The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-09

up SO SuQ<tcHly Tia his company mad
not time 10 take legal advice, but some
features OF the p.fvilege asked by the
Wilmington Seacoasr Railroad were so
plain that it was not necessary to have
a lawyers opinion. When the PROPOSE
ton was made to give Wilmington a
street railway, some Inducements
were asked by the parties who
proposed TO put their money in it. II
was agreed that If the line was built
the company could have the exclusive
right to the streets OF Wilmington for
a period of fifty years. This was in the
nature of a contract between III city
and the street railway company. The
people who built the street railyay
were induced by this agreement
to invest their money in the
street railway and it would be unfair
and unjust to bring about competition
with their investment in any way.
Mr.. Davis corrected MI. Shedding by
reminding him that the contract was
not between the Street Railway and the
city but that the feature granting the
exclusive use of the streets of Whining
ton was embraced in the charter that
company secured from h legislature.
Mr.. Shedding replied, however, that
the board of aldermen la confirmed
that charter and that the city thus be-
came a party to the contract He read
the ordinance in which the board of al
NCl llCh opP1ONCu IHC SLlo NSA. ANC
maintained hat to grant the privilege
asked by the Wilmington Seacoast Rail-
road Company to operate it's cars down
town would make it a competitor to
the street railway n thus violate the
agreement between the city and the
Street Railway Company. To allow the
Wilmington Seacoast Railroad Com
pany to run it's cars into the city would
take up a good part of the business of
the Wilmington Street Railway Com
pany at the best season of the year
when the street cars do a good bust
ness in carrying passengers to and
from the passenger station of the Will
mington Seacoast Railroad. The pro
posed lines into the city would cut off
all that business and do serious injury
to the Street Railway Company. Mr..
Shedding further argued that there is
no complaint against the Street Rail-
way Its cars meet all trains of the
Seacoast road. There is 40 complaint
that we over charge, do not give good
service or act arbitrarily. Our charter
allows us to charge 10 cents for fare
but We haul passengers at 5 cents, sell
tickets at 4 1-6 cents, and by taking
passengers roun the belt to any part
of the city on n ticket the fare is
really 2 LIP cents. We built a line TO
the Seaboard Air Line TO accommodate
the public-a line that does not pay.
We claim the exclusive privilege of the
streets of Wilmington, and to let an
other company build and operate lines
would be a direct menace to the value
of the Wilmington Street Railway.
There is not more han enough business
TO support n street railway, and TO
take away part of the business would
be to destroy the efficiency of the street
railway and seriously cripple it. The
Wilmington Street Railway now pays
in taxes to the city treasury $2.O2S a
Won u-HflA Tho XU;1-o;--&a
Railroad pays $135 a year. Besides, the
Street Railway Company pays SIS, 900 in
wages annually, and another $40, 800 for
wood ard supplies, making S26, 900 in
round numbers. He said he hoped the
board would consider all these matters
and the possible injury to be done be-
fore they take steps that would injure
h Street Railway Company. AS to
the legal phase of the matter, he hoped
to have an attorney to present his mat
er. Speaking further, he stated that
his company contemplated other lines,
and if they found it to their advantage
it was their purpose to extend their
lines. He was not in a position to speak
just yet but it was their purpose to
cover the city where it was to their in
terest and the benefit of the public to
do so. He reminded the board that
his company also pays 81, 900 into the
county treasury in the way of taxes.
Mr.. Davis said he had a peculiar
knowledge of the way the charter OF
the Wilmington Street Railway was
obtained n he was prepared to speak
about 1T knowingly. He said the board
of aldermen did not know of the purport
of the charter until after it had passed.
Serious objection was made to it by the
board of aldermen and they employed
the late DuBrutz Guitar, Esq, and
himself to go before the general as
sembly at Raleigh to make an effort to
eliminate some of the Objectionable
features of the charter. One of the
bitterest objections was to the feature
which gave an exclusive franchise to
use the streets of Wilmington for 40 or
so years. Another objectionable feature
was that the charter gave the
the right TO use any street the
wanted without reference to the wish
of the board of aldermen. He and Mr..
Guitar got the charter amended so as
to give the board of aldermen the right
to say which streets should be given UP
to the street railway, but as to the eX-
| elusive privilege clause the
was too strong for them. He said the
argument of Mr.. SHIELDING as to the
probable competition with the street
railway was for the betterment of that
company while the privilege asked for
by the Wilmington SeacoaSt Railroad
was for the betterment of the citizens of
Wilmington. To allow his company to
run it's lines into the city would be a
decided benefit to the people of VIII
mington. 1t would cost the company a
| great deal of money to build these lines
n it would benefit the city because
it would be property that would be
subject to taxation. The advantage
would be so great to the city at large,
he contended, that there need be no ar
gument to sustain it. 1t vas the
scheme of our lives to get a trolley
1 I;na 70 tho hnaeh and the hna r6 Sh0n16
lend every effort TO secure the line.
Alderman Bailey wanted to know
how Wilmington would be bettered by
granting the privilege. He said all the
franchises ever granted were given
away by the board OF aldermen.
Mayor Waddel corrected Alderman
Bailey by reminding him that the char
tiers were no granted by the board or
aldermen but came from the leglsia-
ture. the same owe that created the
city.
Alderman Bailey made answer that
u ~