Evening star., 1902-03-18

sure. would COinuldIld the ItSpttt VI on Jul
citizens
The Pennsylvania Policy.
Il am glad to have this opportunity TO
explain the relations of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company to the question of grade
crossings. This company has long recog-
nized the necessity for their removal in
the interest of the public and has omitted
no opportunity of joining literally and
heartily with the municipal authorities III
the construction of overhead ana under
ground crossings. 1t believes that this
policy will not only relieve the public of
very serious danger, but, also. the rail-
road company of the grave responSibili-
ties devolved upon it by the maintenance
Of grade crossings. In pursuance of this
policy it has succeeded in eliminating All
such crossings from its main line in the
city of Philadelphia, and for distance OF
nine miles beyond. 1t is certainly within
your recollection that in order 10 reach
the present station at Broad street by an
elevated road it expended between four
and five millions of dollars, and thus Sc
cured the removed of all the freight tracks
from Market street and the abandonment
of the then existing grade crossings be-
tween 18th street and the Schuylkill river.
The same policy has been pursued by the
company for many years past on its main
line in the city of Pittsburg, with the re-
suit that all grade crossings, with impor-
tant streets within it's limits, are now
avoided
Mr.. Roberts then proceeded to cite the
language of the governor OF Pennsylvania
in his message to the legislature, recon-
mendng grade crossing legislation, and
continued: THE governor Of the common
wealth in his recommendation has followed
the practice, not only Of almost all Euro
pean communities, but also the established
policy of the states of Massachusetts,, Con-
nectcut and New York. 1t has not even
been pretended that the wholesome pro-
visions of law that require the avoidance
of grade crossings by steam railroads in
such cities as London, Liverpool and Ber-
lin have in any manner interfered with
their commercial prosperity, although 1t
is certainly true that they have competed
railroad companies seeking admission TO
those cities to eXpend larger amount OF
money than they would have done had
grade crossings been permitted. But
think you will agree with me that the pub
lie safety is the supreme law In this case,
and that If railroads can reach our large
cities without sacrificing the lives and
limbs Of our people it is certainly their
duty to do So"
Following closely this letter OF Mr.. Rob-
erts. the Pennsylvania railroad in 1880 paid
all the expense within the lines of it's right
of way in Philadelphia of constructing six
teen undergrade and three overhead
bridges.
On the other hand when special bene-
fits accrue to the railroad. as by gratuitous
land grants of public streets and spaces
for railroad use and benefit, there should
be and usually is an offset from even the
the public.
The Easy Way-The Right Way.
An easy way to dispose of this somewhat
complicated problem is to assert that the
public and the railroad share the expense,
usually in equal proportions, and to recon-
mend that the public assume the payment
Of one-half of whatever amount the rail-
road says that the improvement will cost.
This ic however QrOCSlv n
just, in that 1t ignores all the equities and
special conditions which in various cases
make the railroad pay widely differing
percentages, ranging from one-half to all
of the expense involved.
The precedents of grade crossings elm
ination in large cities show that the gen.
eral rule imposes upon the railroad all ex-
penses incurred within its right of way,
and upon the public expenses outside OF
the right OF way, as for street depression,
approaches to bridges and damages to
property arising therefrom. Sometimes the
citys share of the cost estimated on this
basis Is much as one-half Of the entire
expense. as in the Philadelphia improve
ment of 1887; sometimes its share is little
or nothing, as in Elizabeth, N. j., and re-
Gently in Chicago, whose immense UNDER
takings in this direction, still under way,
furnish the latest and most pertinent sug-
gestions on the subject to other municipal
tiles.
Assuming this division of the expense as
the proper primary basis Of calculation,
'lAere remain To De dpplleu 10 tne pTODlein,
before deciding the percentages OF actual
apportionment, the special benefits enjoy
ed by either party to the transaction. II
the railroad, for instance, enjoys the grant
of valuable additional privileges and of the
gratuitous use Of extensive areas of public
land as part of the bargain, these factors
are to be treated as an Offset, partial or
complete. to the contribution which would
otherwise be expected on equitable prin-
ciples from the public.