Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-07
VOTERS WILL FIX
LIGHTING RATE At
POLLS IS REPORT
Ordinance Lowering Price to Pri-
vate Consumers Slated for
Referendum Ballot
MAYOR PLANS FOR ACTION
Invites Sense Of Companies as to
Ha, ing the Question Set
tied June 80
IT MESS the unexpected happens

TT MESS the unexpected happens,
Los Angeles voters will be asked
~ to pass on the ordinance recently
adopted by the city council and signed
by Mayor Alexander reducing the
price of electric lighting to private
consumers from nine to seven cents
per kilowatt hour Moreover, unless all
signs fail that referendum will be on
the ballot at the special election to be
held the last of this month for the
purpose of choosing two councilmen
from the four candidates nominated at
the recent primary. That much. seems
reasonably certain as a result of yes
terday's happenings at the city hall
Soon after noon Mayor Alexander
dispatched a uniform letter to the
lighting companies. sending the epistle
by private messenger. IN that letter
he requested the corporations to ad-
wise him not later than today whether
1t Is their intention to file the referen-
dunn petitions known to have been cir
culated by them In time to make pos
sible a submission of the question In
volved at the election of June 30.
From one quarter this letter brought
a quick response. Representatives or
the Southern California Edison COM
pany promptly wended their way to
the city hall and, after brief visit
upstairs in the rooms of the public
utilities commission, were escorted by
Meyer Lissner into the mayors office.
city Attorney Hewitt was summoned
from his office across the street and
an extended conference was held.
What II was all about the men con-
cerned refused to divulge though 1t
was announced that the subject under
discussion would be presented to the
council at its meeting today.
Early Yesterday morning the mayor
prepared for fight. He knew that the
lighting companies purposed to oppose
a reduction in rates by means or
referendum He knew, also, that they
planned to delay fling their petitions
until too late to make possible the SUD
mission of the question June 80; and ne
had been informed that they might at
tempt TO institute an endless chain or
referendums. on each election ordi-
nance. as fast as the council could call
them, for tEse eoubie purpose OF fore
stalfing acton ON the lighting ordi-
nance and bringing the referendum
itself into disrepute.
QUESTIONED HEWITT
with this situation in mind, the
mayor sent for City Attorney Hewitt
and the question he put to him was
significant He asked If 1t would be
possible to circumvent the corpora
tons blan for delay by having friends
of the administration file referendum
petition within a few days, so that the
question could be submitted at the
special election, June 30. Mr.. Hewitt
replied that it would be both possible
and practicable. That was all. The
mayor said nothing further to Indicate
what steps he will take In the matter,
but an hour later his communication
Isr.If fVan Nn nG
written and was on its way to their
offices.
The letter was worded as follows:
June 6, 1910.
To the Los Angeles Gas and Elec-
trio Corporation, the Pacific Light
and Power Company and the
Southern California Edison Com
pany:
GentIemen-From interviews witk
employees of one or more of your
companies, printed in the public
press. | understand that you have
secured many more than suf-
ficient humber of signatures to
petitions demanding that the light
ing rate ordinance passed by the
council on May % be submitted to
a vote of the people. This Is
question of vital Importance to the
citizens of Los Angeles, and 1t is
to the interest both of the city and
of the electric companies that 1t
should be decided as soon as
possible.
The holding of a special election
upon that proposition alone would
cost the city over six thousand dol
lars. AS you probably know,
councimanic election already has
been called for June 30. If your
petition is filed promptly it Will en-
able the council to submit the ques-
ton to the people at that election,
and thereby save the city the cost
of a special election.
I would suggest that this be done
at once, and respectfully request
that you notify me of your in
tention in the matter not later
than tomorrow, Tuesday, morning.
Yours truly,
GEORGE ALEXANDER, Mayor.
RUMORS THICK
Around the city hall all day yqster-
day rumors of referendumS, imminent
and remote, were thicker than black
berries in season. Incidentally there
were hints at an initiative ordinance,
proposing a still further reduction in
the cost of light from the proposed 7
cents per kilowatt hour to cents. 1t
was even said that such an ordinance
had actually been drawn by an attor-
ney prominent in politics, and that
initiative petitions would be put In
circulation today.
This, however, was generally re-
garded more as threat of what might
happen than as a likelihood. The eX-
pedient, first suggested by writer to
The Herald's Letter Box some days
ago. was rejected by the mayor when it
was originally laid before him, and
unless he has changed his mind in the
meantime will receive no support from
the executive department.
However, an initiative ordinance con-
stitutes a much more serious menace to
the interests against which 1t is aimed
than does an ordinance adopted by the
council and merely approved by the
voters at a referendum election. The
referendum ordinance is subject to re-
peal or amendment by the council at
any time The initiative ordinance can
only be amended or repealed subse-
quently by majority vote of the cleo
tors.