New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-15
PORTO RICAN FRANCHISES.
PROVISIONS OF THE NEW LAW MAY BE
AMENDED.
tpv rr,rcn,rH TO rHr rRIpuxE. ]

Rico at the present session of Congress- ana
that it may take the form of an amendment 10
some Of the civil government provisions OF the
act which has been approved by the fresloeh''
.specially the one relating to the granting OF
public and quasi-public franchises. There is a
strong feeling among some of the inf1uentlai
leaders of the majority. especially in the House
of Representatives, that the franchise proNision
could be greatly improved
In the act as passed il is provided that an
grants of franchises rights and privileges OF a
o,,hlic or ouasi-publc nature shall be made by
The Executive Council with the approval of the
Governor and in the case of franchises for rail-
roads and telegraph and telephone companies
they shall be subject to annnlment by Congress
In the provision submitted to the Senate 10y
Chairman Foraker behalf of the committee
on Pacific Islands and Porto Rico it was pro
vided that railroad. telegraph and telephone
franchises should be made by the Executive
Council, with the approval Of the Governor ana
subject to the approval of the President OF the
United States. who should report the same to
Congress On the suggestion of Democratic
Senators this provision modified so as not
TO require the approval of the President to SUCH
franchises and they may now be made by the
Governor and Executive Council, subject only
N the contingency OF future annulment by Con-
sress-a contingency which would probably
never arise except in some extreme case ana
then after the holders of the franchise had &C
quired vested rights under it.
RAILROAD PROJECTORS BUSY.
Now the Executive Council is to consist or
eleven members. six of whom may not be either
citizens or residents of Porto Rico. although
they must be citizens Of the United states Inc
Governor also is a citizen of the United States
and during his official incumbency he must be a
resident of Porto Rico 1t may thus. and prob
ably will, happen, therefore, that among the
first matters with which Governor Allen and his
Executive Council will be called to deal after
they assume their official duties will be appi-
cations for railroad franchises In fact. Porto
Rico has already been gridironed with railroad
surveys and "Reminiscences since the island
came under the sovereignty of the United States
The Military Governor has been constantly I'M
portuned by the promoters of various and often
conflicting enterprises projects for some sort
OF official recognition and continuance, and the
files of the Insular Division Of the War Depart
nent are loaded with written appeals in behalf
of the same schemes. The committees of Con-
gress which have jurisdiction of insular affairs
in Porto Rico have also been subjected to i'm
portunities and other members of either branch
as well as executive officers of the Government
have received much unsought information on
the subject.
While the Porto Rican bill was hanging in
suspense the projectors and promoters Of the
railroad projects in Porto Rico became impa-
tient account OF what seemed to them to be
the slow progress OF the bill to establish a civil
government for the island, and the Porto Ricans
then in Washington submitted written petitions
70 the Committee Pacific Islands and Porto
Rico of the Senate Ind the House Committee
on Insular Affairs praying Congress to take
immediate steps 10 enact a general railway law
for Porto Rico and put il in operation, mot
only as measure of relief to the unemployed
and q stimulus to private enterprise, but as an
assurance of the benefcent progress which is to
follow the further action of Congress in behalf
OF the island" The petitioners suggested that
the railway corporation law of one of the States,
preferably that Of North Dakota be adopted as
the basis of the proposed legislation. and on
March II Mr. Prince, OF Illinois. introduced a
bill in the House OF Representatives in response
10 their request. The bill referred to the
Committee Insular Affairs. by which the
petitioners were heard on the same day.
A CONTROVERSY ALREADY ON HAND
At this hearing the fact developed that
there were then In the field the explorers and
surveyors of four or five companies or projected
companies in various parts of the island. One
of these. which was represented at the hearing
by General Roy Stone, had capital Of $4,000
for exploration and preliminary surveys of
which about $4,000 had then been expended
Most Of the companies have had their in
the field for eighteen months more, and Of
course, the authority that grant
franchises shall be established. there will be
keen competition and probably considerable
rivalry among them. The subject may also be
complicated somewhat by the fact that foreign
company holding a concession obtained from the
Spanish Government number Of years ago has
built portions OF its line-those which were
easiest to build and cost east-and put them in
operation Spain agreed to pay this company a
subsidy under certain conditions all of which II
is asserted, have not been fulfilled by the COM
pany, which. however. insists that the subsidy
must be paid out Of the island treasury as fast
il accrues by the building of additional mile
age Thus the new Government of Porto Rico
will find railroad subsidy controversy on it's
hands at the outset.
IN view of these and other considerations
some OF the more far sighted and influential
leaders in both branches Of Congress are strong
ly inclined to the opinion that further legis-
lative action by that body at the present session
would be wise and may be practicable to throw
additional safeguards about the granting of pub
lie franchises in Porto Rico The machinery of
the new Government is TO be set up and put in
operation within the next month or six weeks
and the representatives Of rival and conflicting
interests will be on the ground promptly
press their claims and demands for corporate
recognition and privileges.
ANOTHER BILL TO BE PREPARED
1t is expected that the Committee on Insular
Affairs Of the House will be called together early
next week 10 consider amendment of the
Porto Rican act in regard to public franchises
The section relating to that subject in the
Cooper bill to establish a civil government for
Porto Rico work which has been Temporarily
suspended provides that the Porto Rican Legs-
lature may by general permit persons to as
sociate themselves together for the construction
and operation Of railroads, but this authority is
limited by proviso that :all grants Of fran
chises, rights and privileges or concessions of a
public quasi public nature shall be made sub
ject TO the approval Of the President Of the
United States. who shall report the same to Con-
gress' II will be observed that by this bill both
branches of the Legislature one branch Of which
is 10 be chosen by the qualified voters and con-
slst OF citizens Of Porto Rico under the act