Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-02
SANTA Fl GIVEN
SPUR FRANCHISE
SOUTHERN PACIFIC LOSES ITS
FIGHT IN COUNCIL
D. A. MceARVlN ouTGENERALED
BY w. J. WREN
After Wordy Contest and Suspension
of Rules Hastily Prepared Or
dinance Is Passed-Lyon and
Yonkn Cause Surprise

Councilman Walter J. Wren yester-
day proved the windmill against which
Don Quixote McGarvin pitted his
Southern Pacific strength unvailingly.
In a spur track war between the Santa
Fe and the Southern Pacific, Wren
led the forces of the Santa Fe and
for the first time the Southern Pacific
was whipped, bound and gagged in the
city council chamber of the city OF
Los Angeles.
The fight was over the franchise
granting NJ. H. Hellman a spur track
on Commercial, Ducommon and La
fayette streets, which the Santa Fe is
to operate from its main tracks on
Amelia street. At its regular meeting
Tuesday the council unanimously in
structed the city attorney to present
an ordinance at the adjourned meeting
Yesterday, giving Mr.. Hellman the
franchise ne asked for. At that time
the fine Italian hand of the Southern
Pacific had not been shown. Even
Healy voted to instruct the city at
torney.
But yesterday morning before the
meeting was called to order Don @.
McGarvin had Barney Healy in cor
ner of the council chamber and was
talking to him very earnestly. He also
took Clampitt aside and whispered IN
his ear Then McGarvin exposed his
hand by audibly growing, so half
dozen persons heard hlm:
"They talk about the Southern Pa
cific stealing city streets, here is the
Santa Fe doing the same thing and
every one is ready to hand it a bou-
quet.''
When the ordinance was brought UP
before the council, Healy, probably
acting under McGarvin's orders, de-
manded that it go over until next
Tuesday. Clampitt very promptly sec
onded the demand. Healy said he
thought there were some persons in
his district who did not want the spur
and Clampitt based his objection on a
resolution the council passed Tuesday
asking the city engineer to report the
advisability of reducing the width or
a portion of the sidewalk on CONNER
cial street where the proposed spur
makes a sharp turn.
Clampitt declared be did not want
the width of the sidewalk reduced.
With Clampitt and Healy both op-
posed to the franchise, it was evident
it would not carry for there were but
six members of the council present and
it requires six votes to suspend the
rules and place an ordinance on its
passage.
But Wren demanded it be put to a
vote. He said that if he had to vote
for 1t ten times he would vote aye
every time. Lyon gave notice that If
the measure was lost he would demand
q reconsideration as soon as there
were enough votes to pass it. Wren
was on his feet practically all the
time, urging the council to pass the
franchise and develop the portion of
the city where it is proposed to put
the spur track. President Pease also
said few words in favor of the meas
ure. When a vote was taken on the
question of postponing action until
Pease voted mo" and Healy and
Ciampitt AYE"
aGa Victory for Santa Fe
Then, although he felt certain the
ordinance would not be passed, Wren,
Beconded by Yonkin, moved the rules
be suspended. This motion brought
Surprise when Clampitt, after some
hesitation, voted AYE" Healy, next
on the roll call, voted mo-" but every
other councilman voted AYE" Sup
posing that a majority vote of the
council carried a suspension of the
rules. the president announced 1t had
carried, but was corrected by Deputy
City Attorney Wilson, who told the
president six votes were required to
suspend the rules The president then
announced 1t lost.
Hold on, there" said Healy, 'I
promised Hellman If he got five votes
in favor Of the franchise would make
the sixth"
When Healy made this announce
rnent a reconsideration of the last vote
was ordered and the franchise or
dinance again placed on its passage.
This time Healy voted with the others
and the six necessary votes were re-
corded in its favor.
i One phase of the situation was
disiIIusionment concerning Council
men Lyon and Yonkin. 1t has been
freely asserted that both these coun-
cilrnen owed allegiance to the Southern
Pacific, but If they do they repudiated
st yesterday. Both voted in favor Of
the Santa Fe spur and both took the
floor of the council to argue in its
favor. Both are candidates for re-
election to the council under the at
large system and it is evident neither
looks for much help from the Southern
Pacific in the coming campaign.