Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-05
THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
THE BOARD OF TRADE AND CITIZENS
IN COUNCIL.
A Unanimous Expression In Favor of the
Electric STANDARDIZATION to
the Trustees.

The Board of Trade met again last even
ing at its rooms, corner of Second and ]
streets, for the purpose of hearing the, re-
port of its committee appointed last Tues
day TO confer with the City Trustees with
the hope of persuading them to permit the
proposed new electric street-railway to
operate in this city. The general public
had been invited and there was large
representation of business men, citizens
and property owners.
P. E. Plat, President of the Board,
called the meeting to order and stated its
object. He said the Board of Trade aimed
to be alive to the wishes of the people in
all matters and therefore had taken up this
electric road matter. Personally ne
said, Il have investigated this matter
pretty thoroughly and have talked with
q great many people, and 1 have yet to
find single, solitary soul who is opposed
to the project. The newspapers have not
so / have found, exaggerated the feelings
of the public in the matter On the con-
trary, they have reflected faithfully what
may be heard on every corner in the city"
Mr.. Plat then called upon Thomas l..
Enwright, Chairman of the committee ap-
pointed to interview the Trustees, for his
report.
THE COMMITTEES RECEPTION.
Mr.. Enwright said the committee had
called upon the Trustees as instructed
They first called on the Mayor and asked
to see the ordinance under which the road
was to operate. They found it very good
They also asked to see the MCLAUGHLIN
amendment" which Mr.. Henry, the pro-
jector of the road, objected to. The amend
ment, as is well known, gives the Trustees
full power to order down The poles and
wires whenever they take notion to- The
Mayor, said Mr.. Enwright, stated that he
could not give any explanation for the
amendment, as it was McLaughlin's affair
The committee then called on Mclaughlin
and that individual calmly told the COM
mittee that if they wanted to know how he
was going to vote, they could find out by
waiting until the next meeting of the
Trustees, at which time he would vote.
Wolf, upon being called on, told the COM
mittse that he considered McLaughlin's
amendment very foolish and vet he
offered no explanation as 10 how he stood
himself, except that he had seen the cleo
trio road at San Jose and was not particu-
larry stuck on it"
committee, corroborated Mr.. Enwright's
report. He added, however, that Nc
Laughlin had cited several instances
wherein the city had been abused by new
corporations, and cited the trouble with the
last electric light franchise granted.
THE MLAUeHLIN AMENDMENT
President Platt made a few remarks ex-
planatory of the Mclaughlin amendment
and characterized it as the most ridiculous
contract ever proposed. Mr.. Plat said he
was satisfied that Mclaughlin was irrevoc-
ably opposed to the franchise, but as re-
CARDS Wolf, he thought it possible that
that individual would yield to the public
demand and vote for granting the fran
chise.
Mr.. Lindley said he remembered that
Mr.. Wolf said that if the whole city was in
favor of having an overhead system" he
might strain q point and vote for the
measure.
Several other gentlemen spoke on the
subject, all being of one mind-that the
position of the two Trustees was thorough.
ly wrong.
L. P. Gilman then moved that it be de-
clarea .de sense of the meeting that the
franchise should he granted with the OBJ
jectionable clause stricken out.
A member of the committee reminded
The Board that there were three PROPOSE
tons before the Trustees, and the Board
should be careful to specify which of them
ii wanted adopted. There was the original
amendment to Section s of the franchise,
simply permitting the maintenance of poles
and wires, but containing no restrictions.
Then the Board of Trade committee waited
on the Trustees and suggested certain re-
strictions that oughtto be put in the amend
ment for the protection of the city's inter-
ests. Mr.. Henry stated that he was willing
to have any reasonable restrictions put in,
and called upon the Board to point
out anything they desired included.
During recess OF the Board
on that day a second amendment
was prepared which embodied all of the
restrictions suggested by the Trustees and
Board of Trade committee, and this amend
ment took the place of the other. After it
was read Trustee Mclaughlin claimed
that it was new ordinance, and must
therefore lay over, under the rules, for one
week, and it was so ordered. At the next
meeting of the Board Mr.. Mclaughlin pre-
scented still another amendment, embody-
ing all there were in the others. and also
the forfeiture clause. The speaker thought
the second amendment contained all there
was good in the Mclaughlin amendment
without the Objectionable features of the
latter
Mr.. Plat stated that be thought that the
Mclaughlin amendment, with the objec-
tionable clause stricken out, would be more
satisfactory to the Trustees.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
A vote was then taken on Mr.. Gilman
motion and ii was carried unanimously.
President Plat said as there were mum
Der of citizens present some expressions o.
opinion would he in order.
Senator f. X Dray was the lrst TO re-
spond. He said that some time ago he was
opposed to the overhead system. He had
Obtained his ideas from slip-shod system
which was in operation in San Diego. Since
then, however he bad been satisfied thai
the system proposed to be introduced in
Sacramento, and which had proved so sue
cessful in San Jose, would be most de
sirable acquisition to the city.
A. S. Hopkins said that the idea is tha
we ought to be up with the age. and he wa:
decidedly in favor of giving the electric
road q trial at least
L. L. Lewis and several others SPOKE
briefly, all in the same strain.
THE TRUSTEES PErITIoNED.
The following petition was then drawn
up and signed by all present.
meeting of the members of the Board o
Trade and citizens generally. 70 the null capa
city Of the rooms OF the Board 1t was
ReSolred That Il is the sense of this meeting
that the amendment TO Ordinance No. 249, a
proposed by Trustee Mclaughlin, should b'
adopted with the exception of the clause con
corning the removal of poles and wires and for
fixture of the grant on ninety days notice
which proviso should be eliminated therefrom
and we respectfully request the Trustees to pas
the same with said exception
II was then decided that headings of thi
petition be left at II. S. Croker Il Co.'S, .
street between Second and Third; Tufts
drug store. Tenth and J streets; Weber q
Co.'S, l. street, between Twelfth and Thir
teenth. and at Hammers drug store
Fourth and K streets, for the signatures o
citizens generally who were not able to at
tend the meeting. 1t is hoped that the,
will avail themselves of the opportunity o
expressing themselves, and that each lis
will be largely signed.
The former committee appointed TO wal
on the Trustees were instructed to presen
the petition at the next meeting of tn
Board. after which the meeting adjourned
PROGRESSIVE ODD FELLOWSHIP.
A New Lodge of the Degree OF Rebekal
Organized.