Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-26
WILL COOPERATE
IN IMPROVEMENT
City and Franchise Holders
Agree Upon Basis for
Street Work

vorable to the pavement of the busi-
ness section of the city was expressed
last night, when the matter of extend
ing the terms of the franchise Of the
Lewiston & Southeastern Electric rail-
way was under discussion. The
council afterwards directed the city
engineer to secure data relative to
street pavement and indicated that It
would be the policy of the city admin
istration to take up the matter as soon
as the down town sewer and new wa
ter mains were laid.
The council also confirmed the an
pointment of James Hayes for the DO
sition Of chief of police, and extended
the time for the completion of the
street car system until May 81, 1908.
The appointment of Mr.. Hayes as
chief of police was opposed in the
council by Aldermen King and Miller,
who voted against the confirmation
Mr.. Hayes has been a resident of Lew
iston for many years and Is splendidly
equipped to perform the duties of chief
Of the police department.
The application for the extension Of
the terms of the street car franchise
was brought to the attention of the
council by Mr., G. W. Thompson, presi-
dent of the Lewiston & Southeastern
! Electric company.
Mr.. Thompson stated that the ex-
| tension was asked for the reason that
the city was now about ready to install
the new sewer water mains and street
pavement and by the terms of the
franchise the electric company would
be compelled to move their tracks to
permit the city to perform this work.
This would incur a large expense and
would doubtless be required before the
| system could be completed in the city.
He also stated that his company was
prepared to begin the installation of
it's system as soon as the city was
ready to commence street improve
ment work, but believed the work
could be performed simultaneously
with advantage to both the city and
the company One provision of the
franchise provides for the paving of
that part Of the street occupied by the
track and for distance of two feet on
either side, making nine feet in all to
be laid by the electric company This
will provide more than 20 per cent of
the entire street paving and will les
sen the cost accordingly to the proper
ty owners.
Mr.. Thompson stated that the grant
ing of the extension OF the franchise
would not embarrass any other COM
pany that might be desirous of in
stalling a street car system before the
city had completed its street improve
would desire to install a system before
this Improvement work was completed
and under the same conditions as the
terms of his franchise he would CO.
operate with the company in securing
II such a franchise from the city.
e "a street car franchise in Lewiston
e is only valuable as a part of the larger
system" said Mr.. Thompson, "ant
would not be a paying proposition al
an independent system for the mex
> ten or fifteen years. 1t is valuable t
v our company as the means of a pas
sage through your city and should tn
u council see fit to grant any othe
III franchise before the street improve
ment is taken up we would only as
u that the interests of our company b
protected in order that when the cit
70 is ready to make the street improve
~ ments we can work harmoniously to
10 gether.
1T will be remembered" continue
Mr.. Thompson. that the terms of ou
franchise provides for trackage right
by any other company that may de
sire to operate in the city, these right
to be regulated by the council"
W 1t was while discussing the sire,
improvement feature of the extension
that Councilman Phillips, suggaste
that there was no assurance that IL
city would pave it's streets for II
lis next year or two.
ce "If the city does not intend to pay
at its streets within the next year." sal
Mr.. Thompson, '1et me advise you I
th dissolve your Commercial club yoV
n promotion bureau. your "21" commit
as tee and your booster club, The et
forts of these organizations win I
nd without avail unless the appearanC
at of hog pen is removed from the bus
ms ness section OF the city.
"The city is now ripe for street I'm
in provement and It has but to be pre-
re- sented in the right Asnner to secui
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