The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-14
APPEAL OF CITIZENS
 IS HEEDED BY COUNCIL
Report of Committee Showing InadeQuacy of the Street Railway System and DeviSing Rules For Government of the Lines is Unan-
 imOuSy Adopted.

the employment that they cannot be the cars too fast. whether from their own volition or in accordance with orders we do not know.
 Fffth-The cars very often stop from
 the lack of electricity. This seems to
 be caused by the reason of the fact that the company is using. to manufacture | it's electricity, five machines, all of which,
 except two are of different make. age and capacity. and will not work together well.
 Sixth-The wires often break and fall down into the streets. but we find that this is not caused by any defect in the wires themselves, but almost entirely
 the rs r9sy anS .Rns R9e slipping F tSe % .s tne pension wires. We find that the trolley i would not get off frequently and that, when it does. it would not break the wire, but for the excessive speed at which the
 Seventh-The number of cars on the Belt Line. which is over four mile cir cult. is only three. all run in the same l direction. Each of these cars are sched- | uled to make the entire circuit within half an hour. and thus pass all points | on the line ten minutes apart. This is | a schedule that can hardly be lived up to. When there is much travel and much | getting on and off the cars get behind to catch up. On the Court Street line | by the fact that the switch is badly I of the line too long and the failure to | make connections at the switch. The schedules. as arranged, on all the other rave "e but an9 unusual @ in the travel. such as Is caused by s rain or any any event nit excursion seems to completely upset the schedules on all the lines, and put the | whole system in confusion.
 | Eighth.-The track is very often, after l surface streets | in come places. The company has a squad of hands continually at work sur large enough to keep 1t in good condition. | Ninth.-There Is nothing, so far as we have been able to find, so defective in the of the system that renders the same dan l gerous to life or limb, but the ram- shackle condition of the cars scare peo- of the motormen does endanger life and | limb
 Your committee believe that the above 4 is a fair; a., conseryativs ar. and true state Street Railway Company is giving the public, and that the facts show that the system and Its service not only falls very far below what might be termed first class but is not reasonably adequate to the conditions and requirements of the people, of this city. and so far as we of things Is entirely the fault of the Street Car Company. Whether wilIful or Intentional, we cannot say, We believe l 1t to be negligence and false notion of economy in the number and efficiency of | employees.
 To begin suit to revoke the franchise | Is a serious step for this Council to take. | It means a protracted litigation for probably many months and If success full, either the. forcing the lines to be taken up out of the streets or the grant | ing to them of a new franchise on diff | ferent terms, and possibly the operation. for while. by a receiver under the or
 This cause should be avoided as long as there is any hope of otherwise im- proving conditions. When everything else fails 1t seems to be the only remedy. | We have carefully considered the ordi- nance introduced by MT. Rushton and after having redrawn 1t and made con herewith c substitute and recommend the immediate passage of the same We be- lieve that 1t is reasonable and valid and that 1t can be enforced. If enforced we l believe 1t will greatly relieve the situa- tion and probably do away with the ne- ecssity of any action to annuI the fran regarded by the Street Car Company the | city's case would then be much stronger and we recommend that no suits be com menced to forfeit the franchise until we see whether the company will observe 1t and live up to 1t in good faith. If they should not, we recommend that this Coun- | ell then order proceedings commenced in the courts to vacate and annul the franchises of said company. We report favorably on the ordinance introduced by Alderman Roman, with an amendment striking out three minutes and inserting one minute. Respectfully 1 D. Fleming, l c. l.. Ruth, J. H. Hartley,
 Committee on Franchises and Privileges. John G. Finley Ray Rushton Committee on Judiciary
 On motion or Alderman Davis the re- port or the joint committee was received | and concurred in.
 The ordinance recommended by the commlttee as substitute to that offered by Alderman Rushton, was read as fol- lows:
 AN ORDINANCE.
 l To regulate the operation of street cars
 and lines of street cars in the city of | Montgomery.
 Section l. Be 1t ordained by the City | council Of Montgomery that it shall be | unlawful for any person, firm or cor poration engaged in operating street cars or lines of street cars in the City of Montgomery to run. propel or otherwise operate in or through the streets of said city ,any car that has not been previous ly and within one week, inspected ay the City Electrician and a certificate Eiven by him pronouncing said car to 5e safe by the provisions of thI5 ordinance
 Sec. 2. Be it further ordained, That 1t shall be unlawful fer any person. firm or corporation operating street cars or a 1
 
 in, upon, over or across any of the streets | of the city of Montgomery any tr, lley wire cable. guy wire insulator, pole or fastening to the same, or in and abcut and of the same, that is unsound, or so worn as to cause the same to bro ak, or to become liable to break or to fall down into the streets or to become liable to | fall down into the streets.
 Sec. 3. Be 1t further ordained, That it | shall be unlawful for any person, finn or corporation engaged in operating street cars or lines of street cars in the city of Montgomery to run. or operate through the streets of said city any car that has thereon flat wh aaIs. or that fire m defective construction or worn out con dition admits rain thc ough the ICof threof or otherwise leak', or that has thereon defective breaks.
 Sec {. Be 1t further ordained; that it shall be unlawful for any person, ii m or corporation engaged Tn opera ting street cars or lines of street cara in the City of Montgomery, to operate street CTS or lines of street cars through thS sllc"ts of said city otherwise than n accoi dance with an adopted and establish ed schtduls a copy of which said schedule shall be posted up in a conspioi0 IS place in the car; and 1t shall be unlA wfll for any per son, firm or corporation t1 allow a'iy car operated by 1t to remain still at any tune at its scheduled stopping places for a longer period than one min ite, exceIt in the event of unavoidable A.Cidcnt end ii .Ir,.y f,,T