Ontario Electric Railways.

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Metropolitan Ry.—Negotiations were resumed with the Toronto Ry. Co. and the Toronto city council by this Co. with a view to its securing an entrance into the city. While the M.R. Co. only is making an application for entrance at present, the council desires to have established a common basis for the entrance of all suburban lines. W. Mackenzie, President of the Toronto Ry. Co., stated that all his Co. wanted was a reasonably fair agreement, and he was prepared to meet the council as far as possible in arriving at it. Several conferences have taken places, but no definite decision has been reached. The Toronto Board of Trade committee on street and radial railways has evolved a plan for the creation of a market terminal railway company comprising all companies interested. The franchises contributed would be G.T.R. giving belt line and Esplanade connections; Toronto Ry. Co. giving its city streets franchise in so far as Market, Front and contiguous streets are concerned; the city giving its rental value and taxes secured for belt line roadway and Don improvement conveniences, and all outside radial railways which are or nay be seeking entrance to the market. These interests would be pooled and the terminal company thus created would have full charge through its management of all market railway traffic, control switches, shunt cars, take charge of loaded cars at belt line connections, and, having delivered same at market, to make prompt delivery of empties at the same point. For this there would be a fixed charge, to be reasonable, and to be fixed by consent of all parties concerned.

Another solution of the difficulty is reported to be the absorption of the Metropolitan Ry. Co. the Toronto Ry. Co. A press item recently stated that an agreement with this object in view had been reached, but no official announcement has been made; on the other hand, it is stated by those in authority that the Metropolitan is not about to be amalgamated with the Toronto Ry. Co.

J. Fullerton, city counsel of Toronto, has drafted an agreement by which the M.Ry. will be allowed to make connection with the C.P.R. tracks for the purpose of carrying the plant and material necessary for the construction of the Schomberg & Aurora Ry. The draft is to be submitted to the city council for consideration.

Judge Morgan, of the York county court, in granting the appeal of this Co. for a reduction of its assessment in the town of Aurora from $4,500 to $1,500 made the point that the amendment passed by the Ontario Legislature last session, intended to do away with the scrap-iron mode of assessment, is of little effect in the case of railways operating in a number of municipalities, because railways so operating cannot be assessed in any one of them as a going concern in the same way in which the Toronto Ry. or a similar road confined in its operation to one city can be assessed.

The Co. recently appealed against the assessment of its cars in York township for $8,900 on the ground that while rolling stock could be considered as realty, as decided by Chief Justice Armour, in the case of a judgment debt, it could only be considered personal property for taxation purposes. The county court judge agreed with this view and the amount was struck off the assessment.

Railways: G.T.Ry., Met.Ry., S. & A.Ry. , T.Ry.Co.

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