Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-16
THE ELECTRIC ROAD.
TRUSTEE MLAUGHLIN IN THE RoLE OF
oBsTRUCTI0NIsT
He Refuses to Attend to Public Business
or Listen to the Petitions of Citi-
zens-Disgracetul Scenes.

After all Sacramento may not have an
electric road and affairs at present are IN
worse state than ever before. The stock.
holders OF the road object to the franchise
as granted to Mr.. Henry, and refuse to sell
out unless the ordinance is amerded
again, claiming that it does not properly
secure them.
Robert 7. Devlin appeared before the
Board of City Trustees yesterday and stated
that the Directors and stockholders of the
Central Electric Company, after having ex-
amined the ordinance as passed last
Wednesday. granting the right to J. H'
Henry to operate the road in this city by
the electric overhead wire system, had
come to the conclusion that there was one
restriction or clause in it which was not
reasonable in their judgment. The section
they alluded to was No. s, as amended, and
which gave the Trustees the right to con-
denim the road if they chose TO do so.
After having heard complaints against it,
the Directors feared that if the section
stood as it was their property would be
made valueless. They were willing to
make any reasonable concessions that
would not interfere with the validity of
their security. If they did intend to issue
bonds at any time it might impair their
value, and the city was certainly enough
protected by other provisions in the fran
chise. AS it now stood the ordinance was
what might be called forfeiIable fran
chise.
Trustee McLaughlin-Yo knew that it
was going through last week, didn't you?
Mr.. Devlin replied that although Mr.
Henry did agree to it, he was not the sole
party that was interested. The stock
holders of the company had to receive
bonds as security and they wanted to feel
that such bonds were of value. If the
Trustees should see fit to destroy the road,
all their capital invested would be lost.
I'm opposed" said Trustee MeLsugh-
lin, "to hearing any more about the mat
Ter. I'm tired of it, The papers abused
fus for acting 50 slowly, and il now appears
that we've acted altogether too quickly"
THEY wAST PROTECTION.
W.. Landers of San Francisco, heavy
5teckholder ia the Central Electric Com
pany, said he had not paid much atten-
ton to Mr.. 4enry's efforts before the
Board, but having an interest in the road.
he naturally wanted it protected, and after
the ordinance was passed he made it his
business to examine it carefully. He and
couple of other friends in San Francisco
owned about ione-third of the road, and
before they gave up their bonds and re-
ceived new ones from Mr.. Henry they
wanted to be assured that the franchise as
granted to him and under which he issued
the bonds, was valid one and not likely
to be forfeited. Their interests were at
stake and they simply wanted to be assured
that their security was good. He did not
believe that If complaint were made to the
Board that the road was dangerous the
Trustees should be the judges as to
whether or not such was the state of
affairs. He rather thought that the Courts
should decide the matter, where the case
could be heard impartially. 1t would
seem very strange ii the Trustees would
not agree to abide by the decision of the
Court.
Mr.. Lsnders, continuing, said he wanted
1T placed on the record that the stock
holders of the company wanted Mr..
Henry 10 have the road, and all they
asked was that they be fairly dealt with
Lawyer A. C. Freeman read an opinion
in the matter which he had prepared for
the stockholders. He believed there were
too many restrictions in the franchise to
insure the validity or security of new
bonds which Mr.. Henry might issue. Too
much power was vested in the Board of
Trustees.
Trustee Mclaughlin left the room, de.
claring that he would not listen to any
further argument on the subject.
Lawyer Grove l.. Johnson appeared as
attorney for Mr. Henry and explained his
clients position. Mr.. Henry individually
was satisfied with the ordinance as passed
by the Board but he was helpless when
the stockholders objected to it. They
were not compelled to sell him the road If
the franchise he obtained was not salts
factory to them, or, in other words, if the
owners of the road felt that their security
would not be good under Mr.. Henry's
franchise they reserved the right to make
no sale or transfer of the property.
Continuing, Mr. johnson said he thought
there was a way to overcome the difficulty
if the Trustees saw fit to do it and felt
disposed to amend section of the ordi-
nance slightly. He suggested that it be
amended by striking out the words in the
section referred to, this ordinance and''
and adding the words, provided that the
action of the Board shall be subject to re-
view by the proper Courts having jurisdic-
,ion."
Mr.. Landers he could not state posi-
lively. but he believed that if such an
amendment were made it would be satis-
factory to all parties.
M'LAUGHLIN AND WOLF.
Trustee Mclaughlin, who meantime had
re-entered the room, turned on his heel
and walked out again.
Trustee Wolf turned his back on the
gentlemen present and said he did not in
tend to act any farther in the matter.
There was no use in talking to him
Mayor Comstock said he did not want to
jeopardize the interests of the owners of
the company by refusing to pass an ordi-
nance which would properly secure them
BE was looking to the interests of the peo-
pie and wanted to see the electric road
operated in Sacramento.
Mr.. Landers asked if Mclaughlin would
have any objection TO their consulting his
attorney and enGeavoring to come an un-
derstanding with him.
Mclaughlin said it didn't make any
difference with him. No attorney could
change his opinion now.
"Well," remarked Mr. Lauders, ''if this
is an example of the kind of a hearing we
would get II people came here 10 complain
against the road under the present ordi-
nance, doesn't il strike you that we would
have very poor opportunity to get an i'm
partial hearing? We've invested $l20 00C
under the old ordinance and we're going tc
be very careful when we invest it under 8
new one. We don't believe we have beer
fairly dealt with
The Mayor requested the gentlemen tC
call again in the afternoon, when the CITY
Attorney and Lawyer Blanchard could b,
present.
Mclaughlin said they need not mint
troubling themselves. II it was under
stood that the matter should come up a
that time, he would make it his business
to stay away from the meeting.
The Mayor said he guessed he hal
authority enough to order the City Attor
ney and Mr.. Blanchard to be present in tn
afternoon, aud he invited the gentlemen 4
attend the meeting
They left with this understanding.
THE CURTAIN DROPS.
At the afternoon session Z. X. Alsip, R