The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-21
| MAYORS VETO IS SUSTAINED No Further Privileges to
 Street Railway. THE VOTE WAS 5 TO s Council Reminded of Rights
 of Citizens. Suggested That Railway Company Should Be Required to Make
 Other Improvements-Aid
 man Hudson Changed

At the meeting of the Montgomery City Council last night the veto mes. sage upon the ordinance granting priv ileges to the Montgomery Street Rail- | way to connect its tracks with the Su- burban Street Car Line, which it has | recently acquired, was submitted. The veto was sustained by the Council by a vote of 5 to 5.
 Under the charter 1t requires ten votes to pass an ordinance over the Mayors veto, that Is two- thirds of the members of the Council. On the passage of the ordinance by the Council at it's last meeting prior to last night, there were nine votes in its favor and three against 1t. viz.:
 Ayes-Messrs. Fleming. Davis. Fin ley. Hartley. Hudson, May, Rushton, Westcott and Wiley-9.
 Nays-Messrs. Kohn, Roman, Toole -3.
 Messrs. Holt, Houser and Ruth were absent from tke meeting.
 The vote to pass the ordinance, the veto of the Mayor notwithstanding. was as follows:
 Ayes-Messrs. Fleming, Davis, Hart ley, May, Westcott--5.
 Nays-Messrs. Houser. Hudson, Kohn, Roman, Toole-5.
 It will be seen that the last three AL dermen voted in the negative on the passage of the ordinance, Alderman Houser being absent and Alderman Hudson changing his vote.
 Of those who voted for the ordinance Messrs Finley, Rushtonv and Wiley were absent last night.
 Text of Veto Message.
 The veto of the Mayor was as fol- lows:
 Mayors Office,
 Montgomery. Ala, May 18th. 1901. ''To the City Council of Montgomery:
 "Gentlemen-I return herewith. with out my approval. an ordinance enti- tied An Ordinance to confer addition gomery Street Railway adopted by you at your last meeting.
 This ordinance seeks to confer on the Montgomery Street Railway the right to connect the Seelye line. recent ly acquired by them, with their Con- merce Street lines by curves on each side of said street, at its intersection with Bibb Street, allowing the pres ent tracks to remain, and also to con- uGCC LnGlT ItlL AkIl6 WtIu lIlC oCCiyC Line on Madison Avenue, Moulton, Bibb and Perry Streets, and thus 10 make four connections within a ra- dius of five blocks.
 "The representatives of the Street Railway Company contend that this will prove of great advantage to res idents on the West End Line. and up- doubtedly this was the motive that ac- tuated your Honorable Body in the IUifh the ordinance in its present shape, and lacking a condition requiring the granting of free transfers over lines sought to be connected, I cannot see any great benefit or advantage will accrue to the residents along the lines to be connected, nor to the people at large. by its enactment into law-cer- tainly none even in small degree commensurate with the value Of the privilege asked, or the injury that will be done the said streets-the very arteries of our business world. The proposed connections, as contemplated in the ordinance, especially on Com merce Street, our greatest thorough fare leading to the Union Passenger Depot. right in the heart of the busl- ness district, will prove highly disad- vantageous and the source of great in convenience to all; TO. TOT once AnC all, EUOhC dp merce Street at it's intersection with pihh Street.-The centre of traffic-with a Jabyrinth of curves, switches, etc, seriously interfering with the free ana easv massage of pedestrians and Ve- hicles, to say nothing of the danger to fife and limb, would, in my opinion' be a grievous error.
 Suggests Other Requirements.
 In consideration of this. and of the fact that these franchises Will prove of inestimable value to the Street Rall- way Company not only by reason or permitting greater economy In opera ton, but also in further monopollzlng the street railway situation In Mont- gomery, see nothing unreasohaple m recurring certain conditions In the franchise that we know will be of ben eft to the people, and to make certain changes with view of allowing the least possible occupation of the streets, which conditions do not believe un- fair. nor that they will prove burden some to the Street Railway Companys
 I suggest that these should include the following requirements:
 Obligatory transfers, at least on the lines connected.
 Change the plan of connections on Street by removing the pa vilion, straightening the two tracks on Commerce Street, so as to do away with the bulge now necessitated by the pavilion, and take up that portion of the Seeiye fine crossing Commerce Street.
 Acceptance by the Street Railway Company of the terms and conditions of an ordinance heretofore adopted, re- auiring them to keep grass from be- tween their tracks on the paved streets of the city. While all other having tracks on paved streets have cheerfully compiled with the ordinance. the Montgomery Street Railway has refssed to do so, contend ing that It's franchise did not require it. Requiring an obligatory agreement for the payment of a certain propor- ton of the expense of maintaining Oak In conclusion, deem it not improper to repeat remarks on the subject of made in the inaugural mes sage which I had the honor to trans init to your honorable body.
 As to General Franchise.
 "The matter of granting public fran ehises and controlling and regulating the use of the same Is one of serious and graveI importance. Let us steer