Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-09
WORKS ACCUSES
STREET RAILWAYS
DECLARES COMPANIES HOLD
UP CITY AND PEOPLE
President of Council Insists No More
Franchises Shall Be Sold for
$1oo-Makes Exception
in One Case

"The railway companies are driving
us to the point, which / believe soon
| will be reached, where the city will
| have to take over the street car lines
| and operate them itself,'' said President
| Works yesterday morning to the city
| council. 'I would like to see pro-
vision in every franchise hereafter
! granted stipulating the city could take
over at any time the street car line
| for which a franchise is granted"
President Works statement was
brought about by the rep rt of the
| public utilities commission recommend
| ing that the bid of $100 for street
railway franchise in Thirty-ninth
| street from Vermont to Western, be
rejected, as the value of the franchise
| is many times more than that
amount"
But for the first time the council
went contrary to the recommendation
| of the commission and granted the
franchise for $100. This was done be-
cause of the peculiar circumstances OF
| the case, but the council adopted the
| policy that no more franchises would
be granted for $100.
| Sympathy of the council for the peo-
pie in the district through which the
| new extension is to be constructed is
| the sole reason for granting the fran
| chise for $100, and this sympathy was
so strong that Councilman Betkouskl
was the only one who voted against 1t.
The price of the franchise must be
paid by these people and OF only must
! they buy the franchise, but must also
pay o bonus of $500 to the Los An
geles Railway company for construct
ing the line.
Property Owners Raise Amount
The petition for the franchise was
made in the name of the Budlons
Avenue Improvement association, and
the president of the association told
the council that at first the railway
| company demanded $20,000 and then
reduced the amount by degrees to
| $500, as that was all the property
owners could raise. outside of $500,
which was subscribed by Robert Marsh
| &, Co., the amount was contributed IN
sums of So and $40.
at seems to be the policy of the
| railway COMPANY to compel citizens to
| get franchises and then pay for the
| construction of the line" said Coun-
| Gilman Washburn. "The company does
not care about the matter as it gets
| the revenue anyhow I believe it woulo
| be an excellent idea to meet with the
public utilities commission and adopt
some policy that will correct this mat
| ter. AS it is now we never will get
anything for our franchises"
at is an. injustice for the people to
be asked to pay for the franchise,
build the line, turn it over to the rail-
way company free and then pay street
| car fares on the line they have built,
| said Councilman Plant. 1.-THE railway
company is holding up the citizens in
| every instance for every dollar it can
| get out of them. When we grant eX-
| tensions thew should be granted on
| such terms that the franchise should
expire at the same time as the fran
| chise of the line with which 1t con-
| meets"
Councilman O'Brien moved that the
council set price of $500 on this par
| ticular franchise, and in order to get
| it before the house Councilman Greg
ory seconded the motion.
Circumstances Reviewed
Councilman Lusk declared that in
view of the circumstances he believed
| it would be an injustice to ask the peo-
pie to pay more than $100, and Deputy
| City Attorney Emmett Wilson told the
| council they could not consider any
other price for the franchise except the
| bid of 500 that had been offered by
| Robert Marsh & Co., although they
| could declare a minimum price that
would be considered.
| Mr.. Wilson also suggested that the
possibility of compelling railways to
| extend their lines when public inter
| ests demanded it, at no cost to the
property owners, should be considered
| when the new charter is framed.
"The people and the council are be-
| ing held up by the railway companies"
| said President Works. IT intend to
vote for this franchise, but with the
| definite understanding that in future
no franchises will be sold for $1O0.
| other property owners interested in
getting extensions of railway lines will
be notified that fair price will be
demanded.
'"The railway companies are driving
the city to point that will come be-
fore long, of the city taking over the
railway lines"
The public utilities commission and
the city attorney were instructed to
advise the council OF some way that
cases of this kind can be avoided in
the future.