The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-02
COMMUNICATION ,.

The Forestville Grade Crossing rase. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER.
 The action of the railroad commits sioEers in the matter of the application of the Bristol and Plainville Tramway company for permission to cross the tracks of the New York and New Eng land railroad at grade near the Forest vile station is conservative of the pub lie interests and will be approved by the people. The public has no interest more important than the preservation of safety in such matter as this The commissioners have not absolutely for bidden the crossing, but they have i'm posed upon both the railroad company and the tramway company conditions which will hardly be acceptsG They have said in effect that the crossing shall not be made except in way that will certainly protect the passengers of both roads from new per'ils.
 This settlement may appear to some persons to be in conflict with the result of the litigation in the cases of the Der by Street Railway company and the Bridgeport Traction company. The conflict, and it is a grave one, is in the different laws governing the cases With the Derby and the Bridgeport cases the railroad commissioners had nothing to do, or they might have beer differently determined. The judges who gave the decisions permitting the crossings did so with apparent reuct- ance and only because the laws gave them no discretion. They were com pelled by the terms of special laws which certain corpora tions controlling electric railways had procured to be passed by the legislature in their ow'r interest, making the general law gov. erning grade crossings of no effect 1T respect of their particular schemes.
 The general law is a wise and safc one. In it's present form 1t is as fol lows: No electric, cable or horse raj! road shall hereafter he constructed across the tracks of steam railroad a grade except upon application to ,an(s approved by the railroad commissior. CTS. nor shall any steam railroad cros' any such electric, cable or horse rail road at grade, except upon like applica tion and approval"
 This left the matter to the decision c the railroad commissioners after spe,. Pjal ciHera tior, rF itc nFo application. With this law no reason able fault can be found. But it has been nullified in a dozen or more ir,, stances by special laws, in passinr which the legislature without any ir vestigation has granted an absolute right 10 certain corpC ra lions 0peratinc electric systems to cross steam rail roads at grade. Several such crossings have already been effected and they ar among the most dangerous in th; State They are threa ateniglg: ilustre tions of the vicious nature of speca' legislation when it is invoked in order to avoid the terms of just and :equa' general laws. There was no iUstifiablt cause for giving to these, corporations privilege to endanger. the safety of the travelling public while others are, prevented. Y '',3,,-
 It is not improbable, that afl the cleo tric railways that have not. obtained the right to cross steam railroads at grade will be clamoring for, 1t at the next session. Have theepeopie nothing to say against increasing. the evil? Shall the general law be; repealed at the demard of these new corporation 2. It may as well be repealed as be nulli- fled by swarm of special laws. Re peal would be more equitable and less demoralizns. But the law ought to be maintained ill its integrity. and en-, forced impartially..' Unless ,.,the new legislature is weak. and corrupt there will be no further yielding. but Instead vigorous effort at restoration.
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