The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-16
Boston Herald. J


The contemplated system of local mall
transmission by pneumatic tubes will I'M
douptedly be a vast improvement over
present methods and an enormous con-
venience to the Boston public. Consider
! ing the fact that similar systems have
been features of the postal service ID
Paris, Berlin, London, Vienna and other
European capitals for fifteen or twenty
years past, it is hardly consistent with
our national reputation for keeping
abreast of the age in such conveniences
that the principle was not adopted long
| ago.
But the fact that it is to be public
convenience gives no valid excuse for
the action Of the board of alderman IN
giving this valuable franchise to private
company without guarding the rights OF
the city and making provision for ade-
quate compensation for the use of the
streets. 1t is an old habit of our munich
pal authorities to be altogether too gener-
Gus in giving away the peoples money
| or what amounts to the same thing,
public franchises worth money-to private
individuals and corporations, and the
aldermen, despite the earnest remon-
strances that have been made against
such practices in the past few years,
shows no signs of better disposition.
One of the best things in the recent re-
port of the special commission on the
finances Of Boston was the recommended
tion that advantage be taken of the OPP
IL s-,sv, inn
| of the much needed increase OF municipal
revenues by requiring holders of public
franchises to pay for the privilege. Yet,
in the face of this report, the very first
request for franchise to use the high
ways for private profit is granted as OF
yore, by all almost unanimous vote OF the
board, and without even waiting SO
much as twenty four hours to think it
| over.
| There is probably no other great city
| in the United States which has the con-
| sistent record of Boston in giving away
franchises for the occupation of the
streets. From first to last the city has
not received dollar from this source
Even the worst governed cities in the
country, like New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, have records immensely
more creditable in this respect. In the
example, New York receives large reve-
nues in the shape of percentages of the
receipts, varying according to circum-
stances. Since. the Broadway street rail
ay scandal, which landed Jacob Sharp in
the penitentiary, with lot OF the alder
men the law has forbidden the giving
away of public franchises in New York.
With all our municipal reform sentiment,
why is it that public opinion is less effec-
tive here?
In Philadelphia the city receives an an
nual license of $50 for every car, and al
though the Philadelphia city council is
one Of the most shamelessly corrupt legis-
lative bodies in the world. nevertheless,
the street railway companies, lin return
for their trolley franchises, paved over 13l
miles of street with asphalt from curb to
curb and bound themselves to maintain
the pavements in good condition in
Baltimore the public parks are main
tanned by the payment to tine city OF Il
considerable percentage of the gross re
ceipts of the street railway companies
Here in Boston on the other ! ID,
practically every kind of company tina
has sought the privilege has been given
for the asking free license to work its
will upon the thoroughfares. Street rail
ways, gas, electric lighting, telephone
and telegraph companies have not only
| paid nothing for their rights, but have
kept the street surface in q chronic state
of eruption at an enormous cost 10 the
city. Expensive pavements have been
ruined and many streets are in such q
disgraceful condition that an enormous
outlay will be required to put them in
decent order.
The plea is made that the service of this
pneumatic tube system will be such
great public convenience that no charge
should 10 made for the use of tho streets
The same plea has been put forward fol-
every other interest that has sought
public franchise. If the national govern
ment proposed to lay, the tubes directly
for it's own use i'll the postal service it
| would BIZ different matter, but here is
a private concern that proposes to make
money by leasing to the national govern
ment a privilege which it receives as a
free gift from the city. Moreover, THE
same lines will also naturally be used for
parcel delivery service; another source
of revenue at the public expense, and
for which the city receives nothing. The
aldermen might just as consistently, and
with the same moral right, give the use
Of the stalls in Fanueil Hall market to
cerain favored parties rent free under the
plea that the public convenience would
be promoted and people might get their
provisions so much cheaper.
It is also urged that this is an expert
ment, and the company is taking risk.
But if it, is an experiment, the city is also
assuming risk in allowing it's streets to
be torn up by company that might not
be able to carry out it's obligations. And
if men are willing to risk their capital
in an enterprise in expectation of profit
able return for the investment, they
would certainly have confidence enough
in its success to pay percentage of their
receipts for the rental of the streets. But
a system that is in successful operation
in Philadelphia, and which is an improve
ment on the systems in use for years in
European capitals, can hardly be termed
an experiment.
The public franchises which Boston has
given away since the first street railway
companies were chartered are worth
many millions of dollars in capitalized
value. We're the city today in receipt of
the revenues which they might have
yielded If the public interests had been
properly guarded, the tax rate would be
very considerably lower than the present
figure Experience elsewhere has amply
shown that capitalists are willing enough
to pay very handsomely for the public
franchises that they seek. There is, there
fore, absolutely no Excuse for the guar
dams of the public interess not to demand
such payment, and make the best bargain
possible for the municipality. Neglect to-