Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-10
CITIZENS URGE OBJECTIONS
Reasons Against the Motor Franchise
Extension.
COMMITTEE F%0RMULATES ITS DEMANDS
Conference with Representative OF
Company ~ which series OF PrOpo-
-ItiOns IL Presented-Mnyor
Asked to Delay Action.
FoRMULATEs ITS DEMANDS

Interest in the controversy between the
city council and the people who object to the
extension Of the franchise OF the motor COM
pany. which has tagged considerably within
the last few days, was slightly revived yes
terday by the appointment Of a committee
OF citizens to agree upon some sort Of a
compromise to be presented to the council
that would in some measure remove the OBJ
jections that have been urged against the
passage OF the ordinance a week ago. The
men constituting this committee, C. X. Han
nan. +. ]. Evans, +. J. Day, Spencer Smith,
c. VI. Harl aud others, met in the office of
Jacob Sims yesterday morning and formu-
lated the demands. After this part Of the
work was agreed upon an effort to get a
conference between the mayor and city
council, representatives of the motor com
pany and the committee Of citizens. This
was accomplished by personal solicitation
during the day, and the conference was held
in the office Of the mayor last evening. Spen-
Ger Smith was selected TO represent the citi-
Gems committee and the motor company was
represented by President n. w. Wells. The
requests or demands as formulated by the
committee were sufficiently voluminous to
cover several pages Of typewriter legal cap
paper. They were read by Mr., Smith and
listened to closely by the mayor and the
members Of the council present.
The first proposition was an unequivocal
declaration in opposition to any charter on
any conditions that extended for a period
longer than twenty-five years.
The second was a series that proposed a
dividend to the city for the franchise Of the
company. 1t provided that the company
should pay Of its gross earnings each year
into the city treasury l per cent when the
population OF the city shall reach 80, 900, 2
per cent when the population shall have
A--A- Al 400 . .--N A-. 49, IN Ann
mark is reached, 4 per cent for 5000 and .
per cent when the city has grown into a
metropolis of 100, 900 or over.
Another proposition was a demand hat
the company shall issue forty school children
tickets, unlimited, for 81 and twenty work
ingmen's and clerks tickets over the Omaha
line for 81, also to be unlimited.
Another proposition was the right to buy
the motor railway bridge at the expiration
of the old charter of the company in 1911 at
the exact cost of reproduction at that time.
Another clause that was insisted upon by
Mr.. Smith with a good deal OF earnestnesS
was one that reserved to the city all rights
to control and regulate the road under exist
ing state laws. or laws that may hereafter
be passed either by the council within the
provisions of the city's charter or by the
state legislature.
The concluding proposition which the COM
mittee asked to have incorporated in the
charter. If the twenty-five year extension is
granted, is a clause providing for the for
FIXTURE Of the charter if the company vio-
lates any of these provisions or any other
provisions of the charter.
There was but little discussion Of the
matter beyond the reading of the paper.
The mayor and members of the council and
the representatives of the motor company
are expected to think the propositions over
at their leisure. The mayor was again urged
not to sign the charter until the company
had replied to thssc requests of the citi-
zens' committee.
The council will not hold another meet
ing until next Monday night and Mayor Car
son will either sign the ordinance or veto
1t before that time.