Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-28
Pasadena Council Orders
Wires Severed
PATR0LMEN REPULSE REPAIR
GANG AT C0NDUITS
ACTION FOLLOWS DECISION OF
COURT FAvoRlNe CITY
Fire and Police Stations, with 5000
Residences Dependent on Sum
set Company Are
Isolated

PASADENA, May 27 - Following
Judge Bordwells decision in the
= superior court yesterday uphold
ing the validity of the Pasadena city
ordinance in the suit of the Sunset
Telephone and Telegraph company
against the city of Pasadena, the city
council yesterday sent out six squads
of electricians, protected by police,
who cut the mains of the Sunset tele-
phone lines in Pasadena.
The police and fire stations were
isolated, as we'll as the all-night res
taurants, which are dependent upon
the Sunset company, and $500 resi-
dences in various portions of the city
A squad of repair men were sent out
by the Sunset company late last night
to repair the wires, but were prevented
from mending the breaks by Chief of
Police Favour, who sent men TO guard
the manholes at the entrances to the
conduits. The policemen stood on the
covers with drawn clubs and no
clashes occurred.
The suit of the company attacks the
validity of the Pasadena city ordinances
requiring the purchase of franchise
and the payment of tax of 75 cents
for each pole put up. Following Is
victory in the courts the city Will or
der the purchase of a franchise and the
payment of two years back taxes by
the company.
Hold Special Meeting
The action was decided on at a spe-
cial meeting of the council upon the
following motion, offered by Council
man H. c. Hotaling:
BE it moved that the officers OF the
city of Pasadena, in accordance with
section of ordinance No. SAL, be ana
hereby are instructed to at once pro
ceed to remove from the streets and
alleys of the city of Pasadena poles
| A.. Hrr1n a1a,n,7 md
Telegraph company, except the main
pole line running in Fair oaks avenue
south of Colorado street;
THAT said work of removal COM
mence first on the following designated
places:
East in Colorado street, between
| Madison avenue and Oakland avenue;
Villa street, between Raymond avenue
| and Fair oaks avenue. just north OF
! Chestnut West Colorado street, Just
west of Delacey street; Mercantile
| place, between Fair Oaks avenue ana
Raymond avenue; Exchange alley, be-
| tween Fair oaks avenue and Broad
| way"
The motion was carried by unani-
nous vote of the council. Members OF
the city electricians staff were QUICKLY
| summoned and orders given at once on
the work of removing the poles and
wires, under the direction of City Elec-
trician Reeves.
Summon Policemen
A squad Of policemen was in waiting
as the wire men emerged from the CITY
hall, and the preliminaries to the work
of cutting the wires were quickly ar
ranged. Tools were sent for and the
men were divided into six squads, each
with a detachment of police. Follow
ing Reeves orders, sections Of from
| four to six feet of wire were removed
from the lines in each of the streets
| designated in the motion passed by the
| city council.
Although there were several slight al
| tercations between the linemen and
representatives of the Sunset company,
| the city employees met with no serious
resistance. Manager f. w. Healy of the
Sunset company in Pasadena having
received orders from Los Angeles head
quarters to make no resistance in the
| cutting of the wires Each section OF
wire was sealed with solder and re
| turned to the city hall.
City Attorney Perry Wood of Pasa-
dena maintained that the action was
entirely legal and within the provinces
of the city officials.
Defends Action
I "The CITY council has not exceeded
its authority" he said. ''The decision
unquestionably upholds the validity of
the ordinance and gives the city the
! indisputable right to remove wires and
poles, However, no further action will
| be taken until the company has been
given an opportunity to declare its
| Intention. While they cannot reason
ably or legally question the decision
| of the court, they have the opportun-
| itv to remove the poles, which they
probably can do more advantageously
than they could by allowing the city
| to do it for them. The city is in q
position to enforce its ordinance ano
will do so'
Mayor Thomas Farley was equally
vehement in defending the action Of
| the council.
''There will be no further action ta-
ken" he said, until we hear from tho
officials of the Sunset company. We
are waiting for them either to take
out their franchise, which they should
have done two years ago, and pay
the back tax of rs cents on each pole,
or else remove their system from the
city. In case of their refusal we will
be compelled to continue our work
and remove it for them. The city viii
not recede from its position"
While the city council has received
much support in Pasadena, scores of
protests against the summary action
reached the councilmen last night.
Secretary J. c. Brainerd of the Homo
Telephone company was among those
who urged that the action of the coun
Gil was unwise in cutting down the
wires.
Lives Endangered
IT know of two houses" he said,
where persons are dangerously i'll and
where it may be necessary at any mo-
ment to call a physician. In each
case they are dependent upon the Sum
set telephone. 1t is easy to see that