half of the town, thought it would be poor policy to extend line through town and not give the town control of it's line, as
 far as power of changing it went. Judge W. F. Heeney of Hartford, who | is interested in the local road and electric light company said-I don't favor such a ! commission, and I don't favor any state I legislation in these matters I think it unwise to pass a general law covering all l towns, and taking their rights and giving
 be heard in these matters and have
 control of the roads in them. If | you leave to the sslectmen of each town ! the power to determine how these roadR l shall be run, where they run into different
 towns, each could manage that portion in it's town limits. Where towns and roads
 could not agree, however, 1t might be well
 to allow an appeal to the superior court,
 and 1t might be advisable to make such 8
 general law or embrace 1t in each charter
 granted. As regards the issuing of bonds l to only half the value of the property that
 would be unfair, and that these roads
 should be taxed st per cent. would be an
 outrage. There should be some regulation
 ss regards speed, but this should also be
 governed by the local authorities where
 the road runs I don't believe in this tax
 of a railroad or municipality, and 1t seems
 to me each charter should bs considered,
 and either allowed or rejected.
 Chairman Pierce-In what way would
 you compensate the community for a val l uabls franchise7
 MT. Heeney-By giving them first class l road.
 MT. Pierce-Would you leave the ques- | tion of fare to the people2
 l Mir. Heensy-No! I would make 1t 6 1 & contract between the road and the pas- 1 senger
 Representative Sa1e-Whst part do the l people take in making contract with the | Tailroada
 MT. Heeney-By buying ticket Laugh
 ter.
 l MT. FIisbie of Unionville said-I think l if towns could be allowed to take bonds of these railroads it would benefit both.
 au opposed to general commission. Most of these questions arising are local
 and they should be left to the l towns. I would leave all the | charters with string attached | to them, and when a company is arbitrary | let the state repeal it's charter. If we can ! hays these roads it would benefit all our | towns. Now let the state be liberal to l these companies and not tie their hands or | hinder them. The speed of the cars could
 not be regulated by statute, it must be l done by local authorities, as in some cases where Cars could run fifteen miles an hour
 in others they could not run five. | Attorney Terry again took the floor and
 advocated the taxing of railroad property of citizens.
 1 Attorney Gsger of Derby wanted such g
 commission, while Attorney Bungerford of New Britain did not care whether there was such commission or not
 l Ex-Governor Buckley next appeared and
 said: am here solely from a sense of duty and to guard the rights of the people
 in this, the evs of revolution in the means of transportation. People speaking to day seem to forget that street railways 1 have grown outside of their first local in tent. These companies ask to uss prop
 erty already dedicated to public
 use, which the law says they shall
 not do. Any charter you might | grant should be carefully guarded and the | public protected. I believe that it is
 within the power of electricity to propel l cars fifty miles an hour, as is intended, when these roads intend outside of the city they cease to become street railroads,
 as we understand the term, and become vast railroad corporations to be carefully
 looked into. think that you can see that
 railroads on any of our narrow roads
 would be extremely dangerous. Under
 these charters grade crossings would ! increase and of an even more dan gerous nature than those of steam rail- ways. The West End street railroad of
 Boston in 1899 killed 21 people and in jured 29l. an increase of 400 per cent of
 the death rate by railroads and over S3
 per cent. of those injured in Mas
 sachusetts, and exceeding those of
 the 2, 200 grade crossings in the state The
 stoppage of all these cars depends on the human eye and hand, and these are
 not always watohful. The ordinary coun- | try high ways of Connecticut are not of 8 | width sufficient to admit with safety the l OfulDary rAlis.-~ln the face or this electric
 road fad of the fourth century, to gridiron
 this state with electric roads, hope you
 will pass some restricting legislation to | govern them. would suggest that the
 committee scan these charters carefully
 and grant only those locally worth it. The l growth of these schemes is not a legitimate one. and am afraid that some of these l applications which have reached your com mittee have the finger marks of these large | corporations on them, and not the welfare l of tho state st large.
 In providing charters under the special law would ask, for the people, that the
 bonding of these roads be limited to the l actual cost of the plant, and 8 small work
 ing capital. believe to day the people I are obliged to pay much more in fares l than would make good returns on its
 actual value. You will fud some of our state electric roads bonded for $60. 900 per
 mile which cost only $12,000 per mile. Not capitalized on cost of road but on the earning power. Now when they extend outside of street railways you must look carefully into them. Now gentlemen I pray you to see that they are built fair in