The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-05
hUNDRED-YEAR
COUNTY GRANTS
Senate Passes Ten-page Bill
Changing Two Words IN Law.
FOR LONG-TERM FRANCHISE
LOOSE PUSHES MEASURE TO
HELP TRACTION PROJECT.
OR LONG-TERM FRANCHISE

\ bill authorizing county boards TO
grant 100-year franchises for the use
Of public highways was rushed through
the state senate yesterday under sus-
pension Of the rules. The measure was
passed to meet the wishes of the Titan
county traction system, the projected
line in which Senator c. z. Loose, au-
thor Of the bill. is financially inter-
ested. The measure is ten pages long,
and differs from the present county
board act in only two words, in that
WheZe the words twenty-five appear
in the statute" the words "One nun
dred'' are substituted The bill was
merely up for second reading, and un-
der the rules would have gone over I'M
til today, but on motion of Senator
Loose all interfering rules were sus-
pended and the measure passed Dy d
vote of II to ?, Senators Barnes ana
Murdoch voting in the negative
That Senator Losses endeavors on
behalf of the amendment were actuated
by the wish of his company TO leave
the Utah county board extend its fran
chise beyond the present limit of TWEEN
ty-five years was well known to the
members of the senate before the bill
came up. The Utah county senator
admitted as much on the floor of the
senate during the debate on the meas
ure.
Tells What .SWe'' Want.
I'VE have I00-year franchises from
the eities,n said he, "and we want to
ties, SO our franchises viii be of uni
form duration. We cant bond COM
panies which are operating under
short-tern franchises. We want to get
a 100-year franchise from Utah county
50 our county franchise viii be con-
sistent with our city franchises"
Senator Loose did not say that the
ton company, but no member of the
senate seemed to question what he
meant and all seemed to understand
that he was referring to his troubles
as a stakeholder of the company in
finding himself unable to procure the
long-term grant.
I do not think county boards should
be authorized to make grants for such
long terms" declared Senator Barnes,
the only member to actively oppose the
measure on the floor of the senate 1t
is impossible for a county board to
foresee conditions which may arise 100
or even fifty years hence, and which
may be such as to make 1t regret that
1t ever passed d IOng-term franchise.
Senator Barnes tried to have the SEN
ate change the bill to read fifty years,
but was unsuccessful as Senator
Loose found everything smooth sailing
when he rose to oppose Barnes.
Lawrence Trips Barnes.
Senator Lawrence came to Senator
Losses rescue. He digged a pit for
Senator Barnes, and the latter walked
directly into It to his own confusion
and the intense satisfaction of Senator
Loose.
How did the senator vote two years
ago on the question of 10O-year grants
to railroads." asked Senator Lawrence
innocently.
81 voted. nay responded Senator
Barnes instantly. My position then
was as it is now
Il have no wish to embarrass the
senatOr.'' retOfted Lawrence, picking up
the 1901 journal but he is recorded as
havi- voted in the affirmative on that
very proposition"
4 voted against it on a subsidiary
motion" declared Barnes, blushing,
"and supposed 1 had voted the same
way on final passage"
AS amended, the section authorizing
the granting of franchises, reads:
Power TO grant franchises along and
over the public roads and highways for
all lawful purposes. upon such terms,
conditions and restrictions as in the
judgment of the board may be neces-
sary and proper, and in such manner
as TO present the least possible Obstruc-
ton and inconvenience to the travelling
public, but such permissions shall not
be for a longer period than 100 years
1t is expected the bill will not get
through the lower house without con-
siderable opposition.
Loose Tells. of Project.
I'VE have franchises from Provo,
Springville, Spanish Fork, Payson and
Salem said Senator Loose last even