Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-01

= Mayor Arthur G. Harper said =
= last night as he was leaving the 4
+ city hall: i
+ II rather think 1 will send a +
= veto message on the utility rate +
+ ordnance on Monday" i
= The mayor Is still comforting i.
: with City Attorney Leslie r. 4
= Hewitt, the point in dispute being i
+ whether the council still has juris- 4
4. diction in fixing rates after the i
+ month of February has expired. 4
4. Some authorities hold that the 4
4 council has jurisdiction as late as i
+ the last day of June, as the rates 4
+ do not become effective till July 1. !
+ + ! ! + i + + *ss'ss''s
Protests against the action of the
council in raising the schedule of rates
of the Home Telephone company 81
without making corresponding reduc-
ton in the rates of the Sunset COM
pany poured into Mayor Harpers Office
all day yesterday.
AS early as breakfast time one coun-
Gilman telephoned the mayor asking
him to please veto the measure. Some
of his constituents had already seen
him and he realized his mistake.
The mail carriers laid down letter
after letter on Secretary Herbert D.
Kennedy's desk and they re-echoed the
Indignation which the councils action
seems to have aroused. Three of the
letters are given as typical ones:
Mayor A. c. Harper-Honored Sir:
If you approve. the telephone steal
good government via the non-partisan
route will receive staggering blow.
The present Home rate is high, espe-
cially considering the poor service in
certain localities. Truly yours.
I'D. Y. GARDNER.
Gardner & Fairall, attorneys at law,
106 West Third street."
Mayor A. c. Harper-Dear Sir: 1t
seems to me, as well as others that I
have talked with, that it is an outrage
for the council to raise the rates of
the Home telephone, and we hope and
expect to see that it is not carried into
effect. Hoping this meets your ap-
proval, I remain, yours truly,
HENRY KIESLING,
Manufacturers agent, 521 Wilcox
building"
Various members of the city council
were kept busy at their offices or on
the streets during the day explaining
their votes of Wednesday, and as they
drifted to the city hall they neiu
mutual consultation meetings. Out of
these talks as the day advanced the
conviction grew that a special meeting
of the council should be held during the
day to reconsider Wednesdays action
Efforts were made to hold this meeting
in the afternoon, but it failed.
About O'Clock Councilman Wren, the
man who moved that the Sunset com
pany's rates be reduced to 81 a month,
but who did not get a second to his
motion, aagin reached the city hall,
held a hurried consultation with City
Attorney Hewitt, and resolved to make
one more effort to call a special night
session of the council.
Councilman Clampitt had also entered
the building just then, but before he
could be reached to get his signature
to a special call he had vanished.
Necessity for Haste
An informal meeting of the commit
tee of the whole was also held during
the day. The majority seemed to be
of the opinion that it was too late tc
go back on their action, as nothing
could be done after the last day OF
February, when the rates had to be
fixed.
Councilman Dromgold hurried away
at 2 O'Clock to attend to private bust.
ness, which he said he had neglected
all week. There have been daily meet,
ings of the council, the committee OF
the whole, the hospital inquiry com.
mittee, and other committees, and moi
one of the members has had any time
to attend to private business.
President Niles Pease of the council
who took foremost part in advocat.
ing higher rate for the Home com.
pany, said he had acted as he thought
for the city's best interests.
Answering the criticism that Mr.
Pease's connection with banks which
hold much Of the Home company's pa.
no TIA, IL
the Home company by his vote to sell
its bonds in the east. friends say this
was but a small factor in the case. Mr.
Pease believed that the Home company
was strictly Los Angeles institution
was paying the city henceforth $40 600
a year on it's gross receipts besides
taxes. and the rates in Los Angeles
were lower for telephones than in any
other large city.
Confer with Mayor
Several of the councilmen held con.
ferences with the mayor. The execu.
tive's view is that the Sunset company's
rates should have been reduced 81 II
any change was made, and moreover
he feit that the Home rate should re-
main at Sc.
City Attorney Hewitt said last night.
II have been asked by several of the
councilmen what can be done in case
1t Is the wish of the majority to re-
consider their action in passing the
ordinance. Offhand l believe It is out
OF the jurisdiction of the council after
tonight, but l will investigate further
on this point.
1.-The city does not admit that the
company has the right to increase Its
rates, as is claimed. The franchise
fixes maximum rate, 1t is true, but
the franchise is subject TO the city's
charter and this gives the council the
right to regulate rates. II is a powe,
OF which no one can divest the council
Franchise Not Contract
''The telephone people have contend.
ed that they have a contract with the
city. That we deny. 1t is all subject
70 the eity's power Of regulating the
rates Of public utilities
ct is true / did urge haste in thu
question, but that is because the rates
must be fixed before March /.
AS early as January / called tn,
affantfOn az the council 10 tba rat,