Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-14

i OF LOS ANGELES.-Councilman T
{ Percy Harmon. i
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After months of persistent effort
the fight of The Herald, backed by the
people of Los Angeles, in favor of
municipal regulation of gas, electric
light and telephone monopolies, has
been crowned with victory. At the
session of the council yesterday the
ordinance regulating these three public
utilities, which was presented to the
council at the instigation of The Her
aid, was passed without dissenting
vote and the provisions therein con-
tained will go into effect in sixty days.
1t was not until the attention of the
public and the council was called to
the fact that the regulation of such
public utilities was in their hands and
the cause of the people championed by
The Herald that any action on the part
of the Legislative body was taken.
Since that time The Herald has waged
persistent and untiring warfare in
favor of the proposed ordinance. From
time to time recruits in the form of
various civic organizations have en-
tered the fight and the victory won
yesterday was not only a victory for
The Herald, but for the whole people
of Los Angeles.
To Regulate MonopoIes
Some months ago the council in
structed the city attorney to draw up
ordinances which should regulate these
presented to the council, but they were
handled charity and finally buried in
the committee of the whole, where they
rested peacefully until yesterday morn
ing, when the committee held a ten
minutes session and reported as fol-
lows:
Having had under consideration the
several ordinances regulating the rate
for telephone, electricity and gas SER
vice, we beg to report as follows: That
the city attorney be instructed to pre-
pare and present one ordinance COW
ering telephone companies, electric
light and gas companies.
"That upon presentation of such
ordinance the same be Immediately
considered with view to it's passage.
The report was at once adopted. In
the afternoon the city attorney pre-
sented an ordinance containing all of
the points of the three previous ordi-
nances, and it was Immediately con-
sidered.
No Hitch in PASSAGE
Without hitch the ordinance was
seconded by Councilman Hammon The
ordinance provided that the price of
gas and electric lignt and telephone
service should be regulated every year,
and on motion by Councilman Smith
it was determined that the various
companies should file a statement with
the council the first day of January
each year, and that the rates should
be fixed the first day of February.
Councilman Blanchard moved that
ehN hOW iobCS SiiOulu ~ lnlO SilSCl
July 1st OF each year and these dates
We're inserted in the ordinance.
The fee to be paid the gas. electric
meter and telephone inspector was
fixed at 81.
The ordinance provides "That the
minimum Illuminating and heating
power and quality of gas supplied to
the city of Los Angeles or the inhabi-
tants thereof by any person., firm or
corporation engaged in the business of
supplying or distributing gas, to said
city or the inhabitants thereof is here
by fixed and established at an ilumin-
atlng quality of 16 candle power, with
a gross heat value Of $50 British
thermal units per cubic foot"
To Regulate Electric Lights
In regard to electricity the provi-
sion is this; EVERY electric lamp fur
nished by any firm or corporation en-
gagged in supplying electricity to the
city of Los Angeles or the Inhabitants
thereof shall be plainly marked with
the voltage at which it Is intended to
be used. and the voltage supplied by
the company or corporation shall not
vary more than per cent either above
OF below the voltage marked ON the
lamp"
Persons, firms or corporations engag-
ed In supplying telephones 10 the citi-