Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-12
AZIENFO PLUM PUDDING.
THE CABLE ROADS.
What the Western Addition Suf.
fers from III. ir Mana z ment.

EDITOR f1ERAIB-lne ne very eInpuatlC
refusal, OF the City c ,uncil, to grant an
extension of time to the Second street
cable road, opens up very important
subject and gives ray ofhope, to the
residents of the western, part of the
city, beyond the termini Of the cable
roads, who have been almost forced
to the conclusion that they had no
rights, that the City Council or the
cable roads are bound to respect.
Within the past year frequent over
lures have been made to the manag-
ers OF each OF the cable roads, and sub
stantial cash bonuses offered to in
duce them to extend their respective
roads. but each offer has been met
with substantially the same reply,
viz. 1t is no object to us to extend /;
it pays us just as we'll for you to walk
half mile and then ride into town over
our road as If ~e brought it to your
door; we hold the key to the situation /;
there is no other way for you to get to
town; we are we'll satisfied to operate
the road as it is; if you want the
road extended you must give us
the entire cost of the extension.
Now, if they absolutely own the
streets as far as their roads extend
taking purely business view of it,
their position is perhaps correct. At
any rate, as a business proposition,
they have right to decide for them
selves whether it is to their interest
to accept the proposition to extend.
But do they own the street? The
right to use the street is grant
ed to them presumably for
the public convenience. And under
such restrictions and penalties as will
secure their proper use. Among the
obligations imposed upon each of
these roads was one requiring them
to extend to the city limits, within
certain specific times, and there is a
clause in each of the franchises ex-
plicitly declaring that the failure of
the grantees or their assigns to COM
ply with all or any of the conditions
imposed renders the franchise null and
void. This is an eminently wise
provision. Without it they might
build in such parts Of the route as are
most profitable, and by blocking up
the only avenues of approaching the
city from that direction place the
property owners beyond at their
mercy. If a man should by lot,
paying one-half the value thereof in
cash, and after building house on
front half of it refuse to pay for the
rear half, but apply for deed to the
front half of which he had built
| it would be nearlya parallel case.
The ordinance granting the franchise
On Second and Diamond streets was
approved March IA, 1885, and pro-
vides that the road shall be completed
to Texas street within one year and
to the city limits within three years !;
and it further provides that if grantees
or their assigns shall fail to comply
with all or any of the provisos and
conditions therein contained, "then
! and in that case all rights to this fran
chise shall thereby be forfeited and
this grant shall be null and
void" The Temple street franchise
was approved July 7th, 1885, and pro-
NluCo tlldt il tAC iOdu clldll Dc COQl-
pleted and in operation to Texas street
within one year, then upon applica-
ton to the City Council an extension
of two years will be granted" The
penalty for noncompliance is iden-
tically the same as in the Second
street franchise. There is no
valid excuse in either case
for Noncompliance with the con-
ditions of the franchise. That part of
the city has improved beyond the ex-
pectation Of the widest visionary at
the time the franchises were granted,
and there are plenty of capitalists
who would be glad to have either
franchise upon condition that the road
be extended to the city limits even
without a subsidy. Now Mr.. Editor
will you not continue 10 put in good
word occasionally, for the people of
the hillS and urge the city fathers, to
hold the street car cQgpofe ticnsS toa