Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-05-02
PUBLIC FRANCHISES.
MEETING OF THE soLoNs TONIGHT.
Prospects For Proiracied Contest BE-
tween the Council and street
Railway Company.

II tho City Council has stability
enough to stand by lis determination
to consider franchises at ils meeting
tonight to the exclusion OF all other
business, then u lively time is sure to
follow pa some Of the members have
openly declared themselves frequently
during the day that they were "lpaded
for bear" and that they were going 10
SEQ that this scheme was knocked out
and that 80 aud no should yet all he
was asking for.
The most important applications for
municipal consideration and favor are
those Of the Salt Lake and Ogden Gas
and Electric Light Company; Wen.
dell Benson, for the furnishing OF
electric power light and heating; NJ. J.
Gray, ditto; sam Gllson for permission
TO operate an underground SYSTEM Of
electric wiring; the Salt Lake a Los
Angeles railway company for con.
noctiou with its own property or that
Of the Rio Grande Western: requests
for extension OF franchises OF tho Rapid
transit aud Salt Lake City street rail-
way company. While 1t has been de-
clnred that most OF these will be grant
cd tonight 1t Is safe to conclude that
The declaration IL incorrect aud that
there Will be the usual equaOble and
waste Of time.
Regarding the petition Of the City
Hallway company, Superinte ndent
Read Of that road said 10 a NEWS
reporter today. "Thc most OF our
frunchisos have sixteen years yet 10
run before their expiration. We simply
ask that they he extended nine Year,
and that they be consolidated. In other
words that our franchises he made
one. This would simplify matters very
much. We think we are entitled TO
receive. Just what we ask. In view Of
the fact that We have been 10 great
expense Ia extending our lines int
suburban districts and constructing
new ones entirely, we cannot coutinu
improving and properly equippiDg our
road unless some concession IL given
US.
"In lieu Of the extension we are
willing TO pavo between our rails and
one foot ON either side. This Of oourse,
In the business district, " purely
voluntary ON our part rs our old ran
chlses did not require US to do tuch
work.
"Now, the council wants the com.
pany 10 pave between their tracka, as
well as between their rails and two
feet on eAcn side OF the outer rail.
Well We won't do ~; that Ia all there
10 to that proposition.
81: would be "a different thing II our
tracks were only four and one half
feet apart rs they are in other cities,
but they Rre seven feet apart and the
expense OF paving naturally Is much
greater. The telephone and telegraph
companies have their large poles be-
tween our tracks and compel US
| 10 cover more ground. 1t would
only bo just Tor them to pay
their proportion for tho occu.
pHny OF the streets. SO far M We
are concerned We would prefer to usc
the smaller poles ON the eide Of the
| street, and the span wire syttem, but
the big poles are put between our
tracks by the council ana We can only
submit TO II.
"rhe council for some unaccountable
reason does not take into consideration
this TACT either that when we inaugu-
rated the electric system that Il meant
an utter abandonment Of the old road.
beds, Ties, rails, mules and everything
OF course we sold tho mules but II wa,
ut great sacrifice. Then again Ia,
fact l. overlooked that we have to Iut
down new ties every four or i've year,
and new rails every eight or ten.
"Our extension Of lines in the sub
urbs has increased 1.-THE annual tax
fund greatly by improving and en-,
HANGING tho value OF property and |
think 1t only right to receive some
consideration at the hands OF III,
council"
From another source Il was ascer
tanned that unless the council grant,
the extension asked for that the com.
pany will absolutely refuse to pave any
| portion Of tho street and that they att
quite willing that the matter shall find
its way into the courts for n judicial
solution. In that event there ia nc
certainty that the center OF the streets
will be paved this year. The affair IL
assuming a complicated condition and