The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-05-04
STREETCAR FRANCHISES CONSIDERED
Council Took Up Anderson and Maxwell franchises Last Night
Isaaes Asks That Action Be Deferred tor
Period Of Thirty Days
ordinance the same to be forfeited i

ordinance the same to be forfeited in
case of failure.
Anderson Franchise.
The Isaac w. Anderson franchise is
in the main similar to the Maxwell &
Hanford franchise. Mr.. Anderson asks
for the use Of the following streets:
Elm, North Eighth, Cherry, North
Fifth, Chase avenue, Chestnut, Cath
crime, Second, Whitman, Jones. Eagan
avenue, Division, Clinton, Boyer ave-
nue. Main, East Main, Alder, College
avenue, Isaacs avenue, Valencia ave-
nue. Figueron, North Madison, with the
right to designate other streets. The
life of the franchise is to be rs years
which provides that three miles of line
must be completed by September 1,
1906. A bond of $4,000 will be filed to
protect the city against damage to
streets by reason of the construction
of the line. Standard "T'' rails weigh
ing not less than 40 pounds to the yard
are to be used. The same yearly pay
ments as those specified in the Max
well & Hanford franchise are to be
made.
E. S. Isaacs Objected.
Immediately after the committee was
called to order Edwin E. Isaacs, pres
ident of the Walla Walla Railway COM
pany, addressed the board asking that
the consideration of any other fran
chises aside from the one his company
held, be deferred until some future
time. He based his request on the ar
gument that his company mad just fin
ished it's preliminary work and that
if no opposition was thrown in their
way that the company within 80 days
would be ready to start work on sys-
tenn as had been promised.
Mr.. Isaacs stated that he was ar
ranging to dispose of his milling plant
in Palouse street and expected to give
possession by June 1. This then, would
give MIN the necessary time to devote
t. his railway interests. His company
he said was about to float a $150,000
bond issue, negotiations for which had
been under way for several months
Immediately after the sale of the bonds
had been consummated he said that
work would be started.
Councilman Smith said he was al
ways willing to give home man Or
company the preference over foreign
of the opinion that sufficient time had
been given Mn Isaacs and mis- asso-
ciates to start the work, as three years
had elapsed since the first franchise
was granted the company. He said
that as long as the Northwestern Gas
& Electric company and o. M. Maxwell
of Seattle were on the ground with ap-
plications for franchises that the coun-
eli. should not let sentiment stand in
the way, but should grant good lib
eral franchise to the company or per-
son who was in a position to carry the
project through at an early date.
What Walla Walla needs, he said
was street car line. The time was ripe
he. thought for such system to prove
good paying investment besides adding
to the taxable property of the city. He
was not in favor of granting any ex-
elusive franchises and was sorry that
the Isaacs interests had not been able
to make better progress with their
plans.
Thirty Days Would Do.
Mr. Isaacs offered a compromise by
stating that ne would promise to begin
work within 80 days if the council
would defer action on the franchises
petitioned for by the Northwestern
people and Mr.. Maxwell. If at the end
of 80 days, he said, work had not been
commenced he was willing for the
council to revoke his franchise and
keep the $1,000 that the company had
deposited with the city as an evidence
of good faith, that a certain section of
the line would be completed by April
of 1906.
AS the council was sitting as a COM
mittee of the whole and had no juris-
diction in the matter no action was