Evening star., 1895-01-04

elected, the company can secure this val
liable privilege. The retiring mayor, Ed
win S. Stuart, has been inclined to hEht
the combine" to certain extent, and
venal legislation.
Electric Light Profits.
Another scandal that is alleged in this
connection is the electric light trust as
it has practically become composed OF all
the electric lighting companies of the city.
who, dividing the city into districts, have
entered into an agreement which prevents
any competition whatever and insures the
payment of a high rate by the city. Inc
Herald points out the present excessive
rate Of $161 for each arc light. and insists
that the city could do its own lighting for
$50 per lamp. This makes total pront
for the company Of over $SoO.OOO per year.
1t alleges also that members Of the city
council own electric light stock and openly
combination.
A Wholesale Crab.
Perhaps the most serious charge is that
contained in the following statement by the
Herald of the power of the trolley COM
panies:
Another grave scandal has been the
granting of trolley franchises to all the
street car lines. Councils under the con-
troll Of the combine deliberately voted to
the Peoples Traction Company and the
Electric Traction Company permission to
trolley about $50 miles Of streets with no
compensation to the city but $50 to pay LOT
operation caused a storm. and the mayor
vetoed the ordinances. Just at this ume
the supreme court rendered decision COM
peliing all street car lines to pave ana Keep
in repair from curb to curb all streets
traversed by them. The old companies had
fought this for years. and they owed the
city $4,000 for work done by the city ana
charged to them. The councilmen then put
in the provision that the companies should
do the paving, and the ordinances were
again passed.
1.-THE latest example of venality Of coun-
ellis has been the passage OF the SUBURBAN
trolley bill, which gives to the Phfladelpnla
Traction Company ninety-one miles or un-
opened streets. This Is the greatest grab
ever attempted in the city, and the bill Will
be passed over the mayors veto. II 1t be
comes necessary. No secret ts1nade or the
fact that in that event the sixty-fiVe COM
mon councilmen, who make the necessary
three-fifths to pass the measure, Will Ie-
ceive 500 each, If they want 1t.
"Uusually, in such important matters, the
votes Of councilmen are not held SO cheap-
ly. Such a franchise as the SUBURBAN is
worth more than $4,000, which would be
the total cost of sixty-five councllmen, at
$500 Some one else must be getting some
thing and the suspicion, of course, points
to the combine.
Paving and Gas Scandals.
IAN interesting phase of the trolley bCsi-
ness is that Charles A. Porter's form prof.
tied by the councilmanic provision that the
companies should pave the streets they oc-
cupied Mr.. Porter. being a great man In
the combine was able to secure the con-
tracts for the paving, with very little per-
SuaSion.
There are many other matters which
might play part in the fight which may
be waged against the combine in January.
One is the scandal involved in the policy to
abandon and permit to fall into decay the
city gas works, which weie worth $2'.OO,-
600 a few years ago, and in which $2,OOOOOO
have lately been spent, In order that a
private concern might sell to the city Wa
ter gas. This private corporation, under
tho patronage Of the combine, received
from the city for water gas during the
year $57O, 1896.
Another is the mandamus scandal. Un-
| der this system the councils order all sorts
| of work done without considering the cost
| and without ascertaining whether there Is
| money in the treasury to pay for 1t. A
| favored contractor Of the combine docs the
! work and sends in his bill. The controller
! refuses to pay 1t. as there is no money in
| the city treasury appropriated for It, The
| contractor applies for a nlandamus. the
| case goes to a referee, one OF the legal
| friends Of the combine, and the decision Is
| against the city. These payments for man
| damus have increased from $523, $50 in 1891
| to s., 500, 600 In 1894"