Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-20
HITS INTER-URBANS
Bill Limiting Franchise to Twenty
five Years Passes.
LAWS FOR STEAM ROADS APPLY
Where the lnter.urban Lines Cross
Those of Steam Road the Former
Must Do the stopping-A Measure
Of Much Interest at Present Time.

Des Moines, March 1S.-(Special)-
The house has passed bill by Hannah,
OF Scott county, applying to interurban
electric lines, the same laws which
regulate steam railroads The bill
limits interurban franchises to twenty.
five years. In the matter of crossings
lof interurban and steam railroads.
which question was discussed at
length during the consideration of the
bill before the committee, it is provid.
ed that the electric lines must do the
stopping, and must send man ahead
to run the crossing. The steam cars
therefore need pay no more attention
imam is required at farm road cross
ingS.
The Bill.
The provisions of the measure are:
Section 1. Any railway operated up.
on the streets of a city or town by cleo.
trio or other power than steam, which
extends beyond the corporate limits
OF such city or town to another city
town or village, or any railway oper.
ated by electric or other power than
steam extending from one city, town
or village to another city, town or vii.
railway, and shall be work of inter
nal Improvement
Sec. 2. The words, railway. railwa~
company, railway corporation, railroad.
rallfoad company and railroad corpora.
tion, as used in the code, and acts of
the general assembly, now in force or
hereafter enacted, are hereby declared
10 apply TO and include all interurban
laiiways' and all companies or. corpo.
ratlons constructing, owning or operat
ing such interurban street RAILWAYS
and all provisions of the code and acts
OF the general assembly, now in force
10 hereafter enacted, affecting rail.
ways, railway companies, railway cor
poratlons, railroads, railroad comma.
MES and railroad corporations are
hereby declared to affect and apply in
1uii force and effect to all interurban.
railways, and to all interurban rail
way companies or railway corporations
constructing, owning or operating such
lnterurban railways.
Sec. 3. Any interurban street rail
way shall within the corporate limits
or any city or town, or of any citv mr.
town, or of any city acting under sne.
clal charter, be deemed street rail.
way and be subject to the laws gov
erning street railways.
Sec. 4. Cities and towns. and citiee
acting under special charters shall have
power to authorize or forbid the CON.
struction of such railways upon. or NV.
er, or along the streets, alleys and nub.
Tic grounds within their limits and to
prescribe the conditions and reguIa.
ions under which said RAILWAYS shall
be constructed and operated within
said limits, but no such right shall he
given any railway for period exceed.
ing twenty-five years, but nothing here
IN snail impair the obligation of con-
tracts OF such city or town heretofore
made. This act shall not in any man.
ner aHect section seven hundred and
seventy-flve G75) and seven hundred
and seventy-six (776) of the code,
which shall be applicable to interurban
railways.
Sec. 5. That section two thousand
and twenty-six (2O26) of the code be
and the same is hereby amended by
adding thereto the following: When an
interurban street railway desires to op-
crate its lines along or upon a public
highway, and in the opinion of the
board of supervisors of the county in
which such highway is located. it is
lmpracticable or inexpedient to in
crease the width there of to one hun
dred QOO) feet, such board of superyi.
sors may permit such interurban street
railway company to construct and on.
crate its railway along and upon such
highway, under such restrictions and
regulations as the board may deem adj
Vlsable; but no such railway shall con-
struct or operate it's line along or upon
such highway until a written statement
of consent of three-fourths of the resi-
dents owning property AUDITING upon
such highway shall have been obtained
and filed with the auditor of the county
In which the highway is located. And
IN all cases the location, construction
and operation of such interurban
street railway shall be subject to the
provisions of section two thousand and
twenty-seven (2027) of the code.
Sec. 6.-Wherever the tracks of an
inter-urban railway cross the tracks
of any steam railway at grade the
steam railway shall have the right-of-
way and not be compelled to stop its
trains and the interurban railway
operating said line shall
cause their cars to come to full stou
not nearer than ten Q0) feet nor fur
Their than fifty (5O) feet from such
crossing, and before proceeding to
cross said steam railway tracks shall
cause some person in their employ
first to cross said track ahead of said
car or cars and ascertain if the way is
clear and free from danger for the
passage of said interurban cars, and
said interurban cars shall not proceed
to cross until signalled to do so by
such person over said tracks. Every
person in charge of any interurban car
or cars, who wilfully fails to comply
with the provisions hereof and fails
to bring the car or cars which he has
in charge, to stop, or causes the same
to cross said steam railway tracks
before the way is clear, or he is sig.
nailed to do so. shall be subject to a
fine of not less than one hundred dol.
lars ($100.00) nor more than two hun
dred dollars ($2O0,O0) or, imprison-
ment in the county Jail not to exceed
twelve months Q2) in the discretion