Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-04-24
HON. JAMES MANDREwS.
Mayor I1arrison's New Building Commissioners.

this Legislature affecting the interests
Of Chicago where TINT great city ~.
celved any substantial benefits for the
granting of franchises. This II the
most magnificent proposition tliat ever
renclied the capital of this state In the
way OF compensation. have carefully
examined and computed some of the
benefits which will arise to the people
Of Chicago from the passage OF this
measure. l assert here that under the
increased gross earnings. which the
senator from Hancock (Alr. Berry, has
injected into this bill. within the period
Of fifty years. II the city continues to
develop as II Inns In the last twenty
five years. there will he paid into the
city treasury Of Chicago more than
x(U,OOO.OCO. ask you. In view Of this
magnificent endowment. whether the
city II not receiving full consideration
for the extension Of these charters.
The sole benefit received by these
companies In simply an extension OF
their charters for fifty years. All the
great cities Of Europe and Of this cOun.
try have granted franchises much more
extensively In point Of time. and none
Of them has ever received such com.
pcnsatiOn for the grant.
Another point II that this hill takes
from the City Council Of Chicago some
Of lts supposed vested rights. II there
| ever was an institution In this country.
| according TO the universal statement Of
the people Of Chicago. which needed to
be restricted In lts rights. 1t In the City
Council Of Chicago. That institution
hns the worst reputation as u leglsln.
tive bOaly-nOt excepting the New York
Councillor any similar institution In
the world. II Ii u notorious fact, stated
by the Chicago people. that II requires
cold cash to obtain any sort OF legisla-
ton from that body.
II We are taking from the City COun-
ell Of Chicago some Of It's rights the
apology and the reason for 1t may be
found In the fact that Its reputation Is
that no man can get his rights there
without paying for them. II you Chi.
cagO men who oppose this measure will
reform your City Council ana make II
an honorable body and take from II It's
reputation for holding up and rOblhng
every institution which comes to II for
legislation. there would he less excuse
for the passage OF this bill.
Mr.. G. l.. ROnney. representing the
Chicago General Railway Company.
NINA M rinvt,oll s,,.l mazda tv,., %,
lowing very sensible argument In favor
OF the Humphrey bills. In his support
Of the bills he denied that the bill
would enable all the street railways In
Illinois to consolidate. lie discussed
mt length the constitutional questions
which have been raised with reference
to the bills. The contention that these
bills took away the right Of local self
government he regarded III prep0ster-
Gus. Many Of the street railways opera
ted IN Chicago ran through several dif-
ferent towns ana at least one of them
into another State, thus doing IN inter-
state business He commended that the
existing conditions fully justified the
enactment Of a law placing these street
railways under the control of u State
commission. As to the extension of ex.
isting franchises nifty years he said:
"rhe company which represent Ope-
rates u street railway which Is sand
wlched In between IN elevated road on
one side ana another street railway on
the other ! claim that under the Con-
stltutiOn OF the United States ana under
the Constitution of the State of iii.
nOls have u right to conduct my bus
mess on IN equality with my cOmpeti-
| tors. 1t would make no difference II
this Legislature passed a bill which
would undertake to take that right
away from me. would still have the
right under the Constitution. Both this
elevated road ana the steam railway
have authority under the State law anu
by city ordinance to conduct their bust
ness for fifty years, but the laws of
this State limit my business to twenty
years. claim that this limitation IL
In violation OF the Constitution. All !
ask is that We be placed by law on an
equality with our competitors"
Regarding the question of the rate of
fare on street railways, Mr.. BOnney
said that his company had for four
years sold six tickets for % cents.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
road runs through wOrkingman's dis
trlct only BIB per cent. OF the people
bought tickets, and the company had
discontinued the sale of tickets. He
cOntended that this experience demon
strated that the people We're not asking
for u reduction of street car fare.
In the House Monday a bill was intro.
duced amending the municipal civil SER
vice act by giving ex-Union soldiers and
sailors the preference In the making Of
appointments. Mr.. Anderson's bill limit
ing the number of employees of the Cen