Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-12
WORTHY MEASURE
That Introduced in illinois House
to Afford Relief to Tri-
City Railway
ON THE FRANCHISE QUESTION
People OF Community Interested in
Seeing It Made
Law.

representative l.. NJ. Magill in the
house at Springfield yesterday intro
duced the same bill that Senator L. S.
McCabe offered the day preceding in
the senate. 1t is a measure that seeks
to afford relief TO the Tri-City Rail-
way company in view of the recent
ruling of the supreme court relative
to franchises. 1t is. in other words,
an amendment to what is known as
the bridge bill, and provides that any
street railway company using a bridge
over stream has right to operate
in abutting states, and that all rights
heretofore or hereafter granted said
company are hereby ratified and con
firmed- The Importance of such leg
islation as is proposed is realized
when it is considered that all opera
tions of the company must in respect
to the supreme court ruling remain
at a standstill either until higher
court has decided the questions in
volved or the shortcomings of the
statutes are rectified by the legisla-
ture. This is a matter in which all
citizens who appreciate the advan-
tages and benefits of the Tri-City sys-
tenn are as deeply interested as the
company itself, and some systematic
and concerted movement to impress
the legislature with the Importance
of the proposed action ought to be
taken.
Position of Company.
The company, when asked for n
statement, gave out the following
reasons for desiring th2 passage of
the bill:
list. Our attorneys assure us that
there is no question that the supreme
court of the United States will decide
in our favor as to the validity of our
franchises in Rock Island and Moline.
but it may take two or three years to
reach this decision
"2nd. We want to sell stocks and
bonds at once to provide funds for
improvements in the three cities. and
the present shape of our securities.
owing to the Illinois supreme court
decision, may prevent our raising
money for these improvements for
two or three years.
''3rd. Many other needed improve
ments and hetterments in service and
equipment may be blocked for two or
three years until n final decision is
reached.
18th. Many Rock Island and Moline
stockholders are interested in this
Legislation, which is fair and only in
tended to ratify agreements and CON
tracts entered into between this com
pany and the cities of Rock Island
and Moline II years ago. and later
four years ago. all of which agree
mentS and contracts have been car
ried out and lived up to by both par
ties in good faith up to this time.
18Th. 1t would be pity and ser
iOus matter to have street railway
improvements and extensions blocked
for two or three years at a time,
when it appears there is going to be
a big demand for such improvements
and the company is able and willing
to improve if legally permitted to do
so, and the cities of Rock Island and
Moline are sure to be the gamers by
such improvements and the losers
without them.
9th. Nothing can possibly be gain
ed by blocking or defeating The legis-
lation asked for, and on the other
hand there is everything to lose in
the way of improved conditions of
the public railway service