The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1906-04-28
THE PROPOSED ELECTRIC STREET
RAILWAY FRANCHISE.

tu0 COuslruCtlOH anu Op6TdblOu Ol
an electric street car line and have
submitted an ordinance to the
Mayor and Board of Aldermen
tor their approval have likewise
invited free and full criticism
of their proposition by the citizens
of Brookhaven before any ordi-
nance on the subject is adopted.
Their petition will come up for
consideration at the next regular
meeting of the Board on Tuesday
night next, and hence persons who
have opinions to express or who
wish to be heard on the PROPOSE
tion before the board should bear
this fact in mind and act accord
ingly.
An electric street car line would
unquestionably be of great advan-
tage to Brookhaven and add great
ly to its growth and the conve-
nience of the public, especially If
extended beyond the present cor
porate limits and result in the
building of many new homes with
in and beyond the present city
lines. That this and other desir-
able things would follow does not
admit of argument. However,
the granting of franchise to a
private corporation to build and
operate such a line should certain
ly be so we'll and thoroughly
guarded in it's terms as to amply
conserve the interests of the pub
lie at large. The city is asked to
grant this important and possibly
very valuable franchise to the pro-
moters of the enterprise absolute
ly free and for an unlimited time,
provided construction is begun
within five years, something
which in the opinion of The Lead
er, should never be agreed to by
the representatives of the city.
To grant the franchise free, with
reasonable limit on the time it is
to run, could not be seriously OBJ
iectionable, in view of the present
circumstances and conditions; but
without a provision of this kind
it should never be done.
The trend and spirit of the times
is in the direction of municipal
ownership of all public utilities.
including street railways. Brook
haven owns her own water and
electric light plant and has it on
at least self-sustaining basis.
lt might be that IN ~ or 70 years
more 1t would be desirable and to
the advantage of the people of the
city to own and operate their
own electric cars. Yazoo City,
which is not double the present
size of Brookhaven, has already
taken steps to own and operate
street railway in conjunction
with her water and light plant, and
if she succeeds in this enterprise,
Brookhayen and other cities of the
State may we'll follow her example.
1t is stipulated in section Z of
the proposed franchise ordinance
that ''this ordinance shall not be
construed to mean that said per-
sons or incorporation shall have
the right to erect and maintain
electric lights for sale in competi-
tion with said CITY,"
It is learned from some of the
gentlemen applying for this fran
chise that while they would not en-
ter into direct competition with
the city in the light business with
in the corporate limits, they would
make it point to seek patrons in
the city suburbs, outside of the
present municipal corporation,
and supply them with electric
| lights. Of course the city has
no jurisdiction over territory out
side of its corporate limits, but if
it grows, as it will, and 1t should
become desirable in the future to
extend the corporate limits, it
could not then do so without be-
ing confronted by conflict of in
terests with the Street Railway
Company in its occupancy of this
territory, and would either have
to buy out its interests. sell to it,
or permit it to operate as COM
petitor in the new territory taken
into the city.
It might be that In this way the