The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-04-24
WHY is 1T?

One of the inexplicable things is the OPP
position manifested In the city council and
in certain other quarters to the Salt Lake
City Railroad company. The enmlty
shows itself with especial distinctness
whenever the company goes before the
council with request for permission to
extend its track along some street not COW
cred. Councilmen act as if big steal were
contemplated. We believe if every prop
erty-owner in a street were to ask that the
company be granted right to lay track
and run cars along the street, some fellow
would Jump up and suggest the presence OF
a colored gentleman in the wood
pile. and it is not improbable that
there would be a rustllng around
to induce some other company to petition
for franchise on the same street. ASK
any opponent of the company for the cause
of his opposition and he will be unable TO
make answer. We have questioned some
as to the reasons for their opposition and
the nearest to satisfactory reply yet re-
ceived was because"
The HERALD is not the champion OF
the street railway company and has
no interest in it. but we DO Ike
Justice and fair play, and we think that
meritcli ous performances should be recog-
nized. Much has been said about the valu-
able franchise that was given to the com
pany and the council has been criticised as
III it had gone in with a band of robbers to
plunder the city of something which
might have been sold for a large
sum. At the time the franchise
was granted and for long years afterwards
its value was mighty small Up to ten
years ago we doubt that franchise such
as the company possesses could have been
sold for cent. if it. involved the expendl
ture of half the money that the street
railway people had put into the lines at
that time. 1t was really an advantage to
the municipality that somebody accepted
the franchise and took the financial RISK
which that acceptance meant, Just as II
was beneficial to the city when few men
with courage and cash accepted the gas
franchise. erected expensive works and
laid long lines of mains, the matter
of nav N the investment being
mathematical Do the men who are
doing all this kicking against the street
railway company know that the company
has invested here 100000? Do they know
that there are twenty miles Of track Gov
cred nv electric service, the line being one
of the best equipped in America! Do they
know that the mule lines aggregate SIX
miles Do they know that track has been
extended not only to paying districts ou'
bevond. cars being run on lines at dlrec'
Ioss to the company? Do they know thai
the CITY has peen built up mucn faster
a,onp the lines Of the railway than else
where, the street car service doing more
than ANYTHING else to make land remote
from the business centre valuable D(
they know that for a long time
the company has not only been putting
the earnings into new lines and improved
continent but has also been placing heavy
assessments on the stock to obtain money
tn nav for more road! Do they know tina
the company, while enjoying monopoly
and having the right to charge 10 cent:
for carving passenger, has voluntarily
reduced the fare until the rate, years
aoo reached the minimum charged in The
United States
1t seems to US that if the city council
were as familiar with the facts as i
should be. there would be no more of the
enuity which shows itself so plainly, ant
there would be no more of the disposition
TO "cinch'' the company which one canno
fail to observe.