Evening journal., 1897-08-10
ADVISED TO GO SLOW.
SENTIMENTS OF A BUSINESS MAN
ON STREET RAILWAY PERMITS.

IT is LIKELY THAT CONSIDERlA-
TION OF THE w. & b. 5. PETIT
T1CN WILL BE POSTPONED BY
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFl
THE STREET AND SEWER DE-
FARTMENT.
Considerable interest centres in the
meeting of the Board of Directors of
the Street and Sewer Department this
evening from the fact that action of
some sort will be taken on the petition
Of The Wilmington and Brandywine
Springs Railway Company to be per-
mittod to lay its tracks in Sixth street
to French stree, and down French
street to Fourth street, where It pro-
! poses to establiih its terminus From
all that can be asceI.ained no definite
action will be taken, and there Is like
lihoCd that consideration of the peu
ton viii he deferred until some future
meeting CT .he board.
The granting of the privileges en-
bodied in the petition is naturally OPP
posed by the Wilmington City Railway
! Company, and considerable opposition
has developed outside among those
persons who are averse to anything
which VIII tend to detract from the ef-
fciency CT the several lines already in
operation.
1.-THE charter Of the Wilmington and
Bandywine Springs Railway Company
was originally granted in 1898, said a
business man Of prominence TO an
Evening Journal reporter this morn
I 4 OIL ff,
meet the lines of the Wilmington City
Railway Company at the western city
y lines In 1895 the charter was renewed
although the work Of construction had
. not been begun under The original
9 grant. With The same conditions sur
rounding the enterprise another eXten'
sion was granted in the Spring OF the
u present year. burt only until January
1898, but the General Assembly in con-
u sideratiOn OF the fact that no work had
ben done and that there was no evil
dence Of capital back of 'dhe scheme
refused to grant any further amend
i ments to the charter"
"Why do you think It would not be
Y advisable TO permit this company's line
! to strike into the heart of the city?'
y asked the reporter.
: Because IL would parallel the Eighth
y and Fourth stree. lines of the old COM
y pany" was the reply. I'VE already
= have an adequate service on thOsC
= lines. and II this new company is per-
% mitted to ccme in Sixth street the de.
crease in the business of the two c,6
. lines would tend to impair the Ell.
\ cheney and sufficiency Of me lines We
i already have | think that the Stree
\ and Sewer Department Should be nigh
y " ccmmended for taking ITS own go1t
= time in investigating whether this new
- railway scheme has any merf, or not
If the charter granted in 1898, or eve
four years ago, could be allowed e
y slumber all that time, | see no occa
~ sion for undue haste on The part Of th'
:, Street and Sewer Department ai thi
y time, and certainly more than weel
~ or ten DAYS should be devoted to tn
~ consideration Cf a petition involving
such large local interests in the absenc
OF the engineering member Of tn
y board. 1t cannot be asCersained by IN
quirv among our banks or monied mel
that any of the stock or bonds Of thi
now company are heM locally, Will
nearly all of the s.sccks and bonds o
,D the Old company are held by local in
~ vestors. This is an additional reaso
y why the Street and Sewer Department
'E should take plenty Of time TO invesu
gate into the liability OF '.he men WIN
-. are promoting the s,heme TO build thi
!. new railway. and not exercise undu
-. haste and lead to the impairment e
- the efficiency Of the public service a
. well as TO the value Of local railwa
es securities.
81 ''No city OF its size in the Unite
States has as efficient a street railwa
service as has Wilmington. For fiv'
- cent fare person can reach any pal
y OF the city, and as nearly all OF IN
lines converge on Market street person
from almost any part of the city ca
reach its business centre without N
delay and inconvenience OF transfer
The cid company has, at very large e.
=, pense. maintained for several years ;
A.. Shellpot Park place Of public amus'
OF ment. and has furnished the publ
e. with the most enjoyable entertain
ne ments free Of charge. The large crowt
lis in attendance nightly demonstrate no
TO fully this lfberality on the part Of u
ne company is appreciated by the plea
~. ure loving public. l therefor
ds certainly think, after taking ever.
sr thing into consideration That cur Sire
Del and Sewer Department should go slo
and thoroughly investigate the pOee
BILE effect Of this outside competitic
upon good system already thorough
MS, established under local auspices al
N satisfactory 10 the public. before pc
liz hitting unknown and perhaps unr
in liable persons to use our strec.s al
Iss abuse public confidence for speculati'
aid purposes. / think that all the stree
recurring street railway facilities no
have them, and that a few streets
at the city should be left for the use al
nd convenience Of regular vehicular ira
fic."