The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-21
HELD A
CONFERENCE.

A conference was held yestrrtIa
afternoon between the Directors
of the Street and Sewer Depart
ment and the Peoples lhliIwa,
Company's officials.
Those present at the conference
yesterday were Directors johnson
Melvin, and Carter, Spottswood
Garland, presid MT, Richard W
Crook, general manager, and W
S. Hilles, attorney Of the Peoples
Railway Company, and City SO.
licitor Reinhardt. Some OF the
officers of the department were
into the meeting from time to
time to explain some Of the items
III the account.
The original bill for street paw
ing was upwards of $4,000. The
exact amount cannot be ascertain
ed as the meeting was private but
owing to the "littlc JOKER 70
per cent Of the bill had to be
thrown of, which brought it
to something like $1,000. The
'little joker" is Il clause in the
franchise granted the People
Railway Company by tile old
board which provides that the
city cannot collect any money for
labor performed in rcpavi's streets
that have been damaged by the
laying OF car tracks.
When it was learned there was
no way of avoiding its provisions
the department agreed to deduct
about twenty per cent from the
original bill, because the labor ON
repaycl streets had been charged
in the original account. Not be-
ing satisfied with getting such Il
reduction the railway company
wants II further reduction, it is,
reported of between $4,000 and
$4,000, because in number of
places the material could not he
reused after being displaced. ,
Sixth street between Kin. and
Market is cited as another illus |
tration of this provision in the
franchise. There the bricks were
lad SO solilly that i'll removing
them nearly all Of them were
broken so they could not be used
again Tor paving purposes. For
these bricks so broken the com
psnv does not want to pay, claim
ing that there franchise states
that they shall pay only Tor ma
teriaI displaced and reused, The
directors OF the Street and Sewer
Department. ON the other hand
that the company should pay for
this material. While the brick,
may have been sobroken thattlev
could not be used again for paving
the company did use tho material
such as broken bricks and sand,
for ba|astins the road for filling {
iii and other ways.
II the contention of the rail-
com panN that it docs not have to
pay for the materials it Displaced !
and could not use again in paving
is allowed it will mean that the
city will get only between $50 600 !
and $4,000 or possibly only t
about $4,000 ont of the original t
bill Of $50, 600 which was the act :,
ual charge for material and labor r
performed. /
The question under discussion o
yesterday was how IN lch material .
the Peoples Railway Company s
had been unable to use for paving ),
proposes after it had been dis v
placed by its car tracks. 1t will n
be II ha d matter to adjust this, :.
md how,it will be adiustodscannot b
be told. 1t is known that no de- Il,
;islon was reached yesterday re-
,arding the matter but that tho
conference ended when the rail n,
way officials said they could not "
give definite answer without tt
consulting the other officers of the NJ
company who are in Philadelphia l., 1,
t is reported that the officials of G G.
he company in Wilmington will b;
ecommcnd to tho Philadelphia
flicials that the Peoples Railway W, VT
pay somewhere between rh ~
10000 and $4,000. 1t will ua
hen be for the Street and Sewer an
department. to decide whether it
Ill accept this amount or insist
II the $4l 900 on the grounds te
nat wording of the franchise has til
lready cost the city enough and he
. ht no further reduction should II
Q made. au ."'
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