The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-03
NEW FRANCHISE
PASSES COUNCIL
Amendments Are Inserted
Which May Have Effect of
Inducing acceptance.
TWO CHIEF OBJECTIONS
ARGUMENT EXTENDS FAR INTO
THE NIGHT.

The city council at midnight passed
the Utah Light & Railway franchise,
after it had been amended so as to
make the possibility of its acceptance
by the company remote If IT is not
approved, the $50 year rate for cleo
trio arc lights will be null and void,
and the work of the special lighting
committee of no avail. Councilman
Black and Martin were the only ones
to vote in the negative.
The amendments to which the COM
pany strenuously objects are as fol-
lows:
Clause Is Objectionable.
First-An amendment. introduced
by Councilman Martin and passed
unanimously, pcovidiSg that the COM
pany must grade for fifteen feet on
each side of its tracks all streets upon
which it is granted extensions, and
where the street grade is not now the
established grade, upon which the
tracks must be laid.
Second-An amendment. introduced
by Councilman Crabtree, providing that
all interurban lines coming from a dis
lance of more than ten miles may use
the company's tracks, whether or not
they are competitors of the company
within the city limits.
The company desired this section TO
read: This provision authorizing 9TH
CT railroad companies to run their cars
over the tracks of the grantee shall ap-
ply only to such interurban roads as
are not competitors with the grantee"
To this Crabtree had added within
the city limits
Has TWO Objections.
The first provision objected to will
require the company to grade several
country roads at a great expense where
there is no necessity for so doing. The
second practically nullifies the inter
urban road restriction. Under the plan
proposed by the company. all roads of
tl& character coming from places ten
miles or more from the city limits could
use its lines within the limits. provided
that they did not attempt to compete
with the local concern. The amend
lnent makes it possible for a road from
Bingham, for instance. to enter the city
over the cOmpany's lines even if the
company has a line of its own TO Bing-
ham. This. it is argued. would mean
that at any time the company should
build an intel urban road some "hOid-
up" concern could threaten to build q
similar road and compel its purchase
by the Utah Light & Railway company
in order TO avoid competition.
Cheap Lights in Danger.
The passage of the franchise i'm its
present form endangers the PROPOSE
tion of cheap lights for the city, for
when this offer was made it was upon
the condition that the franchise should
be approved without substantial
amendments.
When the discussion began Council
man Mulvey stated that he was author
lied to state IN behalf of the company
that the $50 rate for electric lighting
could be incorporated in the franchise
and that the city could take as many
lights as it pleased at this rate, remov-
ing the 1000 light minimum contained
i'm the original proposition. He alsC
stated that the company had agreed
To grade Eleventh East street. between
Third and Fourth South streets where
il proposes to lay track
Amendments Are Incorporated.
Both these amendments were subse-
quently inserted in the franchise, al
though the former contains much IT.
relevant matter concerning light stan
dards, which could nave been inserted
in the contract to be drawn. Council
men Barnes, Tuddenham and Fern
strom voted against the amendment il
the form in which it vas introduced by
Councilman Holiday.
During the discussion Councilman
Wells expressed the fear that the re-
strictiOns might endanger the accept
ance of the franchise, which gave
Councilman Martin a chance to break
loose.
I am surprised at Mr.. Wells" he
shouted, "for saying that this might
endanger the acceptance of the fran
ckise. What are we endangering-the
company or the city? Although these
new lights are more effective than the
old. and are also cheaper, the company
is making money by the deal as it is
selling its energy for Az cents per kilo-
watt hour, while now its price is only
4 cents"
Councilman Fernstrom roundly scored
Martin for his attitude and referred