The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-29


investigation of the Leicester street car
fatality. One that aims at the very life
of the Worcester and Suburban Com
pany and bodies little good for the pub
lie.
Beyond the shadow OF d doubt, the
Consolidated Street Railway Company
will play an unseen hand in the street
railway game which Worcester is soon
to witness. The object of the officials
of the Consolidated will be to kill the
Worcester and Suburban, get control
of their lines and franchises and be TO
Worcester what the West End or Bos-
ton Elevated is to Boston, monopoly
controlling all street railway lines lead
ing into the city.
No love has ever been lost between
the officials Of the two roads and the
Consolidated has simply been awaiting
such an opportunity as they now APP
pear to possess. To the officials of the
Worcester and Suburban this move
ment means a fight to the death, and it
may mean such a fight for street rail-
May control as Worcester has never
witnessed before. 1t is certain that the
movement will not meet with deter
mined opposition on the part OF many
prominent citizens, who, although they
are not friendly 10 the Worcester and
Suburban. are not by any means
friendly to the Consolidated, and would
present a determined opposition to such
a movement.
1t is, however. none the less a fact
that the Consolidated has at last OBJ
tanned the chance of q. lifetime, and
recently plans are being laid to take
advantage of it.
It now looks decidedly as if the
Travellers Insurance Company. in
which the Worcester and Suburban is
insured, would contest the payment of
the insurance. If this condition arises
and there Is little doubt that it will
whatever claims are allowed by the
courts against the Worcester and SUI
burban as a result of the Leicester
accident must of course, be borne di-
rectly by the street railway company,
This means heavy assessments upon
the stockholders, and there lies the
opportunity that the Consolidated has
been waiting for. With a heavy assess
ment to meet and stock depreciating,
there are few stockholders who would
not seek for and accept an opportu-
nifty to be rid Of stock in any street
railway. With such conditions in force,
the next move on the part Of the
Consolidated would be in the shape of
overtures to the stockholders and pur-
chases until a. majority of the stock
had passed into their hands, when lit
tie trouble would be experienced in
forcing, if needs be, the sale of the
remainder.
Whatever the outcome of the differ
ence between the street railway COM
pany and the insurance company, it is
such at present that it was stated yes
terday, upon good authority, that the
Travellers company would not issue
another policy to the Worcester and
Suburban road with the present Off
cials in office. The insurance company
cannot turn q deaf ear to the public
protests against the management OIL
the road, and their action will doubt
less have much weight with other
companies
The Consolidated scheme is one that
shows much careful study and plan
ming on the part of those be-
hind the movement. and it is
evidently based upon careful
study of the conditions which have
arisen from the Leicester accident. Its
success depends almost entirely upon
the action of the Travellers Insurance
Company, in which the Worcester and
Suburban Company is insured, and as
was stated in The Spy several days
ago, the probability that the insurance
company Will refuse " pay TIC pOliCy |
held by the Street Railway Company, |
is daily growing stronger
The insurance company has had a |
man at work investigating the accident |
although every means is being taken |
to prevent this from becoming gener- |
ally known. John N. Morse, formerly |
of the firm Of Morse &c Lord, has photo |
graphed the wrecked platform car, and |
the photo is now IN the hands of the |
Insurance company's local representa-
tive.
There is, in the policy issued by the
to the Worcester and Subur- /
ban Company. modifying clause
which states that the amount specified
in case of accident shall be paid only
when it is shown that the road is con-
Quoted lin businesslike manner, or
words to that effect.
SO far as the investigation of the in
company has gone, they have
been unable to convince themselves
that the road has been conducted in a
''businesslike manner" and until they
are convinced that they are in error,
they win probably refuse payment on