New-York tribune., 1906-12-02
ELLISON'S BIG TASK.
Tates Up Problem of Areor
Uvhch BaFed Predecessors.

rrrson do what DeIany Rives. whaiea and
..h,-s failed 70 do
-, Ellison compel the local corporations TO pay
,.-esrs Of license fees. pavement assessments
"a rentals which now piseonholed as DEAD
- accounts on the books OF the Finance De-
,r,snt and whose legal entanglernents hnger
IND the Corporation Counsels cfiics ike cross
med and knotty stumps around a woodward.
s-,gne from destruction because no one has the
.s,sth TO split them up and burn them?
Y Ellison is an enterprising citizen. and he
...nEs he can split these -'hardhesds." n he car
i,, viii be more than 100000 richer. and
-. Ellison viii be qualified be the chief bene-
60 ef A banquet he given By Father Kncker-
Ter as soon as the goods delivered
..o-n,-ation Counsel Ellison yesterday served
.sntx-rwo complaints or the New York City Rail-
NV company in suits for the recovery of car Ii
csnse fees tr thu sum Of s4oS.sao-
EYER Corporation Counsel has taken a hack at
-, car license cases and the faithful reporters
,a,b recurring occasion have told In cold type Of
.ba charge Of the law brigade II MIR. Ellison gets
re hack license fees il will stamp him better
cole TOR than his predecessors.
1-7de~ an old Isz. the surface railroad companies
era liable for car license fee Of $50 car year for
ell the cars which run in the and avenues OF
,its rirv The city years ago tried 10 collect from
,is companies on these terms The companies re-
fused 10 pay. alleging that the charge was ex-
cess=ve because half Of their winter car.
and half summer cars and that 1t WAS manifestly
,rf-:r r. exact $50 a car when only one-half Of The
cars we're running at one time. The companies
sskeG that O. average be struck
controller Metz says he is inclined to agree with
t1e companies JGaJ an average license fee for cars
run cad OF for cars owned, would oe more
1si. He. however has been trying 10 get an
- r5arev can he paid while thev are irving TO
reach AZ anlcaole aBIeement on the entire amount
some 0f The companies pay s50 car for the
large open cars, while the old horse cars of the
lry Docs Avenue A and East Broadway line are
c-arEe4hle AT SIS and SO car under an old fran
e4ise 1e1traler Metz gets check FOR about
. ss-7e ID t-7e conlDaries for rhe HACK fees MT
none OF the companies has consented yet TO pay the
ersirl- -Ha co1panies date back 70 1s9s and 800
Corporation Counsel Ellison all the money
" -1e cornpa1ies should not nay the entire car
license fees . the rate is legal. He is pressing
g. sun He saws n win press them for trial under
uson saws He The CITY will get the money.
Tfe cites the suit against the Third Avenue Raj
,+a for car License fees amounting 10 sS6 992 g.
Juasner- vas entered for the plaintifT and an
arpeal vas srEueG IN tho Appellate Division on
October : o. t5s gear The judgment Of the lower
r. addition 10 the car license arrears are ar
-asrs n percentages alleged TO be due city on
account Of paving done Between car tracks. which
T7io- Ferry Company has i've different franchises
10 operate boats between Manhattan and Brooklyn
For TINS purpose Il rents docks from city
a1d IS supposed 70 pay . rental for them. With
re decline OF patronage. G:e the building o-
THe Williamsburg Bridge. the ferry company re-
fuses ro pay rentals for the docks alleging that
the u1v hss robbed X Of IT'S ordinary traffic and
thar i cannot PaE Tho company alleges It's dam
n 20 E"5aola. and asks the court TO give
tidgTerr ~ rs favor 1g8rnst The city.
TIE paving 1ases iU r1e aggregate form the larg
citr Is demanding more than 8 35ooo for paving
d0le beLEeen tH@ rails Of tie Metropolitan corpora
face railway companies To pay for paving between
thsi- oks and for feet on either side Of the
t-scks TIE companies have done no paving fol
sixteen Years