The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-29
The new ROAD
TO ENTER The CITY.
To Build Its Lines to the City Limits
First.
MAY MERGE WITH CITY ROAD
And II the Agreement Cannot be rIadeThen
the Road will be Allowed on Sixth
Street.

AT tne meetlnB OF Gne 0tfeeJ una sewer
Department yesterday afternoon the COM
missioners gave u promise to tho Brandy
wine Springs road concerning coming into
tho city.
MIR Crooks, DR.. Ball and tho members
Of the Department had long debate over
tho matter. The Department. favored the
New Company going to the City Railway
Company and offer to mako an agreement
The following letter was signed by the
directors and will bo sent today, to the
new company.
10 he President and Board Of Directors
of the Brandywino Springs Railway
Company, Wilmington, Delaware.
Gentlemen The board OF directors Of
this department feel that when any pri-
waite corporation asks for franchises cover.
ing tho use of tho public property, that
the matter should bo carefully considered
with view only as to how it will affect
the city's interests, and before such fran
chises are grarted we should be well salts.
fed that tho benefit to the public justlfies
giving tho privileges asked. We have
tried to DO governed by these principles
in considering your request to use certain
street Of this city for railway purposes
We feel that on general principles 1t is to
the interest OF tho city to encourage any
legitimate enterprise for furnishing direct
and easy means Of communication be-
tween tho city and surrounding country
and towns, and give any necessary faclll-
ties for this purpose whore the privileges
asked wero not out OF proportion to the
benefit to bo gained.
On the other hand, We would not con-
slider 1t proper for tho city to grant fran,
chscs to irresponsible parties. who would
use them for simply speculative purposes
Or not at ALI or to give privileges where
they We're not necessary, or were far be.
yund the benefits to be derived.
Returning to tho special franchise asked
by your company, VIZ, tho uso OF sixth
street fron. the city limo to French or Wal
nut street. We felt very reluctant to give
up tho use of this street, as we dc not be.
lievc, that so far as tho city is concerned
any present necessity exists for u street
at considerable expense paved part of it
with improved pavement, and a railway
track would much impair Its use for vc-
hiculur travel; as, however, you aro re.
stricted by your charter to this street, If
satisfied that it was legitimate enter
prise and the use of this street was ncces-
sary, we f1el this might be yielded under
proper restrictions. We had therefore,
tho TWO propositions to consider:
First, whether tho enterprise was q
leeitilnate one being conducted in good
sary, and should be given at this time
We camo to your company for informa'
ton on these subjects. In regard TO tho
first, you claim that your company in.
tends to prosecute the enterprise. and have
the means TO carry it out, and although
YOU did not inform US as definitely as wo
could have wished, on this subject we will
not urge this further at present. In re.
gard to tho second: The statement was
mado by you on several different occasions
to this board, and repeated several times
last Tuesday night ttat you did not Go.
sire to construct your lineun Sixth street;
that YOU much preferred to make u con
nection with the Wilmington City Rail
way Company at the city line, provided a
fair and equitable agreement could be
made with them for carrying yonr paasen
gers in the city limits as this would give
you the advantage of reaching all part
of tho city instead of only Sixth ttreet.
In reply TO the question as to what your
negotiations had been with the Whining.
ton City Railway Company, you stated
that mo negotiations whatever had been
entered into with them" that You did not
consider that you would have any stand
ine with the Wilmington City Railway
Company without having the right from
the city, and that you desired to have the
franchise that 1t might give you the proper
standing before entering into negotiations
with them, .and that If you could make 4
fair arrangement you would not use the
franchise" On being Questioned this
statement in nearly the same terms was
made several times, so that we could make
no mistake In our understanding.
The proposition then seems to resolve
itself to this that y0u were asking tht
board for o franchise that you did not de-
sire to use, for the purpose OF obtaining
better terms from another company: and
in regard to such proposition the board
desires to say that while they would moi
| have felt justified in putting any obstacle
| in the way OF a road which deaired to built
| into tho city, TO make q connection will
| distant points, on the other hand, neither
| do they believe 1t to be tholl province t
grant franchises to ono company 10 ust
| against another, unless there was some OK
| ,raordnary good reason for II, and tina
YOUR company has acted prematurcly II
asking for this franchise before they had
| by proper negotiation, ascertained II they
could make fair and equitable arrange
ment with the Wilmington City Railway
Company. This seems more especially the
case when the board is In receipt of q com
| lnuncut,on from the Wilmington City
| Railway Company Htating that 1T stand!
| ready 1T all times to enter Into neg0tla.
tions for fair arrangement
| Under these conditions tho board woult
| sny that If when tho Wilmington ant
Braudywine Springs Railway Company
| sail have built its road to the city liuc, u!
| provided In Its charter, thcy shall not huv'
| been ablo to mako tair hn1 reasonable
| agreement with the Wilmington City
Railway Company, (after proper negotia
| tions) for connection into Wilmington
rs the said Wilmington and Brandywint
| hnc eli tDT
to the board, Is their desire, that tho boart
Will grant them the right to use Sixth
| street under the conditions imposed by
their charter, and those discussed with tht
| board,
As to what shall constitute fair ar
| ranyement; as the board must necessarily
| Judge In regard to the franchise, they mus
also decide in regard to whether fair ar
| rangcment could be made Or not ant
would expect both parties to submit th'
negotiations to them that they might or
this.
Among other things Mr.. Pratt said:
| ave mean to give you plenty Of time
to arrive at an agreement and If you CAM
do it wo will tako up tho matter. II thu
| Wilmington City Railway Company doe'
| not give you fair and just agreement. WI
| say again, that we will give your company
the right to como In Sixth street.
"Wo don't want to keep you out OF th'
city, but we won't allow o franchise to b,
used as club. We have considered tn,
whole matter. Thore are some legal ques.
| tions, but we have left them out in ou
| conference over this matter, as we think
they do not belong to this departments
We say candidly that II you cannot make
an agreement we will give you the fran
ohise, but under no consideration to b,
used as club"
/ la.,is.ai . ~ n niuarSa