Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-22
Municipal Affairs
SOUTHERN PACIFIC
TO REDUCE DEMAND
WILL ASK FOR THREE INSTEAD
OF 21-YEAR FRANCHISE
1t Is Believed Mayor viii Veto PriVi-
lege of Laying Tracks in Fourth
Street Sought by Rail-
road

Whether or not the members of the
council vote to sustain the mayor $
veto on the Fourth street franchise II
will have had its effect, for 1t was
stated yesterday on reliable authority
the Southern Pacific would withdraw
it's demand for a 21-year franchise Iol
Fourth street, between Alameda street
and Central avenue. In place of the IL
year franchise demanded the railroad
may ask for a franchise for three years,
but even a short term franchise VIII
meet with opposition.
Mayor Alexander yesterday would not
say what he would do If franchise Tor
three years was asked, but he lett the
impression he would not approve 1t.
Better three months than three
years." he said. Il probably would not
have opposed a three-year franchlse IL
that had been asked for at first, but
want time to think it over, and 1t VIII
be time enough to consider what l VIII
do if the matter comes before me-
The three months franchise was sug-
gested by the mayor in his veto
| message. The Southern Pacific de-
clared it's primary object in asking Tor
a double spur track on Fourth street
was to take care of the Elks' spo-
cial cars when they arrive here for the
convention next month. But the South
ern Pacific attorney who asked the
! franhise of the council also declared
the tracks would come in handy after
the Elks had gone. The mayor sug-
gested that three months would De
| plenty long enough to take care or the
special Elks' cars and that the tracks
| should be torn up at the end of that
/ time.
Interferes with Union Depot
The mayor expressed the idea that if
the tracks were laid on Fourth street
| it would form a condition which would
/ be serious menace to traffic and that
| it might interfere with the construction
of the new union depot. He also sug-
gested, by inference, it might be as Well
| for the Southern Pacific to fulnl It's
promise to erect the new depot on the
site of the Arcade which it promised
when a portion of Fifth street was
abandoned to it's use before it asked
the city for more favors.
The idea of asking for a three years
! franchise was suggested by Councilman
A. ]. Wallace, who thought he would
approve a franchise for such limited
term when the matter was before the
council last Tuesday. But little more
| thought given to the matter has con-
vinced Mr.. Wallace that even three
years is really longer than is necessary
and he declared yesterday that II he
voted for it at all it would be for
much shorter term.
Wallace has been opposed TO the
franchise from the first presentation OF
the matter, although he voted for 1t
when it passed. His chief objection
was the grade crossing. He believes
the time has come when the matter of
subways and elevated crossings must
be considered.
''In nv opinion the real issue in this
| Fourth street franchise is not so much
the length of term of the franchise as
it Is the question of grade crossings.
We must face the problem of subway
and elevated systems sometime, and II
seems that now is as opportune as any
other time to take the matter up. CITY
Attorney Hewitt has made it clear to
the council that when traffic on a street
becomes so congested as to be an OBJ
struction to business and a menace to
life the city has authority to compel
the railroad to construct a subway or
elevated track.
"Of course elevating and depressing
tracks will cost a large amount OF
money, but it will have to be done, and
it will cost no more to begin now than
it will later. The railroads have had
to meet this problem in eastern cities
and they will have to work it out here.
1 have taken this up with the mayer
and it has his hearty approval.
Il believe that with the building of
the new depot the interests of the rall-
road and of the city as we'll will re-
uuire more tracks on Fourth street. 1t
is a foregone conclusion that Fourth
street. between Central and Alameda,
will be virtually a part of the railroad
yards if the depot is built at Fifth
street AS Fourth street will be used
so extensively the peoples rights must
be safeguarded, and if a viaduct is the
proper solution of this question 1t
should be constructed now"
But even If the Southern Pacific did
not withdraw its demands for the
Fourth street franchise it would not
pass the coun1l over the mayors veto.
It requires seven affirmative votes TO
pass a franchise ordinance over the
mayor's veto. Two members of the
council. Blanchard and Pease, are out
of the city on leaves of absence and will
not return for three weeks. 1t is i'm
probable that Pease would vote for the
measure over the mayors veto if ne
were present. If all members of the
council were present 1t is improbable
that more than five votes could be mus
tered for it, and all of these would not
be certain. 1t is almost foregone con-
clusion that Wallace, Wren, Pease and
Dromgold would vote against its pass
age over the veto.
Councilman Wren said yesterday that
while he believed Fourth street was not
a main thoroughfare and he did not be-
lieve much harm would be done by lay
ing the tracks, he would vote to sus-