The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-15
CHICAGO CITY
COUNCIL ACTS
Price to Be Charged Consumers by
the Gas Companies Reduced
Few Cents.
SALOON LICENSES RAISED
REFERENDUM ON MUNICIPAL
OWNERSHIP.

Chicago. Feb. 1.-THE city council az
special meeting held today took ac-
ton on three important propositions af-
fecting the city. An order fixing the
price to be paid for gas by consumers
at So cents, instead of 80 cents and 81
as heretofore, was passed over the veto
of Mayor Dunno by a vote of 81 to 10;
an ordinance placing the saloon license
at $500 instead of $500. the old figure,
was passed, and 1t was also ordered
that the question Of voting SO, 900, 600
for the purchase of the street railways
for the city be submitted to the voters
Of the city at the next election.
City Hall Crowded.
The Importance Of the pending meas
urss and the excitement which has at
tended their agitation drew an enor-
nous crowd to the city hall late in the
day. Special guards Of policemen were
stationed around the building and all
the doors were guarded in order 10 pre-
vent dangerous jam inside the build-
ing, but despite these precautions the
council chamber and the hallway out
side were packed to suffocation. The
excitement was such at times that the
police were compelled to remove disor-
Derby persons from the halls, and one
arrest was made. The first matter to
be taken up was the gas ordinance,
which, it was well understood, would
be vetoed by Mayor Dunno.
Mayor Gives Reasons.
The mayor based his veto on the dec
laration that he considered So cents too
high a price and 70 cents a proper fig
ure. He also asked that the gas COM
panies be compelled to furnish free Of
cost to the city such gas as ii needs
for street lighting purposes. The mayor
also asked that time be taken by the
council to investigate the operation Of
the gas companies to determine wheth-
er they cannot furnish gas at rs cents
and still make a reasonable profit.
Street Railway Purchase.
The consideration of referring the
question Of purchasing the street rail-
ways to the people at the next election
was taken up. It was settled without
debate, and on a single vote. The or
dinance provides that there shall be
printed upon the ballots at the next
city election the question of whether
or not the city shall issue certificates
to the amount of $4,000, 600 for the pur-
chase of the railways, which are then
to be operated by the municipal author
titles. Nothing will be determined by
the vote except the opinion Of the ma
jority of the voters Of the city regard
ing municipal ownership.
Saloon License Raised.
The question Of saloon licenses, which
came last, was productive of the great
est amount Of feeling. The numerous
crimes which have been perpetrated
against women I'm this city Of late have
aroused much feeling, and it was be-
lieved by many people that the raising
Of saloon licenses from $500 to $1,000
would wipe out small saloons in the
disreputabls sections of the city which
have been harbortng places for GRIM
inals. The saloopmen have been ranged
solidly against the proposition, and the
fight has been intensely bitter. The
council committee presented a majority
report favOring a license fee of 81, 900
and q minority report placing it at $500.
The latter was adopted by a vote Of "a
TO SO. The result was greeted with
great cheering by those who favored
the smaller license fee, and the police
had much difficulty In restoring order.
Aldermen who voted for the larger IL
cense fee declared that they would have
the matter UP before the council at
some later time.