The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-06
CIVIC ACTIVITIES


nance, for vote on $75,0O0,000 Mueller
certificates at the spring election is the
first progress the mayor has made TO-
ward manipulating the streetcar lines.
The. voters will, it is believed, favor this
ordinance. but how far it will fall snort
of municipalizing the lines may be seen
from the fact that the voting of the GER
tificates does not market them, and the
marketing Of them does not compel the
companies. to take them in payment OF
the taking, and the taking of them in
payment does not provide any money
for extensions, improvements or new
equipment Of the lines. The campaign
will develop something about the famous
Dalrymple report, which was never given
to the public Mr.. 5Dalrymple has re-
Gently made a statement which Is prop
ably the substance, of his pigeon-holed
report, which will prove Of interest to the
voters of Chicago. 1t Declares: &, 81.
! First-The Chicago street railways to-
day are in wretched condition. The en-
tire plant is, utterly worn out. =
Second-The companies have no In
ducement to spend money on betterments
owing to their uncertain position.
Third-As to the best and quickest way
| of bringing about municipalizatton, the
proposals made by the companies. are fair
and reasonable. Il ;;:,#sss. IN. 80. 80. :
Fourth-If the city will not extend the
franchises, the proposal of the. companies
that the city acquire the entire system
gradually is fair. This would surmount
the difficulties Of, the long franchise
owned by the companies. 49, z.
I Fifth-If the city insists on taking over
all the lines at once $75,OO0,00 would be
only a starter. Enormous sums would
have to be spent to bring the lines up to
| a state of efficiency
:. Sixth-Glasgow, under municipal own
ership, does not operate streetcars any
cheaper per car mile than do the private
companies of Chicago. Wages are lower
} in Glasgow, but hours are shorter. Glas'
gov cars do not ru14s 50 fast, ~,:>I -.
Borough President Bird, S. Coler ha'
thrown the Brooklyn Rapid Transit com
pany into, a feVself by yds claring that III
!; viii build a city trolley line to run from
the Manhattan terminal of the Brooklyn
bridge thrnl the shopping poHion Of tn
city. The, legal rights Of the city are de
: pendent only upon the passage by tn
I Legislature of a bill permitting the boar
= of estimate Of Brooklyn to build q rail
: road. The streets are there and ufloccu
: pied, except near the bridge, where tn
: city can take advantage of a law per
: hitting one company to run for LOO
: feet over the tracks of another compan!
: ! Brooklyn, if the plans of the boroug
president go thru, will beat out bot
o Manhattan and Chicago in municlps
r railway on a large scale.
. The Berlin municipal authorities, i
J Fconjunction with rMne suburban town
d have taken steps toward acquiring tn
7 Berlin street railway which has cap
y tai of $25, 600, 0O0
IS Barron, Wis, has taken steps to p'
IS its electric light and water plant into TT
. hands of a commission and to have a
T. the city departments pay for their ser7
IS ice. In this way Barron proposes to leal
It whether the plants are paying inves
I. lments, and if they are to d1vest them
the debt piled up against them.
p Leadville's lighting contract expir
IN March 1, and there is strong moveme1
,r for city plant unless the rates by pr
- yate contract are reduced about One-ha
st In Washington the street railways a
TX operated under an indeterminate fra
n chise which may! be altered, amended
repealed by the congress of the Unit
TO States Under this sort Of a franchi
IN the companies have made the chang
~ which congress demanaea, pu'', 4,,s III ~ !.
;" declared it 'imprac ticable," and selli
OK six tickets for a quarter, good on
n lines. The wisdom of the capital in n
loading itself with a, cast-iron thirty-ye
franchise is apparent when it is Sc
ss that it gets every modern improveme
ue Notwithstanding the fact that the col
to panies operate on a contract repeala'
Al at the will of congress.