Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-13

| Chicago, March 13.- The price of
| Chicago Union Traction common broke
on the stock exchange today from 10
to ~. Heavy losses were sustained
by a number of local brokers who act
ed on the first information given out
regarding the decision of the supreme
court yesterday.
Early Reports Wrong.
1t was generally construed as being
favorable to the street car companies
and against the city, and the first bro
kers who received the information pro-
ceeded to buy stocks. The mistake
was not realized until the market had
closed. There was very little doing
in stock today The first step expect
ed in the street car matter is Il petit
ton for a rehearins by the. traction
companies.
Has Complete Control.
Chicago. March 13.- The effect Of
Yesterdays decision in the United
States supreme court in the Chicago
street railway case is to give the city
almost complete control of the local
traction situation. The ordinances of
the city limiting the use of streets by
companies are upheld and the rights
of the companies in the streets are held
to expire according to the expressed
terms of ordinances. 1t also denies
that the companies have the exclusive
right to the streets for so years.
According to Mayor Dunne's interpre
tation of the decision. there are no 90
year franchises in Chicago and no in
definite or perpetual grants in outlying |
territory.
Remain by SuTerance.
The decision leaves the Union Trac- |
tion company in the west division
without rights except where ordinanc-
es contain purchase clause: leaves |
the same company without any rights |
whatever other than by suffrance in
the streets of the north division; leaves |
the Chicago City railway. which oper- !
ates on the south side, without right !
excepting by ordinances which con- |
tain purchase clause.
The original ordinances granted |
rights to the companies for 80 years
inside their limits as they existed in |
1865. The companies which extended |
their tracks to the west boundaries of
the city have been enlarged and claim
ed the 99-year act went on these eX-
tensions The court holds that the 99-
year act extended only to the charter
life of the companies without extend
ing their ordinances.
Report IL Sweeping.
Chicago, March 13.-The report of
James Dalrymple, manager of the |
street car companies of Glasgow, Scot
land, which are operated under the dt
rection of the municipality, criticises
Chicagos service and equipment, de-
claring the latter should be relegated
to the scrap pile.
The report alludes to the litigation
in progress between the city and the
which was settled yester-
day by the decision of the United
States supreme court, and says:
Applies to Other Cities.
"Presuming you are able at a salts
factory figure to purchase the present
there would undoubtedly
be very grave danger in your city at
tempting to operate what would be .
the largest street railway undertaking
in the world, without making a very
radical change in the method usually
employed in carrying on municipal
work by cities of the United States"
The writer suggests that efforts be
made to come to terms with the COM !
panies now operating lines in the city,
and suggests that if that is not possi-
BILE, the only thing to do is to start a
new line as soon as the franchise I'M
der which the companies are now op-
Grating expire.
Not Ready to Begin.
The report concludes: Il should be
very sorry indeed if you were forced
to take such a step as starting new
lines when the franchises of the pres
ent companies expire, because, speak
ing generally, | should say from my
knowledge and experience of what it
means to operate a municipal street
system that municipalities of :
the United States are not yet quite
ready to successfully undertake this
work"
Dalrymple strongly recommends the
overhead trolley for motive power,
saying that to install the underground
trolley in any extent would for vari-
Gus reasons be a scandalous waste of