Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-28

GOudge, VINO bitterly OppOSeu INC IOu'l
Gil in it's efforts to railroad through
the ordinance at it's meeting Monday
afternoon These two talked long and
earnestly to Acting President Blanchard
over the telephone with the result that
the official minutes were made much
more explicit.
The records will now show that the
proceedings of Monday afternoon In
which the council believed it had given
away this valuable franchise are in
valid, but If the council really wishes
to make the hackers of e. w. Gilmore
a present of this franchise there seems
to be nothing in the way of its recon-
sidering it's action at the adjourned
meeting to be held this afternoon at 2
o'clock and passing the ordinance by
the proper and legal vote.
Will Use Due Delberation
i If the ordinance passes the council
this afternoon City Clerk Lelande is
not expected to use unseemly haste in
getting it to the chief executive for
his signature.
The manner in which the council at
tempted to railroad through the fran
chise has caused the city clerk to look
askance at 1t and he intimates that
Mayor McAleer will be back in his Of
flee before he sends it to the mayors
office for approval.
If the mayor should veto the propo-
sition it would take seven votes to
pass it over his negative, while if Act
ing Mayor Summerland has chance
it is likely he will sign it, for he firmly
adhere to his colleagues. But Mr.. Le-
lande will do what he can to prevent
Mr.. Summerland from having this
privilege.
Mr. Lelande declares the ordinance
came very near getting into Mr.. Sum-
&c, fNf, h 1ic io1l IL
in less than an hour and half after
the council acted on it Monday after
noon. The council took action about
o'clock. Under the law the city
clerk must affix his signature to the
document, as an attest, before 1t is
presented to the mayor to be signed.
Saw No Reason for Haste
"At about five minutes after 6
O'clock" said Mr.. Lelande yesterday,
this ordinance was handed to me with
the remark that is was something the
, councilmen wanted to get through IN
! a hurry and l was asked to attest to
it. | was given to understand that II
would then be Immediately taken to Mr..
Summerland for his signature and pub
lished in The Herald of this morning,
whereby it would have been in full
effect today.
II could see no reason for unseemly
haste and took the document into my
own possession. 1t has been my prac-
tice to receive ordinances on Tuesday
that have passed the council and send
them to the mayor on Friday.
"If this ordinance passes the council
tomorrow there is nothing to prevent
my holding it until Mayor McAleer re-
turns.
1.-THE haste of the council in passing
the measure makes me look askance
at it."
Is Victory for Attorney Goudge
Assistant City Attorney Goudge
could scarcely repress a smile yester-
day when the minutes We're changed
to show that the ordinance had not
passed the council. 1t was. indirectly,
a victory for him. He had almost
pleaded with the council Monday after
noon to give him a chance to look into
the legal status of the ordinance and
determine whether or not the council
had a right to grant a franchise in the
river bed, which he contended 1T had
not 1t is very seldom that Mr.. Goudge
even so much as recommends definite
line of action by the council, unless
he is called upon for an opinion, but
Monday he was almost insstent that
he be given this privilege in order to
safeguard the citys interests. He be-
leves the proposition will jeopardize
the city's water rights. but the council
refused him this privilege and passed
the ordinance or at least attempted
to pass it, without discussion or de-
bate.
Says It's Not for Gould
Mr.. Goudge refuses to discuss his vic
tory. but freely discussed the mysteri-
Gus franchise yesterday.
\ Whatever the proposition is it is not
for Could" said Mr.. Goudge emphat tic
ally. "If Gould wanted that franchise
he would have come to Los Angeles
with sounding brass and tinkling GYM
balls, gone to the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' association, the chamber of
commerce and other municipal bodies
and had them pass resolutions and then
induced the newspapers to start a cam
paign for the fourth transcontinental
railway When his boom had been thor
oughly launched he would have gone
before the council and demanded the
; franchise.
could would never have used the
gum shoe methods that brought forth
this franchise Monday afternoon. He
!, would not have needed to do so. In
my opinion this is either gravel grab,
pocket franchise to be sold to some
one who may need it, or for H. E.
Huntington. One thing is certain. 1t
! is not for Gould"
i Intimate Gould is the Man
This is Mr.. Goudge's opinion, but Mr..
Goudge does not speak with authority
and makes no pretenses to do so. The
council has not acquired the habit of
taking Mr. Goudge into its confidence,
as Mr.. Goudge has on more than one
occasion thwarted little pet schemes
that individual members of the city
council have programmed. The coun-
ell recognized him as its legal adviser
but does not maintain terms of inti-
macy with Mr.. Goudge.
1t is not probable that every mem
ber of the council is aware of the pur-
pose for which the franchise Is asked,
1t is well known that there are perhaps
four or five members of the council
who know exactly what is planned
to be done These select few will ask
| those members outside the pale to vote
with them on certain propositions and
it seldom happens that any questions
are asked.
Those who are conceded to be on the
inside, however, insist that they have
u positive knowledge that a transcon-
II 4;DautaI railroad will oOerata Oyar the