Evening journal., 1905-06-14
.COUNCILMEN
HO0TED BY MOB
Fight Over Street Car Fran
chises in Philadelphia a
Warm one
COMMITTEES STORMY MEETING

OUnUlll VI UlOUWl WbL 'lhu
Philadelphia, June "A. - Amid the
cry of thieves" and crooks" and un
Ger the protection OF a squad Of police,
the committee on street railways of
city councils referred to the city So
licltor for lis opirion as to their legal
i,y four bills repeating ordinances
granting street car companies the
right 70 use 10 miles of streets to lay
tracks without the city receiving any
compensation for the franchises. The
1aeetng was in all respects rs sensa-
tionul and as stormy as that held by
the committee on finance some weeks
ago when the gas lease was under con-
slderation. The "repealcrs" were intro
duced at the instance Of Mayor
Weaver, and the action OF the commit
tee is the first setback the mayor has
received since the inauguration of the
reform movement which began with
the fight on the gas lease.
Another sensation in the political
situation was the arrest Of Frank II.
Caven, select councilman from the
34th ward. on the charge OF violating
/ his councilmanic cath by being inter
ested in city contracts He was held
! in $4,000 bail for a further hearing.
! lie denies the charge Caven was ar
/ rested on charges OF conspiracy TO
4 cheat and defraud the municipality.
The anidavit on which the warrant
was issued charges that he supplied
sand for the filtration beds at Torres
dale. Roxborough and Belmont as
contractor under Daniel J. McNichol
the senator's brother under whose
name the McNichol firm is conducted.
The fght over the street car fran
chise promises to be a warm one be-
fore Il is finally ended. It is a contest
between the mayor and citizens living
i'm the territory through which the pro
posed new lines are to run, on the one
hand and the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit company, backed by the Re
publican organization, on the other.
/ Citizens protested against the ordi-
nances and Mayor Weaver vetoed
them. The same day the gas lease was
passed by councils the four bills were
passed over the mayors veto, but no
J further action was taken because OF
the gas lease tight Two weeks later
when councils adopted a resolution
Withdrawing the gas lease bill. four
ordinances were introduced repeating
the street railway franchises.
The committee room was crowded
with lawyers representing both sides
{ and other citizens. A motion was
{ made that the repealers be favorahly
d renorted to councils. but the chairman
asked that all those who desired 70
speak on the measures be heard before
the committee took action, and this
was agreed to. Select Councilman
Thomas ]. Ryan, the only Democratic
member of select council, suggested
that the bills be sent to the city SO.
licitor for his opinion as to their le
gality. He made the point that the
, ordinances had been passed and that
? the street car companies had thus
been vested with the right to use the
streets wanted, and that councils
, could not now take tlhse rights from
. / lnem Ills HubAtailNu Mno AN'NAfNN
with a storm OF Kisses
Other members of the committed
who spoke against the repealers were
called "thieves" and "crooks," and SC
disorderly did the proceedings become
that a squad of police were hurriedl,
summoned from the central station or
the sixth floor of city hall to the com
mittee room of the fourth floor. There
{ after better order was maintained.
4 Colonel Sheldon Potter. the director
Y of public safety. notified all employees
r that hereafter no permission will b.
/. necessary for any employe to change
- his place of residence. "The police
81 firemen and others" said the director
4 'have been affected in the past. Ther'
was printed form that had to b
filed up whenever a man desired L
p move. and his application for permis
! sion to move had to be indorsed by
ward leader"
An echo Of the gas lease fight cam
from Harrisburg. when State Treas
/. urer Mathues appointed Arthur r. II
Morrow, of this city, bond clerk In tn
4 state treasury department. Mr. MOI
+ row was forced ont of the position o
+ assistant secretary of the donartmen
q of supplies in the gas lease fight. I'll
e salary will be s2500 a year. In III
5 supply department he received $4,000
III