The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-30
WILL GET ITS FRANCHISES.
NEW STREET RAILWAY ROUTE TO
BE REPORTED TONIGHT.

BE
Matters May Not BE Definitely Decid-
ed To-night by Council, However.
Shell Road Company VIII Get the
Only North and south Streets Left
Omen, But VIII Have to Parallel
the Old Lines on Bay Street-Wtth
no Undue Restrictions Imposed
President Lester Says the New
Road Will BE Built in short Order.
Apparently there is very little to come
before the meeting of City Council to-
night. Chairman Dixon of the Street and
Lane Committee will report to the Com
nllttee of the Whole the route agreed upon
by his committee for the Vernon Shell
Road Company in reply 10 its petition for
certain street railway franchises, but 1t
is uncertain if the Committee of the
Whole will make report on the matter
to Council.
The route selected includes line be-
ginning at Bull and Twelfth street, on
the latter street TO Montgomery street.
north on Montgomery to St. Julian street,
on 81. Julian 10 the market around the
to Bay. thence east on Bay to Price and
south on Price to one of the cross streets
in the southern section.
The matter may not be passed upon TO-
night, but it is practically assured now
that the company will be given fran
cnse practically as outlined. Mr. D. B.
Lester, president of the Vernon Shell
Roao Company, when asked about the
matter said that he knew no more about
the Intentions of the committee than he
saw in the Morning News. The route as
outlined would be acceptable to the com
pany, he said, though he expressed the
hope that no onerous conditions would be
attached.
Heretofore the city has always been
very liberal in IT'S grants to street rail-
way companies" said Mr.. Lester. when
home people seek a franchise for the pur-
pose of giving the citizens competition
with the existing company do not think
conditions should be imposed which have
not been imposed in the past. In this re-
spect differ with the recent editorial of
the Morning News in which il advocates
franchises, but favors various stipulations
and conditions. If given practically un-
restricted franchise we will have no diff
Guilty in securing all the money needed
to build the road and the line will be
completed and in poeration inside of six
months. We do not ask council to give US
something which We do not intend to
use"
The committee in selecting its route has
taken care not to recommend any of the
streets objected 90 by the residents prop
erty owners. Bull, Lincoln and Park ave
nue. are the streets which the company
would have been more than pleased 10 get
but as there have been decided objections
from the property owners. especially on
pail err md a
favor franchises for these streets. the
company will have 10 be satisfied with
what 1t can get elsewhere.
Aside from the streets to which the
property owners objected and which Coun-
Gil is unwilling to give, the route select
ed by the committee is the only possible
one left for another inside belt without
giving streets Already in use and even
this route parallels the present company's
! mes on Bay street, and on one block OF
Barnard street In accepting Price street,
the new company VIII have to take its
chances of a fight with the Savannah,
Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope Railway
for the use of the street. Under the con-
tract with the city by which the Savan-
nah, Thunderbolt and Isle Of Hope aban
doned Price street the city is required
TO collect so much per linear foot from
any other company to which the street
may be granted and turn the amount
over to its former occupant The price
fer the use of the stree, should this con-
tract be enforced. would be about $4,000.
1t has been generally held that this par
tieular clause of the contract referred to
is invalid, but on what authority has
not been stated II is also stated that one
Council cannot be bound by the act of
Its predecessors in matter of this kind,
but neither has any recognized authority
been quoted on this point,
Doubtless this matter has already been
carefully looked into by both sides. Mr..
Lester, when asked about the matter, did
not seem to be at all uneasy on this
score, but said that he preferred not to
discuss the question until a route had
been granted Council.
The members of Council, while not par
ticularly enthusiastic on the subject of
the new line, are evidently inclined to
take the matter-of-faet view that II citi-
zens or outsiders wish 10 invest their
money in an enterprise of this kind and
show a well-dehned intention of giving
the city another properly equipped street
railway system, that they should be
granted the privileges of doing so on
the ground that IL is good public policy to
encourage competition in enterprises of
this kind. The stock and security holders
of the Savannah, Thunderbolt and Isle
of Hope Railway doubtless view the mat
ter in a different light This company
has friends on the board, but their
friendship will hardly extend to the
point of shutting out competition.