The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-17
STATE
LEGISLATIVE
TOPICS.

If Major Isaac Il. Browns wishes are
gratihed there win be some new steam
and traction railway legislation this year.
Mr.. Brown Is deputy secretary of the
railway bureau. "One of the most i'm
portant questions to be considered in con-
nection with steam and electric railways
Is that OF grade crossings" says Major
Brown, in a current interview. vermont,
Massachusetts and Connecticut have
laws forbidding grade crossings except
where it is a physical impossibiiity
to do without one. and This point
is left to the state for decision.
1t Is almost impossible to abolish all of
the present grade crossings In Pennsyl-
vana, as there Is u net work of rail-
ways covering the state. We can pro-
hib't the building of such death traps
in the future, and II Is upon a bill look
ing toward this end l am now working.
1t Will be introduced this session. In it
we will prohibit the construction of
steam and electric roads crossing each
other at grade, except in cities and
| towns, and only in these latter cases
where 1t Is a physical impossibility to so
| beneath or overhead. The work is accom-
| plished by the state, the corporation, and
! the city, town or township each bearing
| a portion of the expense. The number
of people killed and injured at grade
| crossings Is something awful. great
| majority of the accidents are caused ut
| such points. / do not have the complete
records of the people killed in this way
| but here Is a report of the number killed
| and injured on steam roads in the state
| in the past five years. In 1892 1,4S9 peo-
pie were killed and $500 injured. In 1893
1,S2S were killed and 11,122 injured. In
| 1894 14l9 were killed and S,6G9 injured. In
| 1895 15S3 were killed and 1O,G07 injured.
| In 1896 1885 were killed and "A 446 were
injured. This makes a total Of S,O54 killed
| and 1864 injured, or about the total pop
| ulation of the city of Harrisburg. These
| figures are plentifully appalling to show
| that every effort should be eXerted in
saving life.
81 also favor a law to compel street
and steam railroads to have their tracks
and rolling stock in proper repair. We
| have lines in this state that are unsafe
to travel upon. We should have a law
| giving the state the right to examine the
roadbed and rolling stocks of COM
| pany. If they are found to be out of re-
| pair the government should be given the
privilege of prohibiting traffic until the
| dangers are removed. | will prepare
bill covering this point. 1t will also give
| the state the right to prohibit the use
of traction cars that are not suitable for
public travel.
another great wrong in this state is
the watering of capital stocks of street
railways. 1t is done more in traction
lines than in steam roads. The average
| capitalization of steam roads in the
United States is $4,000 per mile, while
we have traction roads in Pennsylvania
whose capital stock aches over $780,
600 per mile. | know of a consolidated
traction company in this state that is
capitalized at SO0OO,O9O, and l am pretty
we'll satisfied that the roadbed and
equipment will not cost over $40, 900, 900.
There is another concern that is watered
| up to $5,OO0,0O0, and the cost of it's en-
tire system was $500,00 | am In favor
of a bill that will make steam and trac-
ton companies file with the state "a
sworn statement of the cost of their
roads and their capital stock. Rates
should be based on the actual cost of Il
| railroad, but it is next to impossible 10
secure this information now. Watered
stocks are always dumped in. The build
ing of parallel steam lines where public
necessity does not demand them IS an
other thing | am opposed to and should
like to see prohibtory legislation. We
have some of these roads in the state.
Share and bondholders are made to suf-
fer and shippers are not benefited in the
matter of rates by this competition The
state could see that a single road did not
oppress its patrons and | believe every
body would be better satisfied. There Is
a case now in Pennsylvania where $780,
00O0O0 is invested in competing lines and
| there is only business enough for one
| road"
] %
The house committee on good roads is
considering carefully the Brown and Nc
| Quown bills, the latter Of which has al
ready been outlined on this pase The
former provides that on the third Tues
day of February after the passage of the
act, and every three years thereafter
there shall be elected in the several town
| ships of the commonwealth one person.
to be known as township supervisor
&c to, gD
each day of actual sworn service His
| bond is to be in the sum of $1,000 1t
also provides that on the first Monday
of March Of each year the several town.
| ship supervisors shall meet in conyen-
| tion. A majority of the convention shall
have the power to establish and maintain
a thorough and uniform system of i'm
proving the public roads in all the town
ships of the county. The system adopt
ed must embody and provide for all ade-
quate and necessary drainage and to
stone, pave, pike macadamize or other
wise improve with Stag, gravel, wood or
other material not less than twelve feet
in width of the road beds. At the an
nual convention Is also to be levied q
road tax on all property not exceeding
eight mills on the valuation. 1t shall be
the duty Of the collectors of road tax to
pay the same to the county treasurer, who
Is to Keep separate account of all
| moneys received from each township for
road taxes, He is to disburse this money
upon the presentation of warrants signed
by the township supervisors. penalty
clause Is attached which provides that
any township supervisor or district fore
man who shall violate the provisions of
the act shall. upon conviction be SEN
fenced to pay a fine of not more than
$1,000 and undergo an Imprisonment not
exceeding one year. The chances for the
| of this the Maximum
good
Says the Philadelphia Record: Near.
ly two months of the legislative session
the State Senate shall resume their duties
on the 22d of February. Hardly whee
of legislation has been turned and lit.
tile has been discussed except the remov.
al of the capital. Do the members of the
legislature intend by wasting the time OF
the session to find a preteXt for evadina
the measures Of reform to which the Re.
publican party is solemnly pledged bX
the resolutions of two successive state
conventions? These measures include the
purgation of abuses of the suffrage, the
looping away of useless offices and cX
pSnditures, as well as the reduction OF
eXorbitant salaries and other reforms
and there is no reason to doubt the sin.
cere purpose of Senator Quay to secure
their adoption. But it is intimated that
apart from the personal interest in main
tanning profitable abuses, faction Is II
process of formation at Harrisburg to de
feat the reform bills for no better reason
than that they are Senator Quay'S, am
that he may thus be held responsible rol
their failure. There are few members oi