The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-04
HAVEN'T STARTED YET
L. A. ELECTRIC co. HAS NOT COM
MENCED WORK
TWO MONTHS TO FINISH 1T
Negotiations Between the Company
and the San Gabriel Power
Company Now OF

1t is now a year and one month since the
city council prescribed certain downtown
district, comprising about eight miles o
territory, in which electric wires shall b.
placed underground, and few days before
April Bird last, at the request OF NUMBER
of the companies doing business here, they
extended the time for the completion OF
this work three months, or to July ID. But
today, only two months from the expira'
ton of the time. there are but two com
panies who have as yet fully compiled
with the ordinance referring to the mat
ter, and but two others who have at least
part of their underground conduit sys-
tenn arranged.
The Los Angeles Electric company haa
not yet begun its work Of this kind. and
will not before the middle Of this month
and then only providing the material they
have ordered arrives by that time. Ac-
cording to the president Of this company
Walter B. Cline, the directors had all along
presumed that their verbal agreement with
the San Gabriel Power company would be
closed In writing, and for that reason they
made no effort to put their system under
ground.
Electric company commenced negotiations
with the San Gabriel people to lease por-
| ton of it's conduit. The arrangement, If
| 1t had been completed, would have saved
the Los Angeles company an immediate
outlay of about 100000, and assisted the
San Gabriel people In paying for their
plant. Unfortunately, so they say, the
matter fell through last Thursday, after a
lapse of more than two months, and de-
spite dozens of meetings between the
representatives Of the two companies. the
rupture is now said to be final
So sure was Mr.. Cine that terms and Il
complete settlement had been effected that
a short time ago he notified the council in
writing that he had made arrangements
witt Che San Gabriel company by which the
currents of his company would pass over
the wires of the San Gabriel company In
the conduit district.
Mr.. Cline had been the most aggressive
of the electric light men in endeavoring to
combat the purpose of the council in this
matter, fighting his position with vast
numbers Of figures and statements from
other cities but all to no avail. The coun-
Gil carried out their intentions in the mat
ter, much to the displeasure Of Mr.. Cline
and a few other gentlemen who dispense
trio light to the people of this city and VI
electric light to the people of this city and
vicinity.
Immediately upon the discontinuance of
negotiations between the Los Angeles
Electric company and the San Gabriel
Power company, the former corporation
wired east for six carloads of fibre pipe.
Mr.. Cline expects the shipment to arrive
about the 18th of this month and then
work will be begun instantly for laying
wires underground in the conduit district.
Mr.. Cline says he admits that six weeks
Is little time in which TO do such an amount
of work, but he says his company will do
It, He figures having to work gangs of
men day and night, and II Is his intention
now to give the work on the paved streets
to the Alcatraz Asphalt company, who
have expressed desire to undertake the
contract. In this way, by working "a con-
tinuous hours. Mr.. Cline assures himself
the work will be completed on or perhaps
before July /. Asked what he will do If the
work is not done then, he replied that he
never looked so far ahead in q matter like
this, but he asserted that under no circum-
stances will he ask the council for an ex-
tension of time. If he does not have the
work completed on the day that the city
ordinance requires 1t to be done, his COM
pany will take whatever penalty is attach
ed to the violation, but they will not ask
favors.
1t is intimated also that the Edison Elec-
trio company IL practically at standstil!
with their work of this kind, the home Office
in New York being unable to supply them
with the needed material owing to heavy
government contracts. They have only
small part Of their conduit system COM
pleted.
The San Gabriel people say they have
the underground system completed, and
are now waiting for their power machinery,
which was promised them some days ago.
It may be a month or so, however, before
they will be ready for active business.
Neither Mr.. Cline, for the Los An
geles Electric company, nor Mr..
Kerckhoff, for the San Gabriel
Power company, would say definitely
on what point in their proposed agreement
they could not agree, but Mr.. Cline volun-
teered the information that the minds of
the heads of the two companies do not
hitch" on what is usually accepted as
good business proposition.
AS to the rumor current few days ago.
when the Pacific Power company filed pa
pers of incorporation, 1t being alleged that
they were to engulf the present Los An
geles Electric company, Mr.. Cline, who is
at the head of both concerns, says that the
Pacific company purchased small piece of
land in the city for probable future use. and
the state laws require that when corpo-
ration buys property they must file with
the clerk their papers Of incorporation
showing they have permission to do busi-
ness in the state as a corporation. There
is no further significance to 1t, he says.
A Strong Protest
N w r,nr.,,,,o 10, a1od protoct IN tho