The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-07
REASON FOR
The Merger
COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY
THE BIG BONUS.
Secretary Treasurer John H. Brooks
Of the Central Rapid Transit COM
pany Makes a Statement-Strikers
Responsible for the Reagan Reso-
tuition Repeating the Valley Pas
senger Franchises - New Com
panies Will Make Their Attack OH
the Charters at Harrisburg.


, Concerning the merging of the inter-
ests of tho Central Rapid Transit COM
pany with the new street railway
companies. of which Congressman Con-
nell is president John II. Brooks sec
rctary-treasurcr of the first named
company yesterday said:
I'VE are very glad and anxious that
the public should know our reasons for
associating ourselves and Joining forces
with the proposed North. South and
West End Railway companies. who
wish to secure II franchise for the use
of certain city streets. You no doubt
can recall our having made an honest
effort and several attempts covering
a period of almost one year. to secure
from our councils the right to Use from
four to five miles of our city streets.
We failed to secure such a franchise.
1t was then suggested that Il bonus be
offered the city and. without detailed
consideration. this was done.
After careful deliberation. however.
and much careful figuring. we felt the
proposition would not warrant the pay
ment OF said bonus. The cost of con-
struction and equipping the road ow-
MS W huNduNc III NouIu
have been far greater than anticipated.
Competition from an established par
allel line. paying nothing to the city
as against our company with it's heavy
charges. was also considered. Then
too, we had no connecting or transfer
lines. and judging from our previous
experience, it would have been almost
impossible to have secured further eX-
tension of our line
DOUBTS ABOUT LEGALITY.
Right here. ] desire to say that,
though councils had favorabIy consid-
cred our ordinance. in the opinion Of
many competent lawyers of our city
there was grave doubt as to the legal
ity of our position.
"'rhcrefOrc. merging our interests
with the proposed new company's will.
we fell. undoubtedly prove more adj
Nantageous to our city and it's people.
and in the event of councils granting
this franchise we may feel sure that II
thoroughly modern equipped road will
he built and operated. employing hun
tlreds of men. and paying the city Il
vast amount in taxes. and establish
within our city another large. SUBJ
stantial and permanent enterprise
Everybody in city hall seems Il little
puzzled about the resolution passed by
select council on Thursday night. de-
rlaring the franchise of the Valley
Passenger Railway company forfeited
to the city because of the failure of
the company to construct its lines with |
in the period of two years in which |
ii agreed to construct them.
Fred Surine. member of the stlk |
ing street railway employees executive
board went into City Solicitor Wat
sons office late Thursday afternoon
and handed him the typewritten rcso-
luton asking him if ii was drown up
properly. The city solicitor looked it
over and told him that it was not. He
explained that it might be possible to
revoke the right of the Valley Passen-
ger Railway company to use certain
streets on which it failed to lay tracks
within period of two years after the
granting of its franchise, but that it
would not be possible on such grounds
TO revoke its right To use those streets
on which the tracks We're laid within |
the required two years.
DIDN'T TAKE ADVICE
Nil Surine listened to the city sulir-
tor but evidently didn't think much of |
his advice for the resolution was intro
duccd in select council and Il large del
c,ation of strikers We're present in the
city hail. several of whom were lobby |
ing for its passage.
1t is generally understood that this |
resolution has no connection whatever |
with the attempt which it is said will |
he made by the new street railway |
interests to secure an annullment of the |
oh, ~ on nf l,n N11lny
way company.
The act of 1874. governing the incor-
poration of stree railway companies. |
provides that such companies shall |
huild and operate Il continuous line. |
1t is claimed that the charter of the |
Valley Passenger Railway company.
which WAS merged into the Scranton |
Railway company. can be successfully |
attacked on the ground that none of |
it's lines ale continuous.
AS AN instance of this the line on |
North Washington avenue is pointe ed |
out. This line was constructed under
the franchise of the Valley Passenger
Railway company but it is not contin-
nous in that 1t connects with the
tracks on Lackawanna avenue. which
We're laid under Il franchise granted
to the PEOPLES Street Railway COM
pany. Cars from Lackawanna avenue
are run into the tracks ON Washington
avenue. forming what appears To he,
but which is in reality not Il contin-
uous line.
Another instance pointed out in the
line Of track on North Main avenue
from Providence road to jackson
street This was constructed under the
Valley Passenger franchise, ii is said,
but 1t is not Il continuous line because
1t connects at each end with lines
operated under Il charter and franchise
granted to the Peoples Street Railway
company.