The record-union., 1892-07-12
REFUSED A FRANCHISE.
The Electric Company Cannot Run a
Line Out G Street.
a Lively Debate Before the City Truss
tees-AIayor Comstock's oppo-
sition-The Arguments.

The City Trustees refused yesterday to
permit the Electric Railway Company to
run line from Seventh and K streets
down Seventh to G and out G to Agri-
cultural Park.
Ii was known that the matter was to
come up for discussion, but its quick dis
posaI was matter of considerable sur
prise to many.
Inc BOARD was only in session few
moments when the electric road matter
was forced to an issue. The ball opened
VAIN the reading Of communication
signed by MANY P-Street Property
O"ners'-no further attempt at sigma
lures being apparent-asking the board
10 be careful in considering the COM
pany's
PETITION FOR A FRANCHISE
On u street, and to make sure that the
terms of the franchise, if granted, were
carried out. These anonymous signers
set forth that the company is not carry
ing out the terms of its franchise on Third
street and on Z from Third to Tenth.-re-
lerrlng to the present service as a Jerk
water line''
Then the petition of the railway COM
pany Tor franchise on G street was taken
up.
J. H. Henry, President of the COM
pany, asked that the matter be postponed
Tor a few minutes, as a number Of per-
sons VINO We're getting up another petit
tlon III favor of the road had not arrived
yet.
trustee Conklin wanted to postpone
the whole matter for week, but this met
Win Objection, as there was quite a
throng OF G-street people-for and against
the road-present and desired to be heard.
y. L. Willis and one or two others again
declared their opposition to the proposed
new road. They denied, too, that the
slgners of the remonstrance were with
drawing their names. Only one name,
they said, had been withdrawn.
j. NJ. Avery, another G-street owner,
sad he was in favor of the new branch
line, provided the company would not
contlne 1t to day service exclusively.
WHAT WOULD BE DONE.
Mr.. Henry explained for the bene-
fit of the board and the property
owners that he would run a fifteen
minute service from $50 A. NJ. to 7:30
p. NJ, and at least a half-hour service
until ll:3O P. NJ. He said there was no
need OF worrying about the sort of serv-
ice that would be furnished. The fran
chlse asked for fully covered the matter.
The company at present was, throughout
than its franchise called for.
At this juncture Herman G. Fisher ar
rived with a lengthy petition in favor of
the road. 1t bore the names of some
seventy persons owning property along
the proposed new line.
Then the remonstrance was read. It
bore sixty-tive signatures, including that
OF Mayor Comstock.
q. w. Baker spoke against the road.
lie said that the greater number of sigma
lures on the petition were those of per-
sons owning property along Seventh
street, and not on q street. The major
lty OF owners on the latter street, he said,
were opposed to the new line 1t was
not fair that the Seventh-street people
should dictate whether or not the road
should be run out G street.
a. {. Sweetser also made speech
against the proposed new branch. He
said II was quite clear that the main OBJ
ject of the road was to accommodate the
races during the State Fair.
BETTER ACCOMMODATIONS.
Then Mr. Henry spoke again. He said
the company had picked out a route
which 1t was satisfied would afford better
accommodations to the people than any
other, and at the same time be fair in
vestment for the company 1t would also
be great accommodation during the
State Fair. The service FOR the Park at
present was not what it should be, and
Secretary Smith of the State Agricultural
Society had informed him that unless the
car service to the Park was improved,
Sacramento was liable to | ose the State
Fair.
o. P. Dodge wanted to know why the
road was not run out + street.
Mr.. Henry replied that the fact that the
company had petitioned for q street was
evidence enough that they did not want
Z street.
There was quite a lengthy and stormy
discussion over the matter.
Both sides claimed that they represented
the most property. The demonstrators
declared, and showed figures, that they
represented 200 more feet than the pc
titioners. The matter was figured out.
however, and showed that the petitioners
represented 42,4713 feet and the remon-
strators 40,0504 feet.
THE MAYORS HOSTILITY.
Mr.. Conklin wanted to lay the matter
over for week. There were other prop
erty-owners along the route, he said, who
might desire TO have something to saw.
He said he intended to be governed by
what the majority of property-owners
wanted.
Mr.. Henry was agreeable to this plan.
He desired, however, that the petition
and remonstrance be left in the hands of
the Clerk, so that those who desired to
change from one to the other could do so
during the week.
All through the discussion Mayor Com
stock declared his hostility to the pro-
posed new branch. He owns property
on that street.
Trustee Green when called on for his
opinion said he had talked with a great
many owners on g street, and was salts
fed that majority of them We're OBJ
posed to the road. Personally he thought
that the company should extend the
branch out II street, where it already has
its poles in position.
That settled it.
Mayor Comstock Immediately moved
that the petition be rejected, and started
in to put the motion, when it was sug-
gested to him that it would be better to
have the company's petition read. He
made an order to this effect, and when
Clerk Robertson finished reading he re-
newed the motion.
All three of the Trustees voted against
granting the franchise, Mr.. Conklin ex-
planning his vote by saying that the mat
ter had taken an entirely different phase
than he anticipated; that he had supposed
the route would be considered as whole
and had not expected to hear from the e.
street people alone. He was satisfied
from what had been said that the G-street
people did not want the road.
AN OPEN FAUCET