Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-23
SANTA MONICA
Cor. Oregon ave. and Third street
Home phone ITS.
CITIZENS DISCUSS
RAILROAD QUESTION
COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO
INVESTIGATE SITUATION
Ten Men Will Look Into Both Sides
of Controversy and Report at
Special Meeting Next
Week

SANTA MONICA, Jan. 22.-Citizens
of Santa Monica to the number of 800
packed the council chamber at the city
hall this evening and discussed the
railroad situation from every view
point
Mayor T. H. Dudley was called on by
President Goetz of the board of trade,
who acted as presiding officer and Mr..
Dudley gave concise history of the
situation from the viewpoint of the city
administration. The mayor said in
part:
Unless the railroad company makes
some effort towards a compromise ]
shall sign the ordinance revoking its
franchise. L did everything could be-
fore this ordinance was passed to Sc
cure a compromise which satisfactorily
would adjust existing differences, but
/ was treated with inSolence. went to
the company's offices, called the officials
by phone, and used every possible eff
fort to bring about amicable relations
with the company, but inSolence was
my sole reward. This would have made
no difference, however, if there had
been any move towards settlement af-
terwards; but there was none"
Roy Jones gave a short talk on the
situa ton from the property owners
standpoint. Mr. Jones stated that he
thought the action of both the council
and the general manager of the Los
Angeies-Pacific was boyish. He said
1T looks to me as if we were fighting
for technicalities and not principle
A motion was made to appoint ten
citizens, not connected with the rail-
road in any manner, to retire and Sc
lect five representative citizens to act
as gO-betWeen for the council and the
railroad company.
In the debate that followed sectional
jealousy between the north and south
sides of the city was shown. Many
speeches by representatives of the prop
erty holders finally led to the adoption
OF the motion, and the committee pre-
sented the names of Judge J. G. Noyes,
J. H. Grigsby, o. A. Kirkelee, Lee H.
Young and L. B. Goodrich to meet and
to investigate the whole matter, and to
report back at a special meeting to be
held next Thursday evening.
Many personalities were exchanged
during tire meeting, but finally harmo-
ny was restored. The sentiment of the
meeting, however, was to bring the
railroad to time.
Manager Sends Letter
The following letter was read from
General Manager Sherman:
F. E. Bundy, Santa Monica, Cal
Dear Sir: Referring to your request over
the telephone for a letter explaining the rea-
sons for the removal of the rails on Main and
Hill streets
This company always intended to put the
pa1 ement on these streets in good condition
after it had taken it's rails up, until about
city council of Santa Monica to remove the
rails within ten days or same would be re-
moved at our expense. We were buSily en-
gagged in trying to get new broad gauge ties
in our Hollywood and Colegrove divisions be-
for the rainy season set in so that the broad
gaugng of those lines would not be delayed
after the completion of our tunnels. This
work took all of the men at times that We
could get and it was practically impossible
for us to do unimpotant work on our line on
short notice.
The rails On Main and Hill streets have been
in the street for many years and had caused
serious trouble to any while were
operating cars them, and I believe there
was no good reason why they should cause
any more trouble after discontinued
operating over them than before. AS had
told Mr.. Dudley and others that we would
take the rails up and fix the streets as soon
as we conveniently could, we thought it very
unreasonable in them to demand their being
taken up within ten days. However, after
they did demand it 1 again explained the
situation to them and it seemed to have no
effect; they continued to insist upon their
immediate removal no matter what inconveni-
ence it placed us to- Under those circum-
stances I told Mr.. Dudley that would re-
move the rails, but if the city was going to
take that sort of action toward US we GER
ta:nly would not feel it duty to repave the
street as long were not legally bound
to do
1 can only say to you. Mr.. Bundy, that we
were asking nothing unreasonable in asking
for a little delay in taking up these rails and
only acted to protect ourselves in taking
them up within the ten days in which we
had to do the same. You may be assured that
when the officials of the city of Santa Monica
act fairly toward this company we will recip-
rocate in every manner possible, and under
these circumstances will be glad, as we were
in the first place, to put the streets back in
good condition although we could not be COM
PEELED to do so legally Yours truly,
r. P SHERMAN.