Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-11
MAYOR HARPER
HAS SAID mo-
vETOES SALE OF SAN PEDRO
FRANCHISE
PRIVILEGE WORTH A FORTUNE
TO COMPANY
AGENTS of Los Angeles Railway Busy
with Patrons In Interest OF
South Park Trolley
Grab

Mayor A. C. Harper last night caused
his veto message of the South Park
san Pedro franchise to be filed thus
CARRYING out the intention previously
announced.
The mayor makes the point that the
franchise is worth many times the
small sum of $500 offered and accepted
h. the city council for the privileges
of line which is big link in pros
nective harbor railroad if at any time
freight carrying privileges were
sought
CounciImen Henry Yonkin and Henry
LYON. through whose wards the route
extends. have been the busiest of all
the councilmen since the ordinance
has been pending, as their constituents
have been aroused by agents of the
Los Angeles Railway company, who
Impressed them with the idea that II
an independent company obtained the
franchise there would be no further
transfers issued from the line.
The Message
The mayors message is as follows:
April 10. 190S-To the Honorable, the
CITY Council-Gentlemen: 1 return
herewith without my approval an or
dinance granting the Los Angeles Rail
way company a franchise.
NV objection is that the council has
sold this franchise at a ridiculously
low figure.
The amount accepted was $500. The
franchise runs from Thirtieth street
To Slauson avenue, a distance of nearly
two miles.
will not attempt to dictate to the
council what 1t should ask for this
franchise, but do consider 1t worth
many times the value named in this or
dinance.
/ am no wise in sympathy with the
contention of the railway company that
this franchise was once purchased and
paid for and further payment is merely
a "hold-up."
The franchise was purchased under
agreement that any section of the road
unbuilt within certain time should be
forfeited.
The section which this franchise COW
ers was not built and operated within
The given time, and the supreme court
holds that 1t has been forfeited.
1t now belongs to the city and the
railway corporation cannot fairly
make the contention 1t has.
The railway company has endeavored
10 belittle and, in the eyes of the pub
lie. disguise the true value of the
franchise.
IT is my belief that the city has no
more valuable franchise at its disposal.
Tl1S FRANCHISE - ONCl a QllCSN AOoi 49,
of the city to a connecting link with
a harbor road. Such a connection, with
a franchise allowing freight traffic,
running from the Plaza to the city lin
its l believe worth 100000
believe it to be the duty of the
council TO deal with this franchise as
if II were new one and never part
of the franchise purchased years ago.
IT should be sold at a reasonable
figure, if possible, and. if not, held un-
til a purchaser comes forward who will
pay the reasonable price. The fran
,chise will never, in my opinion, de-
preciate in value.
In deciding that the railway COM
pany had forfeited its right to that sec
ton of the franchise unbuilt the SUI
preme court called attention to clause
in the franchise "a flaw which appears
to invalidate the entire franchise) and
which raises a doubt as to the right of
the corporation to operate its line from
the Plaza to Thirtieth street.
There is a vast difference in the atti-
tude of the corporation relative to the
franchise from the Plaza to Thirtieth
street and from Thirtieth street to the
citv limits. It built and operated the
first part in good faith, but made no
effort to build the latter section In the
time allowed.
For that reason and out of fairness
to the railway corporations l deem 1T
the duty of the council to instruct the
city attorney > bring friendly suit
10 annul the franchise from the Plaza
to Thirtieth street that the right of the
CORPORATION may be determined If the
corporation is found to be illegally OPP
Grating over this route the franchise
should be resold to the corporation at
a nominal figure.
The franchise from Thirtieth street to
Slauson avenue, however, l am firmly
of the belief, should bring to the city
an amount greatly in excess of $500.
Respectfully yours.
A. c. HARPER, Mayor.
"Worth a Million
After delivering the message, i'm
mediately on his return from Paso
Robes. the mayor made little COM
ment, saying that the price offered was
an outrage.
''Why, the thing is worth $1,000,000,"
he said, sin a growing city like Los
Angeles, with it's harbor possibilities"
1t is certain that when the franchise
is offered for sale again City Attorney
Leslie r. Hewitt will once more ad-
wise the city council that the entire
franchise, from the Plaza to Slauson
avenue, should be advertised for sale
1t is equally certain that the Los
Angeles railway interests will make
another plu, anu Supstdntldl one, DIS
the branch is needed in this growing
territory, Notwithstanding the argu-
ments of the company's attorneys that
their parallel lines will take care of
the companys San PedroSouth Park
traffic.
The situation is such that if the
entire franchise is not sold the future
title will be couded, as the next
municipal assembly is likely to do
what the present body omits if only
the section south of Thirtieth street is
disposed Of
APPOINTED British Consul