Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-16
The Mayor Declines to Sign
Several Ordinances.
An Objection to the Pay of
Street Commissioners.
Electric Wires for Transmission OF
Power Should Be Buried.
A Full Statement of the Mayors Reasons
for Objecting-Th Macy Street
Bridge Not to Be Given
to MIR. Cross.

Mayor H. T. Hazard yesterday hled
with the city clerk his vetoes of five Or
dinances passed by the council, to be
returned unapproved. Most Of them re-
verse the action of the council on pro-
tests made by property owners inter-
ested. The text of the vetoes is as tol-
lows:
return herewith the ordinance or
dering the work OF opening and widen
ing Seventh street, proceeded with and
appointing commissioners, ETC., also a
similar ordinance for Los Angeles street,
unapproved.
have heretofore given to your honor
able body my reasons in full why street
commissioners should not be appointed
without any limitation whatever as to
the amount they shall be permitted to
charge for their services, nor the
amount of service they are authorized
to perform. Under this ordinance they
determine how long they will be en-
gagged in opening the street, how much
they will charge, and when the money
is collected in they pay themselves out
of it,
This unusual method of doing bust
ness has been subject matter OF abuse
heretofore, and it should be limited in
the amount they are permitted to charge
in such case, and if they don't like 1T,
they are not obliged to accept the APP
pointment. Respectfully, ETC.,
HENRY I. HAZARD, Mayor.
return herewith both the ordinance
granting franchise to the Los Angeles
Electric company, for erecting poles,
stringing wires and constructing con-
duits for the transmission of electricity
and electrical energy through the city OF
Los Angeles, and an ordinance granting
the same right to the Los Angeles Con-
solidatedl Electric Railway company, un-
approved, because these ordinances
grant for twenty-five years from the
date hereof, the right to erect and main
tain poles upon and to run wires over
and along the public streets, alleys and
places in the city OF Los Angeles" with
out reserving any right whatever on the
part of the council or any other de-
partment OF the city government to re-
ouire these poles and wires removed and
placed underground or enclosed in in
sulated cables when the public neces-
sity and safety demand it. The i'm
provements being made in electrical
appliances are such that in all probable
ity it will be entirely practical and
within the reach of all these companies
to place these wires in an underground
| conduit, or insulated cables, enclosing an
unlimited number OF wires, and as we
do not charge them anything whatever
for these valuable franchises, | think
the time has arrived when such reserva-
ton should be made in all franchises
granting the right to erect poles and run
and maintain wires along the streets OF
our city, and / suggest that we begin
now. Respectfully, etc.,
HENRY T. HAZARD, Mayor.
| [ herewith return ordin ance granting
| A, p. Cross and assigns franchise to con-
struct a street railway along certain
! streets, unapproved, because it provides
/ that said street-car line 'shall be laid as
nearly eoui-distant from the center of
the street as possible" thereby locating
the track across the Macy-street bridge.
That there may be no mistake on this
point, it further reads: "For further
description OF the streets over which
this franchise is granted, reference is
made to the map filed, with the petition
therefor" On an examination OF the
map filed with the petition, 1t will be
seen that the line of the road passes over
the center of the Macy-street bridge.
Not only that, but the provisions OF the
civil code, section 49S, require persons
obtaining franchises "to construct their
tracks on those portions of the street
designated in the ordinance granting
the right (and Macy street is desig-
nated), which must be as near as posi-
BILE in the middle thereof" Now under
the provision of this law it becomes the
duty of Mr.. Cross or his assigns to con-
struct the tracks along the center OF the
streets, necessitating the use by them OF
the Macv-street bridge. They have no
right under this franchise to go any
where else. This ordinance should be
so amended that no doubt whatever
shall exist regarding their right to the
use of this bridge, which should not be
permitted.
1t is an easy matter to say that Mr..
Cross agrees not to use the bridge (Dy
this ordinance and the law he is re-
uuired to, if he builds any road y but
what assurances have we that those to
whom he may assign his franchise VIII
feel constrained to violate the law and
the ordinance because OF an implied I'M
derstanding with Mr.. Cross whereby he
agrees not to use the bridge, which
agreement, if any, and don't know that
he even made any, ought to be clearly
embodied in the ordinance and nothing
left to doubt or uncertainty. His agree
ment would not necessarily bind them,
if he ever made one, on the subject, and
this case furnishes an example OF the
facility with which these rights are as
signed. The petition for the franchise
is made by John Cross and in the or,
dinance the name of John is erased and
the letters ga. p" substituted therefor
The ordinance is given to A: 7. Gross,
and John Cross, who originally apples
for the ordinance, goes on the bona o.
A. P. Cross who gets it.. | cite TINS Only
to show the necessity of inserting IN tne
ordinance itself all that your honorable
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