The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-15

The ordinance awarding "A franchise
to the Central Rapid Transit Street
Railway company passed two reaA-
ings in select council last night, but
not until it had been so loaded down
with amendments that it is doubtful
IL the company will ever take aGvln-
tage of IL should II pass both branches
finally.
The ordinance was reported favor
ably by a majority of the committee
without any amendments, and then
Mr.. Schroeder, who is the fifth Eem-
ber of the committee. offered a min
ority report signed by himself. In this
report he set forth that there was no
necessity for the new road and that
1t was absolutely essential that at least
one of the city's avenues connecting
with the northern part of the city
should be free from street railway
tracks. He recommended that action
on the ordinance be postponed.
Mr.. Oliver Immediately moved that
action on the minority report be In
definitely postponed and the motion
was adopted by the following vote:
Neas--Rcss, Finn, Costello, Evans, Morgan. Re
gan, Chittcnden. Cossrovc. Oliver, Clciuons,
Vaughan. Wagneri2.
Nays-Roche, Melvin schneider, Schroeder,
Mc.>ndrew-5.
A short time afterwards the ordin-
ance was passed on first reading by
title and then Mr.. Vaughan offered
an amendment striking out that sec
tion in the ordinance providing that
the company shall pay a tax of one
half per cent. on it's gross receipts for
the three years next succeeding the
first two years of its operation end
one per cent every year thereafter.
AMENDMENT INSERTED
This amendment was adopted and
in place OF the clause stricken out
there was inserted an amendment
offered by Mr.. Chittenden. providing
that the city shall have the right to
levy tax not exceeding five per cent.
on the gross receipts of the company
after the first year of the operation OF
Its lines.
Mr.. Oliver next introduced an amend
ment extending the lines of the new
company in Green Ridge as follows
A loop from the corner of Green Ridge
street and Penn avenue extending in
a northeasterly direction along Green
Ridge street to the intersection of Ca
pouse avenue and Green Ridge street,
thence along Capouse avenue in q gem
orally easterly direction on Sunset ave-
nue. to the corner of Electric avenue;
also an extension from the corner of
Delaware street and Penn avenue on
Delaware street to the intersection of
Capouse avenue.
Mr.. Oliver stated, in reply to a ques-
ton, that he had not consulted the
company about the amendment, but
that the people of Green Ridge wanted
il passed. The amendment was unani-
mously adopted.
Mr.. Clemons stirred up the first
fight by the introduction of an amend
ment striking out the section in the
ordinance giving the company power
to run its lines in Center street from
Wyoming to Mifflin avenue. on Mifiiin
avenue TO Vine street, and on Vine
street to Wyoming avenue. Mr.. Glenn
ons presented a petition with his
amendment signed by nearly all the
large property owners on Center street
protesting against the city allowing
that thoroughfare.
STREET TOO NARROW.
In support OF mis- amendment he
stated that Center street was SO mar
row that to run a car through it would
be to prevent the business men 'front.'
ing on it to use II for loading and un-
loading their wagons. The street car
would fill the whole street, he said,
and would greatly inconvenience these
n.h nf ,a
city to recover damages.
Mr.. Vaughan spoke against the
amendment and stated that this was
the only street through which the
company could run If il wished to
reach West Scranton. The present
company, he said, had gobbled up all
the others streets in the central city.
Mr.. Cosgrove also spoke against the
amendment, which was adopted by the
following vote:
leas--Ross Finn, Costello, Morgan. Re9an.
Roche. Melvin, Chittenden, Schneider, Schroeder,
Clemons, oBuylc, McAndrew Wagner-li.
Nay Evans. CosgTGvc, Oliver, Vaughan.
Mr.. Roche then arose to offer bunch
of amendments, and explained in be-
ginning that he was opposed To the
new ordinance first, last and all the
time" that he wouldn't vote for ii
finally, but that as long as it was
going through he wanted 1t amended
so as to make it a good ordinance in
every respect. The amendments which
he offered, he said, Were offered in all
sincerity.
The first amendment which he pre-
sented provided that "any combina-
ton or consolidation of street railway
companies to which this company shall
become party will work a forfeiture