The record-union., 1892-09-28
RAILWAY FRANCHISES AGAIN.
Trustees ConkIin and Green Did Ex-
actIy Right.
The People VIII All Agree With Them
After Considering the
Situation.

The longer the subject is considered the
more apparent it becomes that the Trus-
tees acted wisely on Monday III granting
the franchise for an electric railway on q
street to the Central Electric Company.
1t was a simple matter of justice to that
company, but above and beyond that it
was clearly for the best interests of the
city at large. The application Of the Fol-
som Water Power Company came so sud
denly, coupled with lot of glittering
talk about the great advantages to accrue
TO Sacramento by the introduction OF
power from the great Folsom dam, that 1t
created a sort of stampede among the
citizens. They were told that unless we
promptly gave this great corporation
everything it asked for we would lose the
greatest opportunity ever presented to
the city. 4 little reelection will convince
anyone that this is all nonsense and the
people have a right to be grateful to Trus
tees Conklin and Green Tor not being
carried away from doing their duty by
any such talk.
No one doubts for moment that the
introduction of cheap electric power
from the Folsom dam would be great
boon to Sacramento, but no one with any
knowledge Of the situation believes that
the failure to get a street railway fran
chise over particular street would pre-
vent the Folsom Water Power Company
from bringing its power here to sell. 1t
has been at work for years upon this very
proposition, and the RECORD-U MON has
published articles at intervals for nearly
nine years, setting forth what the COM
pany was doing and proposed to do, and
has encouraged it in every way. But
there is still later authority for refuting
Il -.
rary, that if the Folsom Water Power
Company was not given the G- street fran
chiSe it would be shut out of the city,"
On Monday last NieSSrS. Gallatin and Liv-
ermOre called at this office and explained
their reasons for asking the Trustees to
give them franchise on G. street instead
of on + and II, as originally asked for.
They were asked directly whether fail
ure to get q street-car franchise would
change their plans as to bringing electric
power to this city, and they answered,
promptly and emphatically, No" They
were then asked If the failure to get the
particular franchise asked for would pre-
vent them from accepting a franchise on
other streets, and replied that it would
not, necessarily, bat that if Mr.. Henry
was granted the G-street franchise they
would have to look over the ground care
fully and see whether it would pay them
to take other streets. That settles all the
nonsense about shutting out the Folsom
electric power by granting Mr.. Henry
the G-street franchise.
When the Board Of Trustees met on
Monday many of the citizens present
were labOring under misunderstanding
They had been led to believe that if Mr..
Henry was given the G-Street franchise
1t would result IN a loss to the city of the
electric power from Folsom. They now
know that this is not true and that Trus-
tees Conklin and Green knew more
81 hoy n id p,,f+
another manner in which they had been
misled. The papers had all published
the route asked for by the Folsom Water
Power Company, which was for a COM
peting line. Mr.. Henry was asking tor
q street and the Folsom Company for f
and IL. At the last moment the Folsom
Water Power Company withdrew its ap-
pication and AesSrs. Gallatin and Liver
more filed another, not only asking for
the same line asked for by MIR. Henry on
& and Seventh streets, but also for the
use of ten blocks of the latter'S lines on X
and streets. This proposition is simply
4 straight 'cinch." 1t would cripple the
old line in Il most disastrous manner. and
the Trustees did exactly the proper thing
in going ahead and giving Mr.. Henry the
G-street franchise, and practically saying
to MeSsrs. Gallatin and Liyermore: Gen
tlemen, we shall welcome you to this
city and will give you anything that is
reasonable, but we Will not deliberately
ruin the property of another man who
has come here and invested his money in
good faith and given US a splendid sys-
tenn Of street railways, SO far as he has
been able in a short time. The G-street
franchise is a part Of the system he has
been perfecting from the start, and 1t is
but just that he should have right TO
complete it and operate it without I'M
necessary interference"
The action Of MesSrs. Gallatin and
Livermore in making the change in their
application altered the whole situation,
and set people to thinking what it meant
1t looked to many as il, with all the power
of the great Folsom dam behind them,
they were either afraid of competition
from the old company, which would be at
n disadvantage in the matter of power, or
else they wanted to force the sale of the
old company'S road to them. This is
probably pretty strong view of the case,
but it would be manifestly unfair that the
old company should have nothing more
and must stand still, with its hands tied,
and either be forced to sell its property OF
operate an incomplete system at d great
disadvantage.
OF course it is not the business of the
Trustees to favor Mr.. Henry or any one
else, but it is their duty TO do Justice.
When man or corporation invests his
money in community to build it up he
has a right TO reasonable protection. Let
competition come, and give it every en-
couragement, but let It be fair and honest
competition, and not an attempt to tear
down one man TO build up another.
Bright and early' yesterday morning
certain interested parties were out among
G-street people, trying to get them to sign
petition TO the Trustees TO reverse their
action Of yesterday. Why were they in
such great hurry? Simply because thew
did not want to give the people a chance
to stop and think what this sudden
change of front on the part of Messrs.
Gallatin and Livermore meant They
had created a stampede and they wanted
to get mems signatures before they had
chance TO give the matter careful consid-
Grafton. We are not advised how they
succeeded, but if the G-street people who
have signed the petitions for Mr.. Henry's
franchise listen to the false cry raised
they Will make mistake, and would GER
talnly repent it if the Trustees listened to
them. Wo have no idea, however, that
the Board of Trustees will change its de-
ciSion OF Monday morning. 1t was right
then, and ii is not at all likely that it will
go back on lis action because a few peo-
pie are unable to remain of the same mind
Tor week at q time. Having gone on
record in favor of right and Justice. let
the Trustees stand firm in their position
in spite ofthe bowling of few interested
parties whose schemes have been upset
BY their action.