Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-03
COUNCIL BURIES
THE M0RIBUND
RIVER FRANCHISE

Fight members of the council gath
cred In the council chamber yesterday
afternoon to perform the final obsequies
over the Gilmore Huntington -Harri-
man Could Island franchise in
the Los Angeles river bed.
The ordinance was buried as rapidly
Ts was possible and there Is now not g
single member Of the city council who
would touch it's putrid remains with a
ten-foot pole Councilman Kern was
the only member of the body not pres
ent at the session. He is out OF the
city and still is, presumably, hunting
the festive cottontaii.
Mayor McAleer had vetoed the ordi-
nance granting the franchise His mes
sage to the council bore the date March
81, and this message with it's stingiug
rebukeS but partly yelled by the Ian
guage Of diplomacy was on the desk of
the clerk and ready to be read. But
the council did not propose to permit
Mayor McAleer to get the upper hand
In this case to any greater extent than
it could possibly help, and it feigned
ignorance of the fact that the mayors
message was before it. No sooner had
City Clerk Harry Lelande completed
the reading of the minutes of the pre-
vious session than Councilman Smith
jumped to his feet.
Garry Out the Farce
II move that the sergeant-at-arms be
instructed to Immediately call on the
mayor and ask him to return to us the
franchise ordinance without taking any
action on it," said Councilman Smith
1.-The ordinance is here, together with
the mayors veto" announced City
Clerk Lelande.
please put my motion" persisted
Councilman Smith, and the president
put the motion, which was carried with
out dissenting vote.
When the sergeant-at-arms had been
sent on his fruitless errand to Mayor
McAleer, Councilman Smith again took
the floor.
rs Mr.. Gilmore here?" he asked,
His eyes roved over the dense crowd in
the lobby and he scanned each face, one
by one, but the fiorid countenance of
the millionaire street contractor did not
appear. Mr.. Gilmore had been seen in
the city hall a few minutes before the
session began, but he failed to appear
in the council room.
IF Mr.. Gilmore is in the room or in
the hall l want him to come forward
and answer some questions" continued
Mr. Smith, IF he is in the building /
want him brought before this council"
Seeks Vainly for Gilmore
Sergeant-at-arms, please look for
Mr.. Gilmore commanded President
Summerland. The search proved un-
availing, however, for Mr.. Gilmore
could not be 4ound.
II want to bring him face to- face
with this council and that portion of
the public now in this room," pursued
Mr., Smith. II believe him to be the
man responsible for all this trouble and
] want him to come forward and ex-
plain.
For my own part l want to say 1
voted against this franchise last We'd
nesday, but 1 have been maligned III
the press as much as though [ had
voted for it. l did not return to Los
Angeles from San Francisco on a tele-
gram telling me to hurry home, that
my vote was needed for this franchise
] knew absolutely nothing about it ex-
cept what little my colleagues had
chance to tell me and because | could
not get enough light on the subject I
refused to vote for the franchise. 1 had
not enough information to assure me
that this was for a transcontinental
railroad.
Says Gilmore Jobbed Them
Although it has been stated in the
press that Mr.. Gilmore had taken me
up and down the proposed right of way
end explained everything to me- 1 want
TO say that Mr.. Gilmore had never
mentioned this subject to me before.
I believe my colleagues in this council
voted for this franchise in perfect good
faith, but the whole lot of us have been
jobbed by Gilmore"
Smith was Immediately followed by
Dock Houghton.
Nothing in the course of my life
has 50 deeply racked my feelings as
mas this incident. l came to this council
room last Wednesday a man in the full
power of his senses, intent on doing NV
duty by my fellow men. 1 went away
discredfted, paraih, person to be
avoided in the streets. Why? Because
] placed my faith in this man Gilmore.
lie is a man who stands high in this