The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-13
THE INTERURBANS.


III granting a franchise for the Utah
County lnterurban Railroad. 1t would
do well also to grant franchise to
the Spanish Fork interurban road. The
interests of all concerned should be
well adjusted and defined so that
there would be no trcspass by one upon
the other, and no. doubt about the re-
spective rights Of each.
The terms Of the franchise seem to
us 10 he unduly long at fifty wears. In
tifty years there is no telling what
sort OF transportation we NAV have,
or what would he fair adjustment as
between the public and ihe company.
Still 1T is the fashion to grant long
franchises, a fashion TINT would he
better in avoidance than in the fulfill
ment; and We did suppose that the
present commission would be likely to
err, if il erred al all, in behalf Of
the rights Of the people rather than in
behalf of the rights and desires of cor
porations,
1t was the desire Of this company
to come in on West Temple street ,
using the tracks already laid on that
street. This was good enough propo.
sit'on; but the commission has granted
to that company more than it asked
la allowing 1T to come up First West
street, tearing up the pavement newly
iaId there. and injuring the property
along that street. The street as il is
is a beautiful one. There is ample
roadway. while on each side there is
considerable room left for parking be,
tween tho sidewalk and the street
proper. But, with a street railway
unc laid there. and especially if two
tracks arc laid, the street will be
practically ruined as compared with
its present fine condition. The com
mission would have done well to grant
the interurban line what it asked, en-.
trance on West Temple street. and let
IL 60 at that. The inclusion of en-
trance on First West was not asked,
and it should not have been offered.
The permission to the Merchants
Light and Power Company of Ogden
to do business in this city seems 10 be
good proposition, and we arc glad
to hear that the commission is favor
able to the entrance of that company
into this field for the sale of light
and power. We believe firmly in ex-
tending facilities of this kind in every
practical direction. and in taking ad-
~ nfn nf nff
be a good one for the city.
We may say in this connection that.
so far rs the exactions imposed upon
all these concerns by the city commits
sion are concerned, esuch e4actions
should be broad and general in their
scope, not in the least local in Civ
ing to any one part of the city any
special advantage, but securing for the
whole city whatever advantage is fair
and practicable. The gross taxation
imposed upon the interurbau line,
which franchise was granted on Thurs.
day evening, is a light tax. The rail
roads generally when taxed on this
basis by States, pay good deal more
than this company is paying to this
city. Formerly railroads in Wiscon-
sin paid four per cent on their gross
revenue in the State, and this WAS
considered so insufficient that rail
road taxation was greatly increased.
The Illinois Central Railroad has paid
from the first into the treasury of the
State of Illinois seven per cent of its
gross earnings. And so the tax Of lla
per cent on the gross earnings of this
interurban line is. in fact, a very low
tax. We are not disposed to find any