The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-05

stances to him, and he communicated
with the mayor, and afterwards in
formed me that the mayor had decided
/ to send out instructions not to inter
| rupt them. Thursday morning | Went
| to Boston and upon my return late ir
the afternoon was informed that the
city authorities had transferred theti
road machines to Pleasant street anC
/ Lincoln street, where there are no mai
cars, and that the whole force of the
company had been kept busy trying tC
| keep those lines open. Much in
dignation was expressed by the public
at the action of the city authorities
and particularly Thursday night, when
/ the Adams square church was to be
dedicated, when all travel was suspend
ed for two hours. We believed that in
consequence of that indignation, which
had been steadily increasing, the city
would no further obstruct our tracks
with SNOW, and SO we arranged to GO
to work Friday morning on the outly-
ing tracks, which we had not been able
to reach owing to the difficulty of keep
ing our main lines opened when the city
authorities were constantly covering
them with snow and blocking cars.
Not being further interfered with, all
lines We're open and running last night.
Now as to the attitude of the com
pany on the question of the removal of
snow from the streets The law says
that the street railway company shall
clear snow from their tracks in such
manner as may be approved by the
superintendent of streets. [ am in
formed city and town solicitors
have construed that to mean
that the snow may be removed
from the tracks by ploughs and brushes
(the customary and only reasonable
way known and that the city and
| town authorities shall then remove
from the streets so much as is neces-
sary to make the streets safe and con-
vepient for travel. That view of the
law has been adopted by some cities
and towns and they have removed the
snow from the streets after it had been
thrown there by the ploughs and
brushes of the street railway company.
Other lawyers believe that after the
railway company has cleaned the snow
from its tracks, it is its duty to also
remove from the street alongside of the
track as much snow as it has placed
there, if it is necessary to do so to
make the street safe and convenient
for travel All seem to COncede that
under the new law, cities and towns
are required to remove more snow from
the streets occupied by the street rail-
way company that they have hereto
fore, and are compensated for doing
pany.
Approaching that it was a question
that LAWYERS might differ about, and
that it could never be determined final
ly except by the court, the company
decided to adopt the latter of the two
views expressed above, and to remove
or take care Of as much snow as was
thrown from the tracks on to the sides
of the street until ii was finally de-
cided by the courts, or in some other
way. Just what should be done. We
endeavored to carry out that plan, but
in narrow streets. instead Of taking a
narrow strip on each side of the track
we took off what we believed was re-
quired of us entirely from one side
and thus opened d space for teams to
pass. which otherwise they would not
have had. And of course on removing
the snow that was thrown from the
sidewalks in addition to what there
was on the street, we carried away
much moro than was displaced from
our location The Interpretation of the
Jaw which we adopted. I was informed
by the city solicitor, Friday afternoon
at the first interview l had been able
to have with him, was the one he adj
vocated and believed to be correct.
made several attempts early in the
week to sec the city solicitor but as
he was engaged on the water cases
was unable to do so. We believe and
maintain that we have complied with
the law by any fair Interpretation of
IT, and have removed from the streets
as much snow as we displaced from
our tracks.
Francis H. Dewey
President of the Worcester CONSOLE
. dated Street Railway Company.
Worcester, Dec. 4. 1898