The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-02
COMMITTEE DRAWS
KNIGHT FRANCHISE
Council Assigns Work of Re-
drafting to Five of Its
Members.
MR.. KNIGHT DECLINES To
PAY SALT LAKE "0NE CENT
Says He Does Not Have to Come
to City With His
Road.

After strenuous argument upon dlf'
ferent phases OF the Jesse Knight inter
urban franchise. which lasted for more
than three hours Tuesday night, the
city council, sitting as committee OF
the whole. decided to reier the matter
to special committee of five, one coun-
Gilman from each ward. for further
consideration. This committee Will be
named by President Ferry probably to-
day and will arrange 10 meet with Mr..
knight or his representative NJ the
earliest possible date and determine
upon n form of franchise TO be sub.
mitted to the council for final action;
The only real difference between Mr..
Knight and the council at the present
time is the matter of compensation to
be paid the city for the franchise Sew
eral different amendments were offered
on that point Tuesday night, but the
members of the council could not
agree upon any one Of them, so the
subcommittee will have 10 decide on
one and refer il TO the council for final
determination,
''Uncle jesse Aroused.
1t was suggested that Mr.. Knight
pay cash bonus 10 the city for the
franchise, but Mr.. Knight said in a very
emphatic manner that he would not pay
one cent for the franchise He said
snap for the franchise and did not care
whether he built his road to Salt Lake
City or not, as he started the propOsi
tion simply TO benefit Utah county and
did not have to come TO Salt Lake.
He insisted that if the council did not
grant him n franchise it would make n
serious mistake,
Mr. Moreton asked Mr.. Knight if he
objected TO him reading from a speech
puTported 10 have been made by Mr..
Knight at Provo when the fight was on
Ia that city for a franchise in favor
of railroad company for building a
depot and closing no certain streets for
that purpose. Mr.. Knight consented toI
the reading of the speech and Mr..
Moreton read portions of il wherein Mr.
Knight was purported to have said that
he was opposed TO giving away a val
uablc franchise TO a rich corporation
without getting something for 1t for the
city.
Mr.. Knight denied that he made such
statement and declared that he was
not responsible for what the newspapers
said about that matter
Mr.. Mckinney and Mr.. Lyme both
urged that tho franchise provide forI
the payment to the city of a percentage
OF the gross earnings of the entire road.
Tax on Cars.
Mr.. o 'Donnell said that .inasmuch as
Mr.. Knight had declared that he would
not give the city anything for the fran.
chise. the council should take up the
other franchises before it and see what
1t could get from the other applicants.
lie made a motion to that effect and Mr.
Knight seconded it and Immediately left
the council chamber, apparently IN a |
rage
The question of compensation for the
franchise was further discussed and Mr. |
Hall offered an amendment that Mr..
Knight pay the city annually 30 cents
on each passenger. freight and express
car running into the city He made a
strong argument in favor of his amend |
ment, but no action was taken upon the
matter at all, as it was seen that the
council could not agree upon it,
number of other amendments were
offered, but no definite action was taken
upon any of them. Some of these will
no doubt be embodied in the new draft
OF the franchise prepared by the special
committee when il concludes lis work
and reports TO the council. This same
committee will also consider the Saltair
franchise and the L. o. Howard fran
chiSe.