The San Francisco call., 1898-12-14
Al LDERMEN NOW
 HOLD SESSIONS
 IN SECRET Sub-COmmittee Is Yet at Work.
PREPARE SHORT EXTENSIONS
CHICAGO RAILWAYS YET HOPE
 FOR THE FRANCHISES.
Mayor Harri-on, However, Is Deter mined That Action Will Not Be Taken Until the Allen
 Law Is Repealed.
Special Dispatch to Tie Call.

CHICAGO, Dec. 13.-A new tack has
 been taken by the street railway peo-
 pie, as represented by the joint com
 mittee of the Council to which the Ly-
 man franchise ordinance was submitted
 by the Council. The subcommittee of
 the joint committee, appointed to con-
 sider the ordinance or frame another
 as it chose, resumed it's work to-day
 claiming the action of the Council last
 night merely took from it the Lyman
 ordinance, leaving the Hermann and
 several minor ordinances in the sub
 committees hands. The authority of this subcommittee now depends on the construction of Alderman Walsh's res olution adopted last night and the in tent of the Council in passing it. The subcommittee was in secret session
 this evening in the private office of Alderman Kimball.
 Mayor Harrison says nothing was won or lost at the Council meeting last night and that the people now know where some of the Aldermen stand in the fight, but that the traction com- panies are beaten so far as long term franchises are concerned.
 It is the intention of this sub-com- mittee, and this intention is not con- cealed, to put the Mayor in hole, if it can, and to this end 1t will proceed to formulate an ordinance granting street railways franchises to extend for twenty years, fixing the rate of com pensation to the city at 10 per cent of the yearly gross earnings of the com panies, establishing a system of trans fers, etc. In fact, they will embody all the ideas of the Mayor as to the sort of an ordinance that will be pleas T 1,f fr veto it.
 This plan is to be forwarded for the dual purpose of embarrassing Mayor Harrison in his position of refusing to treat with the companies and of divid- ing public sentiment long enough to permit the gang to rally it's forces and put through the Council such ordi- nances as the companies are willing to ask for.
 The joint committee still has in it's possession according to the arguments of Francis, Cullerton, Kimball and Me Inerney, the dominant spirits in the subcommittee, the Hermann ordinance, the Math ordinance and the Kimball and with these for authority most of that body believe they can go ahead and listen fo the arguments of the traction companies in search for facts to form conclusions and build an ordinance for recommendation to the Council.
 Mayor Harrison still stands upon his declaration that nothing shall be done until the Allen law is renealed and when asked about the attitude of the joint committee. replied: "Thev still have the Hermann ordinance before them, but the intention of the Council last night was to recall from the joint committee authority to consider the franchise question. There is no doubt of that, and 1t is a question whether the sub- committee has any powers"
 Samuel W. Allerton. the millionaire packer and large holder of Chicago City Railway stock, said to-day if the city did not want to grant fifty year franchises the railway companies would not be badly hurt.
 ''We have franchises said he. lon our trunk lines for fifty years, anyhow, and nobody can touch them. There Is not anybody that would want our cross town lines without trunk lines, because they would not pay. The city would let us go ahead"
 Further than that, he said the pres ent agitation was hurting Chicago greatly and that moneyed men in New York absolutely refused to lend money here because of the contest now going on here and the opposition manifested toward corporations and capital