Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-06
THE COUNCIL.
Franchises for the Sale of
Electric Motive Power.
The Lighting and Road COmpa-
MES Both Get Permits.
AQuantity of Routine Business Trans
acted Yesterday.
The Discussion on the Electric Power
Observation-Disclosures of City Offcials.
Petitions Received-Other
Business.

BUSINESS
The city council yesterday morning
granted franchises to the two electric
companies who have been working to
obtain those rights for several years.
The franchise first presented for passage
was that of the Los Angeles Electric
company, which gives to that corpora
ton the privilege to erect and maintain
in the streets and alleys of the
city, poles for the transmission of cleo
trio power and electric motive power, to
construct electric engine houses and to
lay underground conduits, for period
of twenty-five years.
AS soon as the matter was presented,
Councilman Tufts jumped to his feet
and opened most important discussion
which every citizen of Los Angeles, in
view OF recent agitation throughout the
country in favor of the removal of cleo
trio conduit poles, must feel interested
in.
Mr.. Tufts-Is there any provision that
the poles can be used by other compa-
MES? These companies should come
together, so that we would not need SO
many poles.
Mr.. Alford-It is not practicable to
put telegraph or telephone wires on car
poles.
Mr.. McGarry-I bad supposed that
that the power and telegraph companies
could both use the same poles. | now
know they cannot. But the electric car
and the lighting company can do so.
Mr.. Rhodes-This matter has been
discussed before. 1t is impracticabie.'
The matter will regulate itself. Better
pass the ordinance and not impose 9TH
er conditions.
Mr.. TUFTS - Poles are getting too
thick. The companies ought to come to
some agreement. They ought to use
one pole even if they have to go very
high.
The Chairman-There is a provision
in the ordinance which empowers the
council to remove any pole they may
wish.
Mr.. Tufts-That don't amount to any
thing.
Capt. Barrett, OF the.Electric railroad
company, declared that it would be i'm
possible to control the wires if others
were allowed to use them. 1t would be
unsafe. "We are, ourselves, anxious to
have as few poles as possible. But it
would hardly be fair to allow anybody
to use our poles. If twenty or thirty
wires were to be piled on them, it would
be dangerous in many ways. Besides,
the city, under the franchise, has the
sole jurisdiction where poles should be
erected"
Major Bonsall-It would not be right
l. mir for Nj Haront
purposes on the same poles. But
where we have competing companies
furnishing electric power, we ought to
ask them to come to some agreement.
OF course, they ought to pay each a pro
rata share. Our object is to avoid the
multiplicity OF poles.
Capt. Barrett-Every company's men
know their own wires. But if you pass
such condition, any man issliable to
touch supposedly dead wire, and fall
dead in the street.
Mr.. w. B. Cline, of the Lighting COM
pany-We have put up all the poles we
shall need for twenty-five years. They
are as heavily loaded now as it is safe to
make them.
. Mr.. Bonsall-(After the clause had
been re-read, that councils can at any
time remove any polel. WE'LL it seems
to me now, that the ordinance is safe
enough as it is.
The rules were suspended, and Mr..
Tufts moved that section be added to
the ordinance, whereby the electric
railway company must allow the cleo
trio light company to use the same
poles as the railroad company in dis
trict of the fire limits upon payment
of pro rata share of the cost of cree
ton.
The city attorney was called in.
Captain Barrett-That amendment
cannot compel the companies to put on
the same poles the wires which are up
now.
Mr.. Tufts-All we want is that if any
new poles be erected, they must be made
large and strong enough to carry the
wires of both companies.
Mr.. Tufts motion was lost by the fol-
lowing vote Ayes, Tufts and Bonsall ;
Noes, Summerland, Afford, Innis, Nc
Garry, Rhodes and Rees.
The ordinance granting the franchise
was then passed by vote OF ayes, l
no, the latter Mr.. Tufts.
In the report of the gas and light
committee, it suggests that an ordinance
be prepared granting the Western Union
on the streets of the city. Major Bon
sail thought that this might give the
telegraph company power to exclude
electric light and power poles from some
streets. He said "We want light and
power, and it will be necessary to have
their wires in certain streets. On the
other hand, it makes no difference on
what streets the telegraph wires are
strung, 1 move, however, that the mat
ter be deferred week." So ordered.
Amongst the routine business dis
posed of, was the following;
The superintendent of buildings re,
ported that it would cost $16S.75 to build
an iron fence around the city hall park
The superintendent also reported $S5 re,
ceived in fees of his Office in August and
$S5 in September.
The city tax and license collector re-
ported $6487 80 received in taxes during
the fiscal year of 1890 up to and in
Guiding September 80, 1891.
Jos. F. Chambers, clerk OF the police
oo1loafad fiuos