Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-13
CITY WILL KEEP
THE RIVER BED
PETITION FOR FRANCHISE is
OFFICIALLY DEAD
Members of Council Handle Subject
GingerIy, as Memories of
Recent Scandal Are
Recalled

If any ghosts of the former council
were lingering around the council
chamber at the session of the city leg
islators yesterday morning it is a safe
bet they hustled away in hurry about
the middle of the proceedings, for the
hated name of the river bed franchise
that has sent most of them to obliX-
ion was mentioned. 1t was mentioned
gingerly, even by the present city
council, for it still is a most tender
subject with at least two members of
the council-Blanchard and Healy-who
were among those present when the
effort was made to give away the river
bed nearly three years ago.
The subject came up in the report Of
the city attorney on the application of
the Los Angeles HarbOr Railroad COM
pany for a franchise in the river bed.
This application had been referred TO
the city attorney May 81 1908, in con-
nection with the committee of the
whole council, but the council had not
reported on it, and, tired of waiting
Mr.. Hewitt did report. Mr.. Hewitt said
that although several months had
elapsed since the application was made,
the applicant had not pressed the case
He called attention to the fact that
among the charter amendments to be
submitted to the people for approval
February 2 is one prohibiting the grant
ing of franchises in the river bed. But
aside from the proba ability of the adop-
ton of this amendment, said Mr.. Hew
lit, there is so much uncertainty and
doubt involved in the terms of the pro-
posed franchise that he recommended
the petition be filed.
City Could Buy
This application was different from
the one the previous council did its best
to give away. The Los Angeles Har-
Dor Railroad company is a corporation
headed by Lee G. Gates. This corpo-
ration agreed to take over the river
bed and build railroad. On this rail-
road the city would have preferred
rates and it would be transferred to the
city at the cost of construction, plus 5
per cent, at any time the city might
designate.
So much odium attaches to the for
mer river bed franchise that it is al
most impossible to get even one of the
present councilmen who were not in
volved in that deal to mention the
word. The failure of that historic eff
fort to give millions of dollars worth
of the city's property to a private cor
poration has certainly had its Salutary
effect
council who did make the effort is too
fresh in their memories. Had it not
been for the strong arm of the South
ern Pacific some of those councilmen
would be finding it hard work to earn
their daily bread. But they were good
to the Southern Pacific when they were
in office, and the Southern Pacific did
not fOrsake them in their extremity.
Theodore Summerland is the Southern
Pacific state railroad commissioner on
the Southern Paciflcs railroad commits
sion. He was president of the river bed
franchise council.
Ford Provided For
F. L. Ford, councilman from the
First ward in the river bed council, has
a Southern Pacific job on the Southern
Paciflc's water front in the Southern
Pacific's city of San Francisco. Sidney
Hitler, councilman from the Third ward
in the river bed council, is in private
life. The Southern Pacific did nothing
for him.
DR.. A. D. HoughtOn, councilman fHom|
the Sixth ward in the river bed COIN
Gil is down and out. The Southern
Pacific forgot him, too Edward Kern,
councilman from the Seventh ward in
the river bed council, where, o where is
he? On the board of public works,
drawing a salary of $500 a month The
Southern Pacific was kinder to him
than anyone else. Healy and Blanch-
ard, who were councilmen from the
Eighth and Ninth wards, respectively,
in the river bed council were returned
to the present council by the grace of
the Southern Pacific.
OF all those nine members of the for
mer council only two voted against the
river bed franchise. They were Percy
V. Harmon of the Second ward, who
is now in the state legislature, and
George A. Smith, councilman from the
Fifth ward, who led a singled handed
fight against it and denounced the 9th
er members Of the council who voted
for it.