Evening journal., 1915-07-22
TO ASK Value OF
Trolley COMPANY
Utility Board Would Secure
Facts If II Can Bear
$25,OOO Costs
PASS RESOLUTION
ON RECENT MERGER

The Board Of Public Utility Com
missioners last night decided to Sc
cure a valuation OF the property Of
the Wilmington and PHILADELPHIA
Traction Company If il can do so and
incur the $4,000 said to be needed for
the investigation City Solicitor
Daniel o. Hastings is to be asked
whether such action comes under the
legislative power OF the board or
whether such power still remains 10
be granted. A resolution was pass
ed TO this effect
The trolley company, il was decided.
also will be asked to furnish a COPY
OF the last annual statement of the
earnings Of the company. A resolu-
tion covering this also was passed
by the board last night
The adoption OF the two resolu-
tions followed a protest by represen-
tatiyes Of the Central Labor Union
against the adoptions OF resolutions
granting the Peoples Railway Com
pany which has recently been
merged with the Wilmington and
Philadelphia Traction Company. the
right to abandon the tracks in GER
tain streets and 10 extend the tracks
IN others. The delegation from the
Central Labor Union expressed the
opinion that the privileges sought By
the company should not be granted
without the return of the strip tickets
II was explained by members of
the commission that action leading to
the return Of the strip tickets could
not be taken by the commission with
out a statement of the earnings of the
company and without an accurate
valuation of the property of the COM
pany, and that the commission did not
have the funds to secure such a valu-
alton and did not have the right to in
cur the expense without authorize
tion. II was further stated that on
former occasion when the matter was
being considered It was intimated that
City Council would not allow the ap-
preparation for the expense and that
the commission would have to take
legal action to secure the money. It
was estimated that the expense Of the
valuation would be $4,000.
The valuation placed on the proper
ties Of the two companies at the time
Of the recent merger was then dis
cussed by the representatives of the
labor union and the members of the
commission
Following the discussion. on motion
Of c. d. Garretson, the secretary Of
the board, was authorized to ask the
city solicitor TO submit an opinion on
the right of the board TO incur expense
without formal authorization, in Sc
curing the valuation OF the properties
of the company, and was also in
structed 20 ask the Wilmington and
Philadelphia Traction Company for a
copy Of the last annual statement
The representatives of the labor
union asked Mayor James f. Price,
who was present at the meeting, If he
would consider candidates presented
by the Central Labor Union for ap-
pointment to the vacancy now existing
on the board. In reply, a letter which
had been prepared in answer TO a for
NAL request from the Central Labor
Union, was read in which Il was stated
that candidates presented by the union
would be given due consideration with
other candidates that might be pre-
sented
On motion OF c. D. Garretson, Sec
ton 2, of the bylaws, providing that
meetings should be held on the first
and third Fridays of the month, was
amended, making meetings at the call
Of the president