The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-21
GOT ITS FRANCHISE
COUNCIL PASSED THE STREET
RAILWAY ORDINANCE.
MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED.
PRIVILEGES ALLOWED HEDGED
WITH CONDITIONS.

vernon shell ROAD company HuS an
Ordinance Passed Nine Months
After Its Petition Went to Council.
Amendments Leave Company an
Little Better Plight Than Ii Was
Before. If IL Wants TO Construct n
Street Railway system-Can't Build
on the Bay and Must Pave Price
Street, IL II Wants to Use IL.
The ordinance, granting rights, privi-
leges and concessions to the Vernon Shell
Road Company upon certain of Savannah's
streets. was passed in an amended form
last night by Council. The amendments
give little encouragement TO the petition
ing company, and it is doubtful If the
ordinance is accepted.
AS was expected, the Vernon Shell Road
Company will not be allowed to build an
other track on Bay street. From Mont
gomery to East Broad 1t may operate on
Bay, but the use of one of the tracks al
ready constructed, win have to be secured.
How it is to be secured. the ordinance
does not say. 1t simply shows that no
additional track can be built.
The amendment does not permit of the
number of tracks being made three
where it is now but two, a possibility.
that it was thought might exist. None
thought that a fourth track, between
Whitaker and Abercorn. would be allow
ed, but a third track, where there are
now but two was regarded by some as
a possible concession to the petitioning
company.
Originally there was an error in the
ordinance, and the Vernon Shell Road
Company was permitted to build on the
Bay, by the construction that might have
been placed upon it, II was to correct
this that the amendment was made.
Another amendment grants the COM
pany the right to construct a track on
Price street. but the right is hedged in
a way that viii probably scare off any
construction. 1t is prescribed that the
company must pay the entire cost of paw
ing Price street, from curb to curb, aloCg
such section of the street as a track
may run, with vitrihed brick. Some of
the Price street residents objected to the
grant of the street, and it is presumed
that the paving was embodied in the
amspdment in order to allow the petit
TONERS the use of the street and at the
same time, give the property owners an
advantage that would seem to compen-
safe them for any annoyance they might
suffer through the establishment of the
lire.
BY yet another amendment, the COM
pany is given the right to establish
switches and turnouts until such time as
it may be possible for it to furnish
belt line or double track service With
the city, however, is left the right of
designating the number and location of
The switches and turnouts.
The toll gate on the White Bluff road
belonging to the Vernon Shell Road Com
pany, must go back one mile from its
present location in the event of the ac-
/ ceptance of the ordinance. The distance
| of a mile from the city limits must be
kept with every extension of them that
may be made. To the company, however,
is reserved the right to build its track
on either side of the road, and the city
makes obligation to keep such portion of
the road as may be made public from
time to time in good repair
A petition from Messrs. Twiggs & Oil
yer, representing the petitioning company
was before Council and was received as
information. The petition was for. the i'm
mediate granting of the privileges asked
by the company. 1t was the intention of
| Council to act, anyway, SO the petition
was unnecessary. The matter of the fran
! chises had been under considera ton for
some nine months, and it was thought
| about time to pass upon it.
! At recent meeting of the Committee
/ of the Whole, to which Council had re
| ferred the ordinance after its second read
| ing, a special committee was appointed
/ to consider the ordinance further and
report to the Committee of the Whole.
! AT the meeting of the Committee Of the
| Whole for caucus that preceded the open
meeting of Council, the report of the
special committee was received and adopt
| ed. 1t then became the report of the
Committee of the Whole to Council
Not an adverse vote to the amendments
as shown by the committees report was
| forthcoming. and the same was true when
| the ordinance was voted upon.