Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-19
me ciiy and the Electric Road.

There has been more or less friction in
various Maine cities the present winter be-
tween city officials and street railway COM
psnies. II seems to u that there thould
really be NO occasion for anything OF the
kind. We believe that all fair-minded peo-
pie viii, admit that street railway is
grea. public convenience. 1t enables
people who cannot afford to keep
teams to do . considerable amount OF
riding at very small expenditure. These
people have rights as we'll sthose who own
horses, and the fact should not be lost sight
of. 1t is obviously wrong for street rail-
way to leave q public tEOroughfare IN
condition dangerous to teams; neither 10 il
right to ask such corporation to assume
all the expense Of keeping q roadway in
condition during the winter season.
To the city properly belongs the duty OF
taking care of the snow thrown into the
street from roofs AMI sidewalks. This
should be removed under any circum-
stances, whether there were or were not an
electric road. The needs Of safe and con-
venient travel would require it.. All other
work of keeping the roadway in safe condi-
ton properly belongs to the electric
road. 1t seems to US that the expense
might in this way be fairly divided between
the municipality and the corporation upon
~, InsU
al part of the work in thorough and &C
ceptab.e manner.
We are aware that some of our citizens
hold that the electric road was presented
valuable franchise free of cost aid, there
fore, it owes the city l.Tge debt to be
paid by taking entire care of the streets
through which it passes. We think, how
ever, that the idea was in grant
ing this franchise to the elt ctric, road
as It has been in tie case of other
franchises which the city has granted to
corporations, that our people would receive
the value of the franchise many times over
in the added conveniences that would be
made available for them. Certainly it
would not be just to proceed upon this the
ory with one corporation and upon some
other theory with another. All should be
treated with equal justice.
We do not think there is one Of them
that our citizens would willingly be without.
All Of them contribute to the comforts Of
our municipal life, and all should be dealt
with in spirit of fairness and equity. At
the same time the just rights of the city, in
its relations with each one of them. should
be scrupulously maintained. We IN
derstand that the giant to the cleo
trio road of a right to locate its track in
this city stipulated that "This grant is
made upon the condition that said company
IN remoring sno,c aud ice from its road
shall so remore the same as to render the
entire midth OF the street safe and conren-
lent for public trdrei."
We do not think, however, it was con-
templated at the time this grant was made
that the road should not only remove the
snow from the ,treets that fell 10 the
storms, but also all That citizens might sub
sequently shovel there. To our mind the
road should be held responsible only for the
additional expense Of keeping the
streets IN condition that is occasioned
by its track. Certainly the city
should be willing TO expend II
much now in keeping those streets in CON
dition as it did before the electric road wal
built. No one will assert that there wal
not then considerable expenditure every
winter for this purpose.
We feel that in this manner ct dealing
with our electric road Mayor Leighton was
guilty of . grave mistake. 1t would
have been far better to have .een the proper
representatives Of the corporation and
served written notification upon them Of
the condition OF the road, asking their CO
operation in putting Il into safe condition
for travel. We believe that the company
would have been willing to have done theil
fair.share of the work. II they had no
been legal measures might then have oeel
in order. This road il operated I'M
der . State charter, and has certai'
rights which the municipality 10 bound t
respect. We do not think the city authoritie
had any right to MI up it track. II such
thing can be done in Augusta It can be dom
in Hallowell, Gardiner and Farmingdale
and the whole property rendered worthless
We admit that Water street has been il
poor condition much Of the TIM
during the present winter; bu
we do mot believe that the cleo
trio road can be held wholly respon
able for this condition Of affairs. It COS
the city quite sum % ksep this street il
condition through the winter seasons psiol