Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-30
TEN YEARS AGO TODAY.
FIVE YEARS AGO TO-DAY.

company, as he had met with the exec
utlye board in the afternoon and It had
been decided to accept such an extern
sion as proposed by the committee and
would give to the city the Big Cotton
wood water rights with the understands
ing that it should not be disposed of to
a competing company The company
Will also give the city the free lights
and power for the city and county
building fire stations, police station,
and the new Packard library, and will
reduce the rate TO consumers TO II 20-lO0
cents per klowatt hour which
with the discount for prompt payment
OF bills, will make 1t a net rate of 10
cents per kllowatt.
MASS MEETING SCORED.
In regard TO the statements made at
the mass meeting on sunday night,
Judge Young said that they were de-
cidedly Incorporate and were an insult
TO every member of the council as
well as members of the company. He
said that the meeting sayored OF
lynchlng party rather than a citizens
meeting The company, he stated, is
doing all Il can to improve It's sys-
TEN and has spent thousands of dollars
in the past In Improvements and viii
continue TO do so in the future. What
the company wanted was fair treat
lnent. He asked that the forfeiture
clause In the franchise be stricken out
as such clause is not placed in fran
chlses in other cities and he thought
1t unreasonable to place II In the COM
panys franchise in this city.
CRANE ON REDUCTIONS.
Charles Crane made a lengthy argu-
ment IN regard 10 the reduction OF
fares, the municipal ownership of
public utilities, the reduction in gas
rates and the initiative and referen-
DUN method OF granting such fran
chlses as proposed He said that In
some cities reduction of fare was
made during certain hours each day so
that the working people could ride for
2M cents. He argued that all such
public utilities should be owned by the
city and In that way the rates could be
reduced 80 per cent. The company IN
this city had an unheard of monopoly
on all public utilities he said and he
strongly opposed any extension of the
franchise at all lie also cited num-
Der of cities where gas Is furnished a
great deal cheaper than In Salt Lake
and he thought that matter should be
considered also In answer to the gas
matter Judge Young said that he was
satisfied that the company would ia
yorably consider a reduction in the gas
rates also.
A. T. SANFORD EXPLAINS.
A. r. Sanford replied TO Judge
Young's remarks in regard TO the mass
meeting. He said that It was not
charged by him that there had been
bribery and corruption In connection
with this affair but that he had made
general statement that any public
official who betrayed his trust should
be classed as Benedict Arnold. Con-
tinuing he said that he did not see why
any extension at all should be made to
the company He thought that the coun-
ell should reserve the right In the fran
chise TO regulate the rates so that the
public could get the benefit OF the I'M
movements and inventions In light and
power matters. lie argued that the
council should establish n precedent
now Of no extensions at all,
FERNsTRoM GOES INTO HISTORY
Ternstroni called Hewlett to the chair
and then proceeded TO review public
agitation I'm regard TO number Of
franchises and grants I'm the past. He
| said that the citizens a few years ago
| had come TO the council and demanded
that Pioneer park be given TO certain
railroad company for railroad purposes
| and the council was about TO do II but
was stopped by the point being raised
| that such action would be Illegal. Later
| the citizens demanded that part Of
Liberty park he donated for the salt
| Palace which too would have been IL
| legal and II done the council would
have been condemned later by the
very citizens who demanded that the
| eift be made. Only two years ago, he
said. the citizens demanded that fran
chises be given 10 the oregon short
Line and Rio Grande railways allowing
| them TO close certain streets and the
people Of the Third precinct were conf
pelled TO 60 into court and enjoin the
companies from closing up those
streets
Now you are here" he continued,
"protestlng against extending the
franchises OF the Utah Light and Rail-
way company and yet there IS The BELL
Telephone company which IL occupying
our streets with he poles and wires
without franchise az all and every
time this council tries TO get after II
ana compel IL 20 secure a franchise the
citizens hle protest after protest
against tating any action against the
fpt.. 1 fght apJ Bauer Qnn1.