Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-16
FRANCHISE AND
WATER ARE MIXED
Subjects Cause Much Talk at the
Meeting Of the City COun.
cilmen,
WILD "DUNCO' CHARGES MADE.
Some Members Accused Others Of Bad
Faith and Left the Session.
The General Debate,

The petition OF the Utah Light &.
Railway company for 50-year extern
sion OF It's franchises was discussed at
considerable length last evening before
the committees on municipal laws and
special water supply, which have the
matter In hand. The meeting was very
lively, charges OF Misrepresentation be-
ing made quite frequently, and II end
ed amid considerable confusion. sew
eral councilmen leaving the meeting
with the declaration that they had
been buncoed by the special water
committee. The counclhren present
at the meeting were: Chairman Fern
strom Of tho municipal laws commit
tee. Wells, A. j. Davis, Barnes Tud-
denham Holiday, Martin. Neuhausen,
Hartenstein. Dean and Preece The
company was represented by General
Manager Campbell. General Counsel LIE
Grand Young and Engineer II, f.
Hayward and d. -. Swan.
When tho committee was called 10
order, Judge Young was allowed 20
make n statement IN behalf OF the
company lie said the object OF the
petition was to have the company's
franchles extended 80 years The
shortest Of the railway franchises now
owned by the company win expire IN
rs years an dthe shortest OF the light
franchise viii expire IN forty-two
years He contended that Rfty
years added TO those would not be an
unusual request AS loug-term franchises
are the rule IN nearly all OF the cities.
In exchange for the extension the COM
pany viii give the city its water rights
ut the mouth Of Big Cottonwood valued
nj 100000 md also free lights Of tho
value Of $4,000 per year The water
right proposition was made, he said,
upon condition that the city should not
eell or exchange the same TO any conn
petitor Of the company.
In View or the fact that another fran
chse is being asked for by another
party, he stated that tho company
would agree To reduce the price for
lights TO IL cents per kllowatt hour and
make a further reduction 20 1880 cents
to those who pay their bills promptly,
lie also made the proposition that IL
the city would rellnquish its free lights
and pay for It's light and power the
same MS other customers the company
klowatt hour. At that rate the com
pany would receive from the city about
ssi 900 per year for It's light and power
Judge Young stated that Manager
Campbell and Engineer Hayward were
averse 10 parting with the COM
panys water rights as they
figured on q large reservoir which
would save the company $50 900 year
IN coal bills by furnishing all the nee
essary water power, However, the
company had decided 10 exchange those
rights for an extension OF It's franchise.
In answer to the challenge OF Council
man Martin that the company could
not get $1,000 for us rights, Judge Young
stated that II had received a bona fde
offer for the rights which Il had re-
fused.
OTHER OFFICERS TALK,
Manager Campbell and Engineer Hay
ward both made statements In regard
to the value OF the companys water
rights which It proposed TO trade TO
the city The latter said that N the
city acquired the oompany's rights It
could then take its water from the
creek at a point nearly 300 feeJhlgher
than Is now contemplated and thereby
secure a greater fall and hence greater
power
AN EMPHATIC NO.
A. j. Davis asked II the company had
not offered to sell It's water rights at a
much less price than that made the
city. Manager Campbell answered
that It had not been offered TO the city
or anyone else at any price, Davis
then asked II II had not heen offered
10 the special water committee. The
manager replied that II had not. lie
stated that City Engineer Snow had
asked him about II and had
suggested that the compn-
ny's rights were worth about
$4,000, but he Informed Mr.. Snow that
the rights could not be purchased for
10 times that amount
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Black and A. J. Davis wanted TO
know how Il happened that the report
OF the special water committee had
stated that the Granite paper mills wa.
ter rights could be purchased for $40 900,
and also what the item Of $4,000 for
the purchase Of water and power rights
M stated I'm the report was for Fern.
strom replied that Il Was for the pur-
chase OF the Knudsen and other minor
rights. Black. Holiday Martin and Da-
Wis all contended that they understood
that 100000 was for the purchase Of
the Granite paper mill rights. Fern
strom and Wells said that the special
water committee had had an UNDER
standing with the company that the
rights could be secured without paying
out any cash for them, but by simply
granting the company an extension OF
its franchises.
BUNCO CHARGES.
AS the proposition became apparent
20 them several OF the councilmen be-
gan to talk az once, and called for the
report Of the special water committee,
which was adopted by the council be-
fore the bonds were issued. In order to
satisfy themselves OF the representa-
lions made by the committee, The re-
port was not In the hands OF the re-
corder az that time. 30 Il was decided
20 postpone tho matter until next week,
80 that the report could be produced,
A. j. Davis contended that the water
matter had been migreprcsentcd 20 him
and that he had been buncoed by the
committee Martin and several others
contendcd that they had also been bum
coed. The meeting was then brought Ia
q close and the matter VIII be brought
up again next week.
----------s-zr-s------------