The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-02

York, Brooklyn. Buffalo. Omaha, Min
neapolis, Toledo. st. Louis. Pittsburg,
Duluth, Rochester. Mimi; Seattle,
Wash. La Crosse, Wis, and Washing
ton, ID. c. In every one of these places
the plan has proved more or less OF
success just as has been properly
managed and carried on. In Pittsburg
the experiment was made on small
scale by the City Club of Allegheny
county. The committee having charge
of the work found it impossible to Sc
cure the least assistance from the city
authorities Of Pittsburg, but received
generous encouragement from many
public citizens. Land was freely Of
fered. but that which was best suited
for agricultural purposes was only ac-
cessibe to a large proportion of the in
digent population by railroads. After
the early part of the season the diff
flculty resulting from these circum-
stances was removed by the generosity
of several citizens. who furnished
transportation for all those engaged
on the city farms.
Although the season was very un-
favorably on account of floods, which
We're particularly disastrous, a fair
crop was raised, estimated in value at
S1.i64, while s775 was expended in the
cultivation of the land. The people
for whose benefit this project was in
tended seemed at first suspicious and
incredulous. but afterwards showed
interest and appreciation.
In Buffalo, New York, the scheme
was indorsed by the mayor. Edgar b.
Jewett. who. by personal effort in
1895. raised $1,000. Five hundred and
sevcnty-eight families were given plots
to cultivate and the result of their
efforts were very successful. During
the past season the state legislature
authorized the city of Buffalo to make
an appropriation for this work and the
common council appropriated $500.
The work, however, was carried on
with an expenditure of about $1,000,
and twelve hundred families, or be-
tween five and six thousand persons,
We're benefited Duluth, Minn., Is
another place where the scheme has
been eminently successful.
THE STREET CAR WAR.
Mayor Pingree himself, in an address
delivered Jan. 25, 1896, at Providence.
r. l., has told the story of his street
car war. We use his own words:
"Thirty-two years ago, when the peo-
pie of Detroit granted a charter to
a street car company to run cars
through its steets for the accommoda-
tion of the public and permitted the
charging of rate which, in the years Of
the war. when all things were high,
were considered reasonable, they little
thought that this apparently harmless
company would grow into an immense
and powerful corporation controlling
hundreds of miles of streets and be
capitalized and bonded at the end Of
that time for over s12.OOO.OO0. The
facts of which I shall speak and which
are true of the street railways of De-
troit are. in general. equally true of the
street railways of other cities. The les
sons to be drawn from our experience
there. are good in all large cities Of
the United States, as far as my infor-
nation goes.
'As this horse car company and its
plant grew in size, due to the extern
sion of its tracks and the increase in
population, it also grew in influence in
political affairs. 1t went into politics
as a company. and here our troubles
began. Its stock was held and its divi-
dend divided, principally among cer-
tain citizens Of our own, but the con-
troll of the company was in the hands
of single Individual. This gentleman,
through good management and the
great earning power of the system,
has, from humble beginnings, become
very wealthy. To this he anu his fell
low operators are perhaps fairly en-
titled.
Although the state law of Michigan
provides that the life of no corporation
shall extend longer than thirty years.
and that at the end of that time all
privileges granted shall again revert
to the people. about sixteen years ago
a council had been elected which rep
resented more particularly the street
car company than 1t did the people at
large. or the methods employed in
packing the caucuses. and other doubt
full ways, to elect this council. / need
not speak In detail; suffice 1t to say
that in consideration of certain new
lines to be established, the life Of the
company's charter was extended thir-
ty years from that time. There is not
the least doubt that this extension was
obtained by corrupt means. and at the
time no one doubted 1t. but as 1t could
not be proved. the charter stood. This
new charter provided further that. dur
ing its life. the company to which 1t
was granted should have exclusive
rights to all the streets Of the city and
that no rights to lay track should be