Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-18
PROD HOUGHTON
FOR D|LATORINESS
COLLEAGUES WANT OWL CAR
CAMPAIGN PUSHED
Chairman Of Committee on AII-Night
Trolley Service Accused Of
Breaking His Own En-
gagements

Councilmen Kern and Healy Of the
special owl car committee Of the coun-
ell are indignant at what they term the
procrastination Of Councilman Hough-
ton. chairman of the committee.
What has Mr.. Huntington or Billy
Dunn told you about owl cars lately
was asked Mr.. Kern yesterday after
noon.
Nothing" said Kern, shortly and
1t has all been the fault Of Houghton.
He is chairman of the committee and
he has failed to get us together and go
over to Huntington's office for another
conference. AS mere members OF the
committee we do not feel we can take
the question on our own shoulders
without the direction of the chairman.
We have done all we can do individ-
ually.
when we made the first call on Mr..
Dunn we strained a point when we
stated our case to him, as Houghton
was not with us at the time. He mas
called us together several times and
then failed to show UP at the hour he
has himself appointed. If he won't
do anything we are powerless"
HeaIy and Kern Agree
Mr. Healy echoed Mr.. Kern's senti-
ments and felt that the usefulness OF
the committee was being impaired by
Houghtons failure to keep his own ap-
pointments.
Both Of these members of the COM
mittee feel that If Houghton would
only take the case in hand and lead
the way, as chairman of the commit
tee. owl cars would be thing of the
immediate future in mighty short or
der. But their councilmanic training
in parliamentary proceedings is all
against action by a committee with
out the cooperation of the chairman OF
the committee.
Several persons are beginning to ask
why Houghton has suddenly lost in
terest in the owl car proceedings.
When the movement was first inSti-
tuted he was the most eager of any
member of the council to have the cars.
He insisted that an ordinance be
passed forthwith compelling the street
car companies to put on an all night
street car service and he refused to
be comforted with anything less than
an ali night service with car on all
the lines every half hour.
Charman's Change of Front
From his actions since he was ap-
pointed chairman of the committee to
confer with the railway powers he ap-
pears to be satisfied with the car SER
vice as it now exists" remarked one
councilman.
A few days after he was appointed
chairman of the committee he set a
date for the committee to meet with
him and go to interview Mr.. Hunting
ton. One hour after the time set he
appeared at the city hall where Kerr
and Healy had been awaiting him and
announced that Mr.. Huntington wat
not in the city.
Another appointment was made fol
Saturday morning at 10 o'clock. Kerr
and Healy waited for him until nearly
IL O'Clock and then took it upon them
selves to visit Huntington without the
chairman Houghton showed up about
noon.
His enthusiasm for owl cars was
marked before the committee was ap-
pointed but since that time a refer
ence to owl cars brings an evasive joke
from him and he appears to have lost
considerable of his interest although
he declares his Sixth ward constituents
have been demanding a late car service
for many months and that he has been
appointed committee by six improve
ment associations in his ward to see
what can be done about securing them
This in addition to his chairmanship
of the special committee.