The record-union., 1891-12-15
STILL HANGING FIRE.
Third and P Street Electric Franchise
Not Yet Granted.
But 1t May Be This Evening-The
Mayor and Trustee ConkIin Want
a Little More Time.

AT yesterdays session of the City Trus-
tees the Mayor took up the proposed
Electric Railway Company's franchise
and said he presumed everyone was
familiar with its provisions. He had
taken the pains to find out just what the
people wanted and he believed more
property owners wanted the road on o
street than on p The O-street people
were unanimous in favor of giving up
their street for the road, while there were
many on street who did not want the
track on their street.
81 Think continued the Mayor, ''that
we ought not TO take action on this fran
chise to-day. We ought to learn just
what the people want, and I will vote to
| lay it over for another week."
Pm not ready either to vote on this
matter" said Trustee Conklin, land /
will state why Pm not In the first place
have not learned yet which street the
people want and we ought to find out
definitely before we vote. Then again |
don't believe it is right to take road
| away from people, when they have paid
money to have it Quilt near their prop
erty. If people pay money to have a
road put in, and that road afterward aban-
doned, their money ought to be re-
funded. / would like to know also what
Mr.. Henry proposes to do, before / vote
to give him this franchise. | want to
know what roads he is going to build
and what ones he will abandon"
Mr.. Henry, of the Electric Company,
then addressed the board. He said that
Mr.. Conklin was right in his views. 1t
was not the proper thing for company
to accept bonus and then abandon their
road, without returning the money they
received to those who subscribed. His
company would not do such a thing.
In regard to his company's plans, Mr..
Henry said that he proposed to accom-
modate as many people as he could, and
! he did not want the franchise on p stl eet
| If he could not have it pretty soon. The
time was becoming short and he hoped
the board would either give him the fran
! chise to-day or refuse it. If it was granted
! him, he knew what his plans were, and
| he would commence work immediately.
If the franchise was refused, then he
would have to change his plans and run
his road by some other route, where he
could make the most money. AT all
events" said MIR. Henry, II won't put
the road on Q street. | can assure this
board that | have decided this question"
Elijah Comstock addressed the board
in opposition to the Third and p street
franchise. He argued that the road
would not accommodate anybody ex-
| cepting those who wanted to be landed
! somewhere near the depot. The ladies
who lived in the southeastern portion of
the city would have to walk half
dozen blocks before they could reach the
| places where they wished to do their
| shopping. Then, again, people who had
! lived for years on street and built fine
residences there, just because the road
was there, did not want it taken away.
| lie concluded by presenting a petition
| 1rom property-oWners on y street, ask
ing the board not to allow the road to be
| torn up.
Supervisor Bates was present and
made short address. He lived on O
| street and he built there because there
was street railway there. HI also con-
! tributed 81 200 toward building that road.
and naturally wanted it kept there. He
did not care whether or not there was a
road on street, but he did not want to
have Q street torn up again.
L. c. May, Mr.. Ellis, Thomas Hague,
@. j. Cross and other residents on z
street and south of there spoke in favor
of the franchise.
Mr.. Conlllin said the city had to be pro-
tected. There ought to be some other
provisions or restrictions in the fran
chise
Mr. Mclaughlin wanted to know what
was the matter with the franchise.
Mr.. Henry said it was almost an exact
| copy of the J-street franchise, and there
was no objection to that.
Nh Conklin insisted that q clause
should be inserted making it compulsory
| upon the company 10 return any bonus
IT might receive, i'll case they abandoned
road after having run it for Il time.
Mayor Comstock wanted to know
something of MIR. Henry's plans before
he voted on the franchise
Mr.. Henry said he would equip cleo
| trically the Il, K and Tenth-street roads.
William Coyne spoke in favor of the
/ franchise asked by Mr. Henry and
showed the board petition signed by
great many people in the southwestern
portion OF the city.
Mr.. Henry said he desired to tell the
people why he abandoned the upper X
/ street and Highland Park roads. The
Highland Park car, he said, was taking
in on an average offs 75 per day, and It
took 81 80 day TO run it. Then the four
k-street cars took in but 50 % per day
altogether. and it cost over twice that
sum to run them. In short, the company
would be taking in about 81 a day and
paying out $25. This was the reason WHY
he discontinued the service.
Trustee Mclaughlin was ready to vote
but he gave way to the Mayor and Third
Trustee, and this evening at 7:3O O'Clock
was set as the time when final action will
be taken.