The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-12-14
IT'S MONEY THAT talks
Railroad Promoters MIST Show
They Mean Business
BEFORE THEY GET FRANCHISE
From The Summit County Commissioners
Interesting Interview With County
Officer In Akron.

The promoters of the proposed new
Akron Canton railroad must show that
they mean business be- they can get
a franchise from the ST it county
board of commissioners. IS was told
in the News-Democrat's exclusive
story yesterday, Mr.. Childs must de.
post certified check with the commits.
sioners before they will do business
with him. The check is desired as a
guarantee of good faith When inter-
viewed on the subject, Commissioner
Fillus, of Akron, said
ut has been the custom for promoters
OF electric railway deals to come before
the board of commissioners and upon
The petition of number of property
owners who are sincere in their desire
to have the road constructed, to get q
25-year franchise practically upon their
own terms. In all cases bond would
be required and given to the effect that
the road would be built within a GER
tain time but such bonds are not
worth the paper they are written on be-
cause they simply mean that the county
has to have law suit to enforce them.
Even If the bonds were sued and the
signers should not be enabled to evade
their liability, the burden would be up
on the county to prove damages in con-
nection with the forfeiture. Applicants
for franchises who mean business will
not put the county to this inconveni-
ence, and will not only be willing to
make liberal concessions in order to oh
tain their franchise, but will deposit O
certified check or money covering the
amount of damages to be exacted by
the county If the franchise is violated.
That, understand, Is the rule enforced
by the board of city commissioners, and
while i remain member of the board
OF county commissioners, I shall agree
to no other rule. I believe that every
electric railway operating in the
county's territory should agree to nay
into the county treasury an annual
rental of $50 mile, and that before any
franchise is granted the commissioners
should hold out for every concession
possible to be obtained for the people.
Everybody remembers the fran
chises that were granted few years
ago to two companies for the con-
| struction of an electric railway 10
Cleveland via Richfeld township. Both
of these franchises were forfeited, the
| people living along the line were dis
| appointed, and the county received not
cent for the Inconvenience to which
Il had been put in the matter. A certi-
fled check would have resulted either
in the building of the road, or in a
substantial addition being made to the
county treasury
THE same experience has been had
with the franchise granted a year or
so ago for an Akron Canton line. A
more recent example is that of tho
Barberton- -Doylestown lines The roads
all fiourished on paper, but that was as
| far as II went. If man Is in earnest
about IL he need not care whether he be
| asked to give a certified check OF a
bond. Look at the trouble we have
been put to In the past. We have sp .nt
lays in the consideration of applica-
| lions for franchises for roads that have
| never been built. They were filed by
promoters who hoped to get people In
crested in the line after the franchise
vas granted. A bond has been filed in
every instance. Can anyone remember
| If anything ever collected on these
| bonds? The reason that no action was
| aiken was that it has been found that
| he bond was no good. No, our board
VIII hereafter ask for certified checks
instead of bonds. The commissioners
want TO do everything in their power to
| encourage the building of electric rail-
ways in Summit county, but they are
| not going to permit any more promoters
to be turned loose upon the people.
| Companies that mean business will
nave no difficulty complying with the
| conditions to be required by the board"