Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-05
URGE CHANGES
IN FRANCHISE
UTILITIES COMMISSION RE-
PORTS ON 18th STREET
RECOMMENDS TERMINUS BE
CHANGED TO EAST SIDE
Difficulty in Securing for Streets Prop
erty Now Used by Car Lines
as Right of Way Ex-
palned

Important changes in the franchlse
giving to Robert Marsh and John
Howse the right to construct street
railway on Thirty-ninth street. from
Vermont to Western, are recommend
cd in a report of the public utilities
commission to the council on the
matter.
Among these changes is one requiring
tho franchise to terminate on the east
side of Western avenue instead OF on
the west side. and in making inns
recommendation the commission polnts
ont how this provision may save tne
citv much money in the future. The
commission reports as follows:
We return herewith the dratt Oh
an ordinance granting TO hopert
Marsh and John Howse franchlse
for an electric street railway on West
Thirty-ninth street from Vermont ave-
me to the westerly line of Western
avenue, which was referred TO thls
board February 10, 1910, for recon-
mendation.
IJpon careful consideration the board
of public utilities recommends:
First-In the description OF route,
section one, the terminus is set at
'sthe westerly line of Western avenue.
After full consideration and oppor-
tunity given for all interested persons
to be heard this board concludes that
the reason for seeking to cross to the
property line at west side or western
avenue is probably to continue the
electric road over private right OF way
by a route in no manner specllled III
the application for franchise or in pa
pers submitted for inspection by TINS
board. The city is now involved in eX-
pensive litigation arising from the ne
cessity of condemning land occupied
nv railroad rights of way, and this
board is satisfied that the same cond1-
tions might eventually arise IN TINS
case, whenever it may become neces-
sary or desirable to continue Thlrty-
ninth street westward beyond western
avenue. We therefore recommend that
the description of route over streets
as named in the ordinance, be so
amended as to terminate at the prop
erty line on the eastern side of West
ern avenue unless the owners of the
acreage on the western side of Western
avenue opposite Thirty ninth street
first dedicate to the city, for street
purposes, such portion of their prop
erty as the city engineer may consider
necessary for the continuation OF
Irhirtv-ninth street in a direct line
westward to an intersection with some
specified street coursing parallel with
Western avenue.
Second-That there be added to sec
ton two a prohibitive clause to make
said section, as amended read as fol-
lows:
'0That the street railroad constructed
and operated under said franchise
shall be used only for the transporta-
ton of passengers and United States
mail, and nothing in this ordinance
shall be construed as granting the right
to use or operate any portion of said
street railway for the transportation
of freight or for purposes of interur-
ban traffic"
Although it may appear superhuous
to make such prohibition, the fact re-
mains that much of the present trat-
fic over street railroads in Los Ange-
les is carried on without franchise
rights. Notwithstanding the occurrence
of negative clauses similar to that pro-
nosed in this ordinance. This board
deems it wise, therefore, to speclh-
cally exclude classes of traffic which
should not be permitted without ex-
plicit franchise granted therefor under
proper restrictions and conditions.
Third-That section three, next to
last paragraph thereof, so far as it
affects intervals for car service, be
made to read as follows:
provided further that cars shall be
run each way over the whole length
of the road constructed under said
franchise at intervals of not more
than ten minutes between the hours
of 6 o'clock a. m. and o'clock p. M,
and Of not more than twenty minutes