The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-25
AND STILL NO FRANCHISE.
Street and Sewer Directors VIII Not Let
the New Railway Come In.

William Simmons and A. .. WeDster
constituted the Str2et and Sewer Depart.
ment last night when the franchise OF the
Wilmington and Brandywino Springs
before 1t. William S. Hille., Richard
Crooks and Dir. l.. II. Ball, all of the com.
pany, wore present.
AS soon as the session opened Mr.. Hiiles
inquired II any information could BIO given
him regarding tho franchise, Mr., Sim.
mons replying that as several points had
been raised ho wanted to consider these
before he gave his decision. Mr.. H!lles
says tho situation Is this
"This company desires to Introduce new
enterprise into tho city A number Of men
have signiNod their Willingness and signed
their names to papers To pay tho cost ot
building an electric road. Their security,
of course, Is the bonds Of this company.
They desire to know tho conditions OH
which lhoy can enter Tho city. Ii wo can.
not get into tho city tho road Will not DO
built. The communication suppose IL
can be honored with such n titla--that
tho board received last week from the VIII.
mington City Railway Company Is the
most romarkale production Of our times
1t Is intended rs great big Dugaboo, and
has beed used by the Same company for
the past flftcou years. They used 1t while
fighting tho Wilmington and Brandywine
Springs Railway before th9 Legislature.
We would 30 willing, II we could savo
money for our stockholders, to enter into
traffic agreement with the City Railway
Company for terminal facilities. but we
call do nothing unless We hGve franchise
to entor tho city TO force our claims for an
agreement"
Has any attempt been made to perfect
an agreement with the Wilmington City
Railway Company, interrupted Mr., Web.
ster. "None" replied Mr.. Hilles, 80
long az tho Wilmington and Brandywino
Springs road has no right in the city 1t
has nr business proposition to make to the
City Railway Company Tho only thing
that would induce them to cn1er into an
agreement would be the possibility OF
another line being built on Sixth street.
Had wo such franchise wo could hope
for traffic agreement.
''Is is u pretty serious attitude the city
takes, to Interfere or hinder such a public
improvement. This rond will open up u
new section of New Castle county, now
practically without facilities to reach vii.
mlngton. Everybody in the country Is In
favor Of tho road and want to see 1t built,
and tho city should not hinder in any way
this project All things rOst on our street
franchise. 1t will give tho people facilities
to reach this city and bring considerable
business to Wilmington merchants. Tho
company, of course, expects in summer to
realize grcatly from tho anuselnent fca-
lures of the road"
At this point Mr.. Simmons got into the
conversation by remarking that City So
licitor Conrad had called his attention to
the charter Of the Wilmington aud Bran
Springs Company which stated that tho
road should be butt to the nearest ruint of
the Wilmington City Railway.
nhnn the u1NeN1lnnNt pnVa tho BRANDY.
wine Springs company permission to go
to Sixth street and Greenhiil avenue Mr..
Simmons said he could not see how tho
limo would strike the nearest point Of tho
city railway by going to Sixth street and
Greenhill avenue. The second point to
which his attention had bcen called was
the section In the charter of the Whining
ton City Railway Company that gavo Ii
'the exclusive right to maintain anu
Mr.. Hilles explained that tho amend.
ment did not make it necessary to meet
the city railway. Regarding the second
point he said:
"Therc Is such clause In the charter of
the Wilmington City Railway Company.
Tho men who have advanced the money
for tho Wilmington and Brandywine
Springs road have sufficient confidence in
the legal opinions they have secured that
they are willing to advance S25o,o0O. The
court Is tho place to determine the ques-
tion of exclusivcncss l have stated my
willingness to argue tho point before the
board. 1t would take day or two but
think 1t would be best to Let tho court
hear tho argument. II wo hive no right
to build this road. and start to build IT.,
the City Railway Company can get an in
junction and it will bring the question
before tho court. Wo are willing to in
demnify the city against all damages that
might result from this bugaboo. We are
willing to file bond for $3.50, 900 to pro.
tect the city. The question will never be
tested In court, and the man who wrote
that letter is lawyer enough to know that
1t will not"
aft is time, declared Mr.. Hilles, "that
the people should know whether tho
streets arc owned by tho Wilmington City
Railway Company or by the city govern
ment itself. A weeks delay may be
serious, and may bo final as far as the
Railway Company's interests are con-
cerned. The Legislature granted 1t power
to come into tho city, and 1t intended that
the road should be built or it would
not have granted the company such
powers"
"It is our duty to throw every safe
guard around the city to protect its inter-
ests. think the new company at fault.
They went TO work and perfected outside
arrang gements and did not apply here for
perfermssion to enter the city until tho
last minute. Now they object because we
have to delay our decisions until we can
fully investigate tho subject. This de-
partment Is not TO blame" said Mr.. Sim
mons.
Il can see." replied Mr.. Hille4, what
can be accomplished by delay We arc
willing 10 accels to all the conditions
named by this department. Every day Of
delay means 80 much moro toward tho do
feat Of this project. l cannot see what
cause there is for delay"
Mr. Simmons replied that the board had
to protect tho city's interest from any dana
yes that tho City Railway Company might
claim, based on the section Of its charter,
granting an exclusive right
THAT is tho most absurd bugaboo ever
conceived. II were n romancst, and was
told to imagine something could not i'm.
. gine anything more ridiculous"
After q whispered conversation between
Tho directors Mr.. Hilles left the room.