The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-02

grants Of power. The exact rights and
duties of these companies to the public
the validity Of their encroachments upon
the highways of the commonwealth, their
relations to what are known as Traction"
companies, and the extent of the power of
these latter TO mortgage their leases are
vitelly interest the public and perplex the
courts. The plain meaning and intent OF
our fundamental law are that In enter
prises of this kind there shall be no stock
or bonds issued except for money. labor
done or money or property actually re-
ceived;' that there shall be no greater
amount of bonded obligation than of paid
In capital stock, and that all fictitious
increase or watering" of stock or in
debtedness shah be void If the claims
which are made for electricity as cheap,
founded on well-established scientific
basis there can be no doubt that roads
operated by this agency can do much for
the development of our commonwealth,
Invested with the right of eminent do
main, the authority to carry freight,
malls, and perform all the functions here
tofore exercised by steam railways. But
all such municipalities and the highways
of the rural regions are not to be given
away without compensating advantages
to the public, and franchises, which, in
the very nature of the case, must be
monopoles. should not be granted except
the provision be coupled with the con-
cession that as the grant becomes more
valuable the compensation paid to the
grantor shall steadily increase. With re-
gard to these and to all corporate fran.
chises it needs to be kept constantly in
View that their competition, and not their
consolidation and combination, is for pub
lie advantage. 1t has become the fashion
for corporations, under the plea of II
franchises from municipalities on their
streets and, these once secured. imme-
diately to effect consolidation with others
all the parties to such combinations
nnnIinr iGglIng N ITlnlutin,r hn
very essence of the conditions upon which
they obtained their grants. TO prevent
these am of the opinion that the legis
lature should prescribe regulations SINH
lar to those Of the fourth section of article
xvii of the constitution, relating to paral-
lei and competing lines of railroads or
canals. Competing lines of passenger
railways. gas, water or electrical compan-
les should not be allowed to effect con-
solidations and combinations hostile to
the interests of the commonwealth or of
the citizens of municipalities which have
granted them rights for the express pur-
pose of obtaining the benefits of compet-
tion.
The state too, should receive adequate
returns in the nature of increased and
Increasing taxes upon this class of rail-
roads in connection with any enlargement
of their rights and privileges. The re-
| cent decision of the courts. that there is
no provision in this commonwealth for
elevated railways, remands that ques-
ton to the legislature They have been
IOunu 10 ne valuable agencies or rapid
transit in some of the leading cities of the
country. and If they are entitled to be so
considered their enumeration among the
| objects proper for incorporation in our
| commonwealth should be conceded by the
| legislature, without reference to or con-
| slderation of the selfish views of business
| competitors, which, having obtained their
| competitors from the favor Of the state.
Municipal Indebtedness.
SnptinnS nrtipln iy nf ba
| of Pennsylvania provides that the debt
| of any municipality shall never exceed Z
per cent upon the assessed value of the
! taxable property therein, and that no
municipality shall incur any new debt or
| increase its Indebtedness to an amount eX-
| ceeding per cent. of its valuation without
the assent of its electors. The supreme
| court has recently decided that in esti-
mating the debt of any municipality for
| the purposes of this constitutional pro-
| vision the amount of its sinking fund may
| be deducted from its total Indebtedness
Under this construction of the law, and
| by an imitation of assessed values great
| burdens of indebtedness may be placed
| upon the municipalities of the common
wealth. Under the legislation of reck-
| less councils or q spaSmodic popular i'm
pulse, the money-borrowing capacity Of a
| municipality may be exhausted for u tenn
| porary purpose, and the burden of debt
! may be saddled upon unborn generations
| l commend TO your earnest consideration
the necessity for protecting the popula-
| tion OF our great municipalities from this
| danger.
| In practically taking leave of the gen.
eral assembly of the commonwealth, at u
| time so near TO the end of my present
term of office, | beg to renew the ex-
preston of my high appreciation of many
acts of courtesy from individual members
| of your bodies, and of the generally cor
| dial relations which have existed between
| the legislative and the executive branches
| OF the state government, and between the
| coordinate departments of executive au-
| thority. Divided at times in their party
| allegiance, IL is well for all connected
| with them 10 remember that they are
| alike citizens of Il great and noble COM
monwealth. the promotion OF whose moral
and material interests should be the first
| object of public effort. During the re-
naming days of my term | will most ar
| IDENTIFY desire to concur with you in the
| enactment and the enforcement of every
measure which has for its object and eff
feet the welfare of Pennsylvania's people
| and the honor of our state government
| ROBERT Il. PATTISON.