Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-03-18
CITY COUNCIL.
Important Meeting of the Board Of
Aldermen Last Night.
MEASURES DISCUSSED.

The city council last night indicated
that no more franchises will be grant
ed except on terms equally as favora-
bic to the city as those in the street
railway franchise now held by Messrs.
Mitchell and Gleason. AT the previous
meeting. H.. b.. Ferguson, represent
ing o. L. Cromwell, asked for an ex-
tension of franchise for forty-nine
years from date of the present street
railroad franchise and the petition
was referred TO a special committee.
The report of the committee was
against granting the request. 1t was
held that the franchise under which
the present line is operated was grant
ed by the county commissioners and
not by the city. The committee also
held that to comply with the request
would be to grant a new franchise and
no franchise should be granted which
did not call for the most modern. cleo
trical equipment and did not make as
favorable terms for the city as the
Mitchell-Gleason franchise. There was
some question in the minds of the
members as to whether another fran
chise should be granted with the
MitchellGleason franchise outstand-
ing and the deposit of $1,000 having
been made. The city bound itself not
to grant another franchise for a year
after work actually is commenced on
the MitchellGleason line md some of
the members raised the question of
good faith.
Mr.. FERGUSON said the council could
not legally grant a monopoly over all
the streets of the city and could not
bar out any company to the exclusive
advantage of another. In the discus
sion it was clearly seen that the right
to charge a fare of Is cents as it now
exists, will be opposed any any further
extension OF a horse car line. The re-
port was unanimously adopted and the
request refused.
Mr.. FERGUSON then presented MS
second application Tor a franchise, but
he can not give the exact terms until
he hears from Mr.. Cromwell. He asks
permission to go down Second street
as far as the viaduct now. In the
course of time, said Mr.. FERGUSON,
when the new post is located, Mr..
Cromwell will ask permission to cross
the viaduct or build his own, extend
his line through the Highlands and out
to the post. Just now he wants to go
down Second street only. Mr.. Fer
gusson said he would suggest to Mr..
Cromwell; that ne agree to make the
! entire line electric at once, make the
fare 8 cents. divide with the City after
a certain number of years the profits
exceeding 8 per cent and give to the
city the right to purchase al a stated
time. To how many conditions Mr..
Cromwell would agree he could not
say, but as soon as he hears from him
he will reduce the application to writ
ing and file it with the committee. Mr..
FERGUSON said Mr.. Cromwell is ready
to begin work at once and will do so.
He said the Mitckell-Gleason franchise
should not stand in the way and he de-
clared it is held for speculative pur-
poses only. The application will be
acted upon at the next council meet
ing.
An invitation was received from G.
X. Warren post, G.. A. r., to attend the
camp fire on April 10, and the invita-
ton was accepted.
No report was made of formal &C
ton by the school board on the re-
quest of the council that it should pay
a part of the cost of the sewer which
connects up the First ward school
house and st. Joseph's hospital; but
President Hopkins of the hoard stated
it would willingly and cheerfully pay
as much as st. Joseph's hospital pays,
as one building is benefited as much
as the other. The members laughed
long and loud as it is agreed the hos
pital shall pay nothing.