The Portland daily press., 1897-03-20
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.
New Law Governing the Location Of
the Same.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
MEASURES OF THE SESSION.


Yesterday Provides for Appeal from
Railroad Commissioners and Munich
pal Officers to Supreme Court-Towns
Given Authority Over Bridges.
sEBelow Is given the full text Of the pro-
posed law relating to the establishment
Of street railways as reported from the
railroad committee of the present legisla-
ture and passed to be engrosssd by the
House yesterday:
AN Act amendatory of and additional
to chapter two hundred and sixty elgh1
of the Public Laws of eighteen hundred
and ninety-three, entitled IAN Act TO
regulate the Organization and Control OF
Street Railroads.
Be 1t enacted by the Senate ana House
OF Representatives in Legislature as
sembled, as follows:
Section 1.-Section one of chapter Two
hundred and sixty eight of the Public
Laws of eighteen hundred and ninety
three is hereby amended by inserting
after the word electricity" In the fourth
line of said section the words "com-
pressed air, so that section as amended
shall read as follows:
Section Amy number of persons not
less than five, majority OF whom shall
be citizens of this state, may form COM
pany Tor the purpose of constr uotlng,
maintaining and operating by electricity,
compressed air, or animal power, street
railroad for public use, for street traffic
for the conveyance of persons and proper
ty, and for that purpose may make and
sign articles of association In which shall
be stated the name of the company, the
gauge of the road, the places, cities and
towns from which, In which and to
whiuh the road /, is to be constructed,
maintained and operated, the length Of
such road, as nearly asj may be, the
amount of capital stock which shall not
be less than four thousand dollars for
every mile of road proposed to be con-
struoted, the number of shares of which
said stock shall consist, and the names
and places of residence of at least three
persons, majority of whom shall ba
citizens of this state who shall act as
directors of the proposed company, and
manage its affairs until others are chosen
In their places. Each subscriber shall
sign his name. residence and nun Der of
shares which be agreed to take In said
company.
Section 2.-Section six of said chapter.
as amended by chapter eighty-four Of the
Public Laws of eighteen hundred and
ninety -f1ve, ia hereby amended by strik-
ing out from the forty eighth to the fifty
eighth lines thereof, inclusive, the fol-
lowing words, namely: If the board of
railroad commissioners, after hearing the
petitions, shall subject to the provisions
OF section nine, approve the proposed
location, and find that public convenience
requires the construction of such road, it
shall endorse its approval on the petition,
and the corporation may then proceed
with the construction of such road, pro-
vided. that they first file with the clerk
of the court Of county commissioners of
the county in which said street railway
is to be located, copy of the location
and plan aforesaid, and another copy of
missioners" And inserting in place
thereof the following: cat such hearing
any party claiming to be interested may
appear in person or by counsel and such
appearance shall be entered of record.
The board of railroad commissioners,
after hearing the petition. shall, If they
approve such location, subject to the pro-
visions of section nine, then determine
whether public convenience requires the
construction of such road, and make GER
tifioate of such determination in writing,
which certificate shall be fled with their
clerk within thirty days after such hear
ing. Within five days after the filing of
such certificate with him, said clerk shall
notify all who have become parties of
record as aforesaid, or their counsel, of
suah determination, by sending to each
party or their counsel by mail certified
copy of such certificates so fled with him.
with such determination may appeal
therefIon, at any time within fifteen
days from the date of filing such certif-
Gates, to the Supreme judicial court next
to be holden in any county where any
part of said railway is located, more than