The herald., 1898-12-20
FRANCHISE ARGUMENT
STILL TALKING OVER ELEVENTH
STREET ROAD
EVERYBODY HAS A WORD
Pros and Cons of Disputed Question.
Much Business Before the City
Council-Notes and News

For two hours yesterday afternoon the ol'.
story OF the proposed franchise Tor car line
along Eleventh street from Hoover to Geor-
eia or Figueroa, as the case might be, was
threshed over before the council IN all Its
phases. True, there was only one repre-
sentative OF the Los Angeles Railway COM
pauy, its general manager, +. W. W ood, ar
rayed against a host OF attorneys ana citl-
zens who were in favor OF the Traction conf
pany's proposition, but Il pretty night was
nut UP, even ii ID decision was not reached.
Shortly alter the opening OF the alter
noon session the row was preGpltated by
the reading OF the report OF the board OF
publis works, which last Friday heard argu-
ment on both sides and decided to report
as follows, the minority beng represented
by Mr.. Mathuss:
In the matter of the petitions 1or fran
chise on Eleventh street, one OF winch was
from Hoover street to Eigueroa street, and
the other from Hoover to Georgia streets,
YOUR committee have made careful eXam-
nation OF the whole matter and would rec
ommend that franchise be advertised Tor
sale for double track electric street rail-
way along Eleventh street from Hoover to
Sentuos; thence along Sentous and Eleventh
to Figueroa street; provided, that the road
be built within the shortest time provided
by law and bond for 10000 be required
from the successful bidder to guarantee the
construction OF same within the time and
according to the terms OF the tranchlse;
and, provided, that cars be operated
throughout the entire distance at intervals
not greater than ten minutes each
Hardly had the reading OF the report been
finished before Judge Anderson was on his
feet demanding recognition for the Traction
adherents He asked that consideration
of the matter 90 over for week owing to
the enforced absence OF Attorney Percy VII
son, who was called away on an important
law case. Before Mr.. Anderson had fully
finished speaking Councilman GrIder had
moved to adopt the committees report. His
motion met with second, but didlnot, how
ever 20 through without opposition.
General Manager Fred Wood OF the Los
Angeles Railway company stepped to the
front and told the council that his company
had made its request in good faith and that
if tbey were the successful bidders that the
road would be constructed and operated
' '''N
franchise. Judge Anderson again claimed
the floor and said that for five weeks the
Traction people had been trying to secure
the advertisement of the franchise, only to
meet with block at every turn, which they
did not know how to place until the oppo-
sition company openly showed its hand by
applying for a slightly different franchise.
The residents of the Bonnie Brae section
wanted road-an opposition road-that
they might be guaranteed better service
than they are now receiving. Since the
Traction company had gone out Eighth
street the service of the Los Angeles Rail
way on the Ninth street line had vastly i'm
proved; competition being the only reason
for it.
T. Z. Gibbon spoke, not as an attorney
for the company or others, but as repre-
sentative Of the residents of the district az
fected All that the people wanted, he SAID,
was road which would give them good
service. He had no axe to grind one way
or another, but simply stood upon the
ground that the Los Angeles Railway com
pany could not under present conditions run
over the Figueroa street line without vio-
lating the law which says that no two rail
road companies shall occupy the same line
for more than five consecutive blocks his
the Los Angeles company was seeking to
eyade by claiming that where five blocks IN
reality existed only three were really
meant. taking no account OF cross streets.
He saw u way out OF the difficulty, which
was for the Los Angeles Railway company
to accept the advertisement OF the franchise
from Georgia to Hoover and to petition the
counsel to advertise franchise from Ninth
to Eleventh on Georgia street, bids to be
opened several days later than the other
Thus, if the Los Angeles company was the
successful bidder it could offer reasona-
bic sum for the road between its present
line on Ninth street and its franchise on
Eleventh. which would only be useful to
it and 10 competition need be feared. Mr..
Gibbon closed his argument by a cllncher IN
respect to the law in the case az applied to
the fveblocll argument and gave place to
F. w. Wood, who answered his remarks as
follows:
He wanted the council as a compromise
TO advertise the franchise along Eleventh
street. from Hoover to Flower, the success
ful bidder to have the option Of building on
the block between Figueroa and Flower.
There had been great deal of llI-feeling
engendered by the contest for the franchise
and an attempt to bcfog the real issue. If
he got the franchise he would guarantee to
work under it. lie did not believe in the
arguments Of the Traction people that a
street intersection made a block, as in that
case man owning block Of land, to block
an opposition company, might run four
streets through it and call ii five blocks
City Attorney Dunn was called in to de-
fine the legal position Of the city, and reit-
Grated his position taken some days ago. He
thought the law governing the case. to say
the least. imperfect and but poorly capable
of enforcement. j. II. Call had something
to say for the Traction company, being rein
forced by J. c. GLADDEN., after which Coun-
Gilman Toll had chance. Upon the latters
motion. decision Of the question was de
ferred for week, in order to give all con
cerned an opportunity for further investiga-
tion into the legal aspects of the case.
TRACTION COMPANY BILLS