The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-21

Is Issued, Ill WHlCn tHe NaiiWdS
People Set Forth Why 1t Is I'm
practicable to Meet the Demand:
That Some Would Have the City
Make of Them--A Conditional
Offer.
A conference was held yesterday be-
tween the promoters of the new street
railway companies and the specla
con. .mittec of the board of trade. ap.
pointed to deal with the matter OF
having the franchise ordinance so re.
vised as to make the city Il greater
beneficiary from the proposed grants
than the measures now contemplated
A number of the officers of the new
companies. including George a. Lee
Senator Benjamin X. Focht. G.. v
Boughton and james II. Torrey, solici-
tor, were present to represent the com
panies. All three members of The
board of trade committee, w. I'll. TaN-
lor. j.. BENZ. Dimmick and Ebenohel
Williams, were in attendance and sev-
ernl councilinen also came in TO hohi
the discussions pro and con.
The committee argued that the ciiy
should receive some very substantial
consideration for the proposed grants
and that the franchises should reV"ri
to the city at the end Of a limited
number of years.
The answer Of the railway people TO
these contentious is best set iorth IN
IA general statement, issued after :he
conference. from the headquarters of
the companies The statement deals
with these and other questions relit-
ing to- the position of the no" COM
pauieS. !, reads rs follows:
COMPANIES STATEMENT.
The promoters of TIL" new railway
franchises ;i.'e ,lnwuriantably accused
of an effort to take an unfair udN;in-
tage of the existing troubles between
the Scranton railway company ana its
employees. That this accusation is al
together unfair will be realized when it
is known that the charters of these
companies were granted many months
ago, ut II time when the relations be-
tween the Scranton Railway company
and it's employees were apparently en-
tircly harmonious.
Ill llt oIN'' VI tNtiitH 'h'
application to the councils for the con-
sent Of the city would ilH|" been made
some time in September ~! October,
but just at that time the strike was
precipitated and the presentation OF
the ordinances to the councils has been
delayed, with the especial purpose OF
avoiding cntanglements with the labor
difficulties, which We're so bitter about
that time. and they were not finally in
troduced until the situation had to Il
considerable extent cleared up. and
only when the development of the 9TH
er connecting lines had so far pro-
gressed that it was unsafe to wait
longer.
"A large proportion of the lines south
of the city have been actually con-
structed, and The land for the power
plant and other permanent structures
of the company in the city had been
purchased ut very large expense from
the Lackawanna Iron & Steel company
before the ordinances were introduced.
They are advocated before the councils
purely upon their own merits and with
out any effort to make capital of the
presen, difficulties of the old company.
THAT the dissatisfaction both of the
public ana of the employees with the
arrangement of the old company and
the conviction which has been for a
long time existed that il was hopeless
to expect efficient service from them.
should operate to some extent in favor
of the new companies is. of course. in
evitabe, but i, cannot be charged that
the promoters of the new enterprise.
or any of them, have taken undue or
unfair advantage of their rivals. On
the contrary. their course has Indicated
unusual forbearance.
DEMAND UNWARRANTE:D.
"rhe demand which Is so frequently
made. both in public and in private,
that the new companies should make
substantial payment to the city for the
benefits derived from it, is, under the
circumstances. unwarranted. The sit J.
uation, when these charters We're pro-
cured, was that all the best and most
profitable lines of communication
within the city limits had been pro-
cured and occupied by successive rail
way companies. the operation OF all of
which had been consolidated in the
Scranton Railway company. That
unsatisfactory service. The most VAL
uable of the franchises in the gift of the
city had been accorded to them with
out any compensation or return. 1t
would have been impossible for any
other company to finance il new sys-
tenn in the city Of Scranton alone,
1T is only by reason OF its through
trunk connections with Wilkes Barre,
Pittston, and CarbOndale that reason
able prospect of successful business IL
found in the present enterprise. The
new companies expect to spend some
thing like S3,000000 within the city in
the construction of the most modern
and approved tracks upon such streets
as have been neglected and left by the
old companies because they We're con-
sidered impossible of profitable occu-
patton. The problem is difficult enough
initself, and to load il with large direct
obligations to the city would simply
result in making it unfeasible as II
financial proposition, and therefore de-
feat it, The companies have already
freely consented to relieve the city of
large expenses in grading and paving,
and to protect them against all indi-
rect damages resulting from the
changes which will be made in the
streets.
READY TO PAY FAIR TAN.
''The promoters OF the new cons
panies, recognizing the dcsirabiiity
that the city should share in the fruits
of the use of such franchises as are
certainly profitable, stand ready tO
guarantee the payment of "A large
amount as u bonus on of Il fair tax
upon their gross receipts, If they can
be given free field by the transfer 90