Hutchinson gazette., 1901-01-10

ship and operation of rolling stock,
-, Referendum--'In so far as prac-
tIcable tho people should be given d.
rect voice through the referendum in
the settlement OF the most important
questions OF street railway policy,
Publicity Is Aimed A.,
IS, PublIcIty-Street railway compa
MES arc intrusted by the public with
the management OF public business,
The affairs Of such companies there
fore should be open and known to the
public to the same extent as II the
business were managed by the public
directly.
&c, Control of Capltalzation--The
law should forbid overcapitall2ation,
~, Frontage Law--Frontage con-
sents should be required only when It
is first sought to lay down tracks upon
street, The right of abuttlng prop
erty-owners to prevent street from
being used for street railway purposes
regardless OF the public need for
proposed railway should not be abso'
lutte and unqualified,
Arbitration with Employees
"S, Labor Pollcy-The public has a
right to demand uninterrupted street
railway service, To that end II has q
right to insist that everything reason
ably possible be done to prevent strikes
and lockouts, Companies In accepting
grants, should be required to submit
all labor disputes to arbitration.
"9, Motive Power-The Chicago
street railway field is profitable enough
to warrant the use here of the most
desirable form Of motive power which
experience has shown TO be practical,
The overhead trolley should not be
permitted In the business district.
Downtown subways Recommended.
40. Subways-The commission is OF
the opinion, In 80 far as II is qualified
to Judge without the assistance OF en-
cheering experts, that Chicago should
have system Of subways in the down
town district for the accommodation
Of street cars entering that district,
thus making possible the removal of
such cars from the surface OF the
streets within such subway district,
The subject, however is one calling
for careful and detailed investigation
by engineers employed for that purpose
by the city before any decisive steps
are taken, Legislation should be se-
cured at once permitting the construc-
tion and ownership Of such subways
either by the city or by private cor
poration which legislation should au-
thoriEe the people themselves to say,
through the referendum, which form of
ownership they prefer or whether they
want subways at all.
To Fix Rate Of Fare.
III. Rate of Fare and Compensation
These are matters requiring q more
careful study than the commission has
yet been able to make Of them. The
two should be considered together, for
obviously the lowering Of fares would
reduce the possibilities In the way OF
compensation to be paid into the pub
lie treasury, and vice versa. The ques-
tion Of low fares versus compensation
and the question Of the uniform fare
as opposed to graded fares or the zone
system Of fares present themselves for
consideration. The commission be-
lleves the question as to the amount
Of compensation for franchise grants
should be left open until the terms Of
the grant otherwise are virtually de-
cided upon.
"12, Coordination Of Service-The
commission Is Of the opinion that
there should be more coordination be-
tween surface lines and steam and ele-
vated roads.
"13. Legal Questions, the Ninety
Nine-Year Act-When the companies
now in control in Chicago receive any
further grant Of privileges from the
city they should be required, as a con-
dition Of such grant, to renounce any
claim of rights under the so-called
ninety-nine-year act OF 1865.
While the report of the commission
bears the pen marks Of the politician
who is most likely trying to serve two
masters (the people and the bondhold-
ers) 1t is nevertheless long step in
the right direction.