Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-01
DEMAND FOR IMPROVED
CAR SERVICE AT NIGHT
GROWING IRRESISTIBLE
CONFERENCE Is AAXlOUSLY AWAITED
Councilmen Feel Certain Railways Will Meet
Them in Fair Manner-0wl Cars Needed
Before Arrival of TOurists-All
Newspapers Favor Plan

If necessary arrangements can be
made Councilman Houghton, chairman
of the special "owl car committee of
the city council. with his fellow com
mitteemen, Councilmen Kern and
Healy, will hold n conference with the
attorneys of the street railways and
learn what they are willing to do to-
ward putting on a late car service with
out being forced by legislation.
Houghton is especially enthusiastic
over the project of securing an all
night car service.
This Is something we have needed
for years and 1t should be done
right now before the tourists begin
coming to Los Angeles this winter,
said Houghton. II have been trying to
stir up interest in this question for
some time, but it now appears that
something definite will be done. We
need owl cars and we must have
them"
A resolution demanding that the city
attorney draw up an ordinance COM
pelling the street car companies to put
on a late night service is now in the
hands of the committee of the whole of
the city council, awaiting report from
the special committee. This special
committee will report to the council
Monday the result of its interviews
with the street railway representa- tives,
and on this report will hinge the prob
able legislation looking to the later
service.
If the street railways are willing to
accommodate the people without being
forced to by ordinance the resolution
will be allowed to remain quietly in the
committee of the whole until some
future need shall call 1t forth. The
council as whole, is anxious that the
street railways show a proper spirit of
accommodation to the public without
Legislative pressure, and if this is done
no legislation will be Immediately
enacted.
Councilnen Favor Owl Cars
From the Los Angeles Times.
The city council yesterday took up
the subject of "owl" cars for the
street service, and members expressed
themselves much in favor of having
this advantage secured for Los An
geles. The matter was brought to
public consideration by resolution
presented from citizens.
There was a division of opinion as to
the best methods to be pursued to at
tain the desired result. Councilman
Smith, who a few weeks ago made a
stir over the methods of the street car
companies in stopping their cars a
length or more beyond the street crosS-
ings, declared that he did not believe
the city has the power to compel the
railways to provide "owl' cars-in fact,
that the companies could run their
cars about as they pleased, as his expe-
rience with the stopping program had
taught him.
The subject was referred to the COM
mittee of the whole, there. to remain
until a special committee, composed of
Kern, Healy and Houghton, holds a
conference with the railway companies
and requests them to provide the de-
sired night service.
Convenient Night Service
From the Los Angeles Examiner.
The first step toward the ultimate
operation of "owP cars, or of a con-
venient night service by the several
traction companies of Los Angeles was
taken up by the city council yesterday.
The action was the result of a reso-
luton introduced by R. NJ. Yost, de-
manding that the street railway COM