The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-18
succeeded in having the Federation of
Labor indorsc for County Attorney.
THE PENDING FRANCHISE.

tension Of its franchise. Fornstrom is
always vehement in favoring any in
terest that is opposed to tho city's well
fare and that will cost the city pres.
tige, money, or advantage, When the
old street railway hundred. year fran.
chise was under discussion il was Fern
strom g custom, speaking for the com
pany, TO say that Hwe' would accept,
would do, or would require certain
things. He seems to have kept up his
indulging in precisely the old formula
of speech, to have occupied the same
old position with respect to this fran
chise.
1t has been nearly two years since
this franchise WAS granted by the old
Morris administration, acting in bad
faith with the people of this city and
to the permanent injury of Salt Lake,
The infamy Of granting that franchise
at that time was made part of the
American party campaign Of 1905, and
many voted the American ticket that
year IN protest against the outrage of
granting that franchise. 1t was con
coded at that time by all fair-thinking
persons that Fernstrom and such other
leaders of the Council Gall the Nor
mon members, in fact, without regard
TO party Ges), as favored the granting
of the franchise as passed were enemies
TO the city and were placing heavy
handicap upon its growth and future.
The franchise involved also some di-
rect breaches of faith with the people;
for instance, the requirement in it that
the city must not use during the life
Of this franchise, for fifty years then to
come, the power which could be gen
Grated from the high fall from the out
let Of the conduit to the reservoir at
the entrance to Parley's canyon. This
power had been expressly set forth in
the address to the people as one of
the advantages In voting the million
dollar bonds which the water and sewer
proposition submitted TO the vote Of
the taxpayers would obtain for the
city. But this was utterly disregarded.
in fact actually nul!ifed, in the street
railway franchise at the dictation of
the then President Smith of the street
railway company. Smith bulldozed
everything that he wanted save only
one point-the demand of the hundred
year franchise; and he got fifty; but
fifty years in all conscience was alto
gether too long for such franchise.
We apprehend that the American
Councilmen will stand precisely where
they did at the time the American party
protested against the granting of that
franchise to the Smith street railway
company. That franchise perhaps can
not be annulled, but it certainly should
not be enlarged. There are certain
things desired at this time by the street
railway company that it may be proper
to grant on suitable adjustment with
the city. The street railway company
has bought the old Tenth Ward square
and desires access to it for material and
for such trackage as will make its sys-
TEN convenient of operation and we'll
rounded out unit. 1t desires to haul
freights and express matter which, if
granted, should be on terms that would
yield the city some revenue, The oe,
cupancy Of certain streets not now oc-
cupied by the company would seem to
be not particularly Objectionable, pro-
vided no monopoly is created We be-
licve IN treating the street railway com
pany fairly, and on business principles,
the city as n business concern on one
side of the transaction, and the COM
pany on the other. Let the city treat
with the company precisely as O. busi-
ness man would treat with it., with
the citys opportunities, powers, and oh.
legations. The city's obligation is first
of all to the city itself and TO it's in
habitants. 1t should protect the peo-
pie and should demand the absolute full
fillmcnt of all the terms Of the fran
chisc, and of whatever agreements are
entered into.
There should be a release, absolute
and unqualified. Of the tie-up Of the
city with respect to the water power
at the mouth of Parley's canyon. There
should be revenue TO the city on the
gross receipts of the company from
whatever freight or express business it
does, There should be guard against
monopoly and guarantee that the com,
pauy will remove its poles and overhead
wires within the time and in the man
ner specified IN the franchise or re.
quired for the public safety. 1t should
he fair business deal all around, and
the Council should take care TO see that
the terms are complied with strictly
and absolutely.
We do not believe in the least in
depressing the street railway company
or any other public utility, but we do
believe the public interest is supreme
and should be sacredly guarded against
all encroachment from any source what
ever, and against any infringement by
any corporate power Also that there
should be in any franchise given, a sec.
tion modelled after the modern idea in
such cases, that the city shall have the