The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-21
Officers Were Elect
ed and the Yearly
Reports of the Of
fiCers Were Read.
Vice President A. w.
Dickson Had No
Opposition for the
Presidency. ,

At the annual meeting of the Scran-
ton Board of Trade held yesterday the
following officers were elected: Presi-
dent, A. w. Dickson; president,
John L. Porter; secretary, d. &. Ather-
ton; treasurer. Joseph Levy; trustee
for three years, Hon. William Connell.
Reports of the retiring president, j. A.
Lansing and Secretary ID. 3. Atherton
We're read.
The meeting was called to order at
noon by President Lansing who soon
after relinguished the chair to Vice
President A. w. Dickson as he had to
leave the city on the 12.45 train. W. H..
Taylor, of the special committee. ap-
pointed to consider the matter Of the
city councils granting franchises to
street railway companies without ade-
quate compensation presented the fol-
lowing report which was adopted with
out discussion.
MR. TAYLOR'S REPORT.
The Scranton Board of Trade, j. A. Lansing,
President, Scranton. Pa.
Dear Sir: On Dec 49, 1901, the board Of
trade adopted the following resolutions:
Resolved That il is the sense of this board
of trade that the ordinance now pending i'll coun.
should not pass in its present form.
Resolved That this board is opposed to grant.
ing franchises in perpctuity
Resolved That this board is opposed to grant.
ing valuable franchises without some adequate
compensation.
Resolved That committee be appointed TO
bring our protest before councils"
Acting under the same the undersigned com.
mittee, in conjunction with members Of the city
n leo \yprn q
passage of the franchises as they read at that
time, met in conference the promoters Of the
proposed new street railway system and the re-
suit OF those conferences the securing OF ccr-
tain notifications Of the ordinances as they stood
OIL Dec. Is, 1901, which notifications are indi.
Gated in accompanying copy of ordinance. File OF
Common Council, No. 81, as amended Dec. 26,
1901 You will notice that among other things
secured was the recognition Of the principle OF
| the right that the city should be paid a tax on
the gross receipts OF the COMPANY, and while
your committee and the members OF council who
so ably assisted them in this matter did not Sc
cure all that desired, yet il was the best we
| could obtain.
We have also secured other important modiica.
tions, including the following:
| Frst--.The freeing of the city from liability
arising from any OF the following causes:
| (a) From all damages and cost of every nature
arising from the grading of any street or streets
or parts of street or streets which might be occu'
pied by the proposed street railway.
tb) Failure to keep protected with planks all
tracks where T rails used.
(c) Every accident through any weakness in
any bridge which has been subjected to any adj
ditional strain from occupation or use by pro-
posed street railways.
second-The changing of width OF narrowest
street on which double track could be laid from
twenty-five feet to thirty.three feet.
Third-An agreement to run all cars on their
trunk lines at least FIVE minutes headway.
Fourth-An agreement to pave and repavc on
all bridges used by proposed street railways.
Fifth--An obligation on the part OF the West
End Street Railway company, the North End
Street Railway company and the South Side
Street Railway company to enter into an agree
ment with each other and the city to give and
accept transfers, one from the other so that 4
passenger could be carried from the starting
point on any one road to the end OF the line on
any OF the other proposed roads, for one fare OF
five cents
Perpetuity OF Franchises-On this phase OF the
subject there was very little discussion it being
early developed that the promoters did not feel
that they could we'll finance the road if the term
OF the franchise was limited, and the subsequent
meetings were taken up with the discussion OF
the other notifications and before Dec. %, 1901,
no further full discussion of the matter was had.
This report is respectfully submitted and the
discharge Of your committee requested.
William II. Taylor,
Ebenezer Williams,
j. Benz. Dimmick,
Committee