The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1918-04-13
line
ALONG SEA COAST
SEEMINGLY SIGHT
Recent Legislation Empowers Mum
cipalities 20 Construct System
along Mississippi Coast.
TO CONNECT N. Q. AND McBLE.
New Orlcsns Ready To DC Her Pars
OF Connecting thc Coast Towns
with Outside World.

Construction Of an electric IN
terurban railway between New Or
leans and Mobile, to be owned by the
municipalities along the route, viii
follow the close OF the war, If the
! plans that are now being worked cut
are put into effect.
The building OF an electric line be
tween New Orleans and Mobile has
been discussed for some time, but
! nothing could be done in that direc-
ton until an enabling act could be
secured from the Mississippi Legs
lautre. The Mississippi Legislature,
at the recent session, passed the law
and the way is now open for the cen
struction OF the interurban as soon az
the war situation adjusts itself SC
| that bonds can be 1oated and mate
rial can be purchased.
| Although nothing can be done to
ward building the line while the war
| lasts, it is the intention of the mum
cipalities interested, it is understood.
! to make q preliminary survey WITT.
| the view Of ascertaining the approx
mate cost, so that when peace IS res
| tored the work Of construction viii
proceed rapidly. It is very likely
that conference will be held at
Gulfport or Biloxi within the next
few weeks, to launch the movement
for the interurban.
The tow-5 Of the Mississippi coast
that will be called upon to participate
in the constrU ton of the new ele2-
tric line are: Waveland, Bay St.
Louis, Pass Christian Long Beach,
Gulfport, Biloxi, Ccean Springs, Pas
cagoula and Moss Point. The new
law enacted by the Legislature en-
ables them to combine and cooper
arc with each other and with munici
palities IN other States.
This will authorize the Mississippi
municipalities to deal with the city
Of New Orleans which, it is under
stood stands ready to build it's end of
the road from the Louisiana-lIiss
sippi line into the city.
The city Of New Orleans is in
position to build its end Of the inter
urban through the Public Belt Ra /
read, in the opinion of City Attor-
ney L. D. Moore. who rendered an
opinion on the subject at the request
Of Mayor Behrman. Judge Moore
held that the PublicBelt has the right
to build and operate a railroad IN
the Parish of Orleans or any OF the
adjacent parishes, and under this au
thority the Public Belt can cross the
parish of ST. Tammany and connect
with the Mississippi system at the
State line.
If present plans are carried out,
the Mississippi division of the system
will connect with the public belt at
some point on Pearl River at or near
Logtown or Pennington. The city
of New Orleans will have the right
to determine the route OF the railroad
from the city to the state line.
Mississippi municipalities inter
ested are anxious to connect up their
line with the interurban road in St.
Tammany parish at some point near
Slidell, and thus establish an inter
urban system On the north side Of
Lake Pontchartrain that may be ex-
tended to Hammond and Baton
Rouge. It is very likely that the st.
Tammany municipalities will be ask
ed TO participate in the conference
for the purpose of launching the
ENTERPRISE. If Louisiana munlc'-
palities outside Of New Orleans need
anv additional legislation to enable
them to join in the work they will be
in position to secure 1t from the le-
gislature. when that body meets at
Baton Rouge in May.
What the Mississippi Law, Is,
The act passed by the MlsslsslppI
LEGISLATURE empowers municipalities
that wish to take advantage Of the
law to issue bonds for the const~uc-
tion of electric interurDan railways
and hvdro-electric plants. The NUM-
cipalities are given the right TO mort
gage the railway and all OF its re-
ceipts for the purpose OF raising
money for construction purposes. In
this way it is planrel to build the
line without costing the taxpayers
a cent beyond The cost of the sur
vev While the bonds are to be ufl-
derwritten by the municipalities, 1t Is
figured that the traffic receipts, Wien
the line is in operation, will bring
sufficient revenue to provide tor cp-
Grating and maintaining SINKING
fund for the retirement OF the secu-
rites when due. =,
There are several streams IN South
Mississippi that will furnish power
for hydro-electric plants and the new
law authorizes the use of these water
courses. The act confers on n1unlci-
nalities full authority to eXproprlate
property for rights of way, sidlngs,
depots, power plants or anything
else necessary in the operation OF an
inter-urban system.