Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-26
HORSES OR ELECTRICITY.
THE CITY TRUSTEES CONSIDER THE
HENRY PROPOSITION.
Next Week-The Matter Quite
Fully Discussed.

7. L. Enwright, D. A. Lindley, E. B..
Willis, George M. Mott and c. II. Hubbard,
the committee appointed by the Board OF
Trade to wait upon the City Trustees and
urge the adoption of the proposed amend
ments to the Central Railway Company's
franchise, were present at yesterdays ses-
sion of the City Trustees. and several men,
bers of the committee addressed the Board
on the subject They stated that, as repre-
sentatiyes of the Board of Trade, they
hoped the Trustees would consider favor
ably the proposition to grant the request of
the Central Railway Company and ]. H.
Henry, with proper restrictions.
Two of the members of the committee
who had seen the San Jose road, as ope-
rated by Mr.. Henry, spoke favorably of it,
as indeed did all who had examined the
pole system in use there. The merchants,
farmers and everybody in and about San
Jose were outspoken in their praises of the
road, and not person was found who did
not express himself as highly pleased
with it.
the proposition, with proper restrictions for
the city's interests. These restrictions were
being prepared and were not then ready to
be acted upon.
Mr.. Henry, the owner of the San Jose
road, and who will buy the property of the
Central Railway Company in this city,
provided the Trustees grant him the privi-
lege to use the pole system. addressed the
Board, assuring them that he had no OBJ
lection to any restrictions that were rea-
sonable. He intended to carry out his
contract with the city in every detail, and
would agree to almost anything. He did
not know for certain whether it would be
advisable for him to electrically equip that
branch of the road that ran along Eleventh,
L and NJ streets, but if the travel war
ranted it he would certainly do so. He
intended to operate every portion of the
road every day in the year. excepting, per-
haps, the sour on Nineteenth from G to ],
on which it would not pay to run cars ex
cept during the State Fair. He was anx
ious to have the Trustees take action as
soon as possible, so that he could immedi-
ately proceed to equip the road.
Trustee Wolf wanted to know how many
more poles Mr.. Henry was going to put up
on ] street. He thought there were about
enouh there already.
Mr.. Henry said he feltquite certain that
he would not need to put up pole on the
business streets, but could use those
already up and owned by the Electric
Light Company. He wanted to have the
legal right, however, to put up poles if it
was necessary. The Electric Light Com
pany might take down the poles on J
street and move them off somewhere else.
In such case he should certainly want the
right to put up poles of his own.
Mayor Comstock desired to know if there
was any one present who had any objection
to the proposition of Mr.. Henry, and no.
body made answer.
Mr.. Henry promised to submit his pro-
posed amendments to the Board at the
afternoon session.
After recess the Mayor read the proposed
ordinance, and asked George A. Blanchard,
the attorney, for his opinion as to its pro-
visions.
The latter said it was lacking in what he
considered many important provisions. 1t
did not provide for keeping in repair the
streets between the railroad tracks, etc. He
was not familiar with the ordinance which
this one was expected to amend.
Mr.. Henry explained that the company's
old franchise provided for everything, even
to running the road by electricity. The
only thing additional asked was the privi-
leee to erect poles by which to conduct the
electricity to the cars. The Street Commits
sioner had all to say as to where poles
should be set or how the work should be
done. He had nothing to ask that would
inconvenience any person. All that was
asked, in addition to the privileges al
ready granted the Central Railway Com
pany, was simply the right to use poles for
supporting electric wires-and the proba-
bility was that the poles now up would
largely answer the purpose. 1t was not
proposed to alter the existing ordinance in
any other respect. The old ordinance says
that poles shall not be set in the streets,
and all he wanted was to have that pro-
vision amended.
During the consideration of the subject
Mr.. Alsip read to the Board the ordinance
now in force in which the terms of the
Central Railway Company's franchise are
fully set forth. 1t was found to contain
many things that the members of the
Board had forgotten. For instance, the
franchise provides that all the require
ments of the Civil Code shall DE complied
with. These requirements cover many of
the more important details governing the
manner of operating the read, care of
streets, etc. The fact was also revealed
that Section 8 (the one asked to be amend
ed) provides that the road may be operated
by electricity. 1t does not prescribe any
particular electric system, as the attorney
who advised the Board seemed to think,
but provides that poles shall not be erected
in the streets.
Hence, the only change that Mr.. Henry
asks to have made is the amendment of
that one section, so that poles NAV be used.
The rest of the franchise, of course would
remain in force, and Mr.. Henry, as the
successor of the present owners. would be
bouDden by all of its provisions.
1t will be readily seen. therefore, that
the proposition involved is a very simple
one: Shall Mr.. Henry be granted the
privilege to operate the road under the
present franchise, with the addition of
street poles, in case he should require
them Pr
This is, in brief the situation. No new
franchise is asked for, and no changes are
desired in the existing one, except in re-
gard to the use of poles.
After an informal discussion of the mat
ter for couple of hours, during which the
Trustees all seemed to take a favorable
view of the main proposition, the matter
went over one week, under the rule, as the
Board considered yesterdays reading of
the ordinance the first
Mr.. Henry informed the Board that he
had given $4,000 bond to the present
owners of the road to complete all the
work under the franchise within six
months. This means various extensions,
and the expenditure of q great deal OF
money in the city.
ctTy AEFArPs