Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-21
Property Owners Protest Before
Council Committee Consider
ing the Matter Today.
BOTH SIDES REPRESENTED.
SaItair Management Asks City 10 Com
pei o. S. l.. 10 Increase Width OF
Roadway for Track.

For the purpose OF hearing protests
OF residents OF the western side OF the
city, and particularly those residing
on North Temple street, against the
proposed granting to the Saltair Rail-
road comapny a franchise to operate
its cars up North Temple street to
Main and around through the city
back to North Temple and thence west
again to the city limits and on to the
lake, a public meeting of the council
committee named to consider the mat
ter of the franchise. was held at the
Office Of Councilman w. c. Lyme chair
man OF the committee. at his office in
the Brooks Arcade building this morn
ins. Associated with Mr.. Lyme on the
committee are Councilman Hall OF the
Fourth ward and Councilman Holly of
the Third. in which the street in ques-
tion is located. For the Salt Lake &
Los Angeles railroad. otherwise the
Saltair company. President Joseph Mel
son and General Manager j. Z. Lang
ford appeared In behalf OF the protest
ing residents there was in attendance
at the committee meeting f. E. Rich,
H. NJ. H. Lund, John B. Reid, D. w.
Horsley and Walter j. Lewis.
The chief grounds for opposition 20
the granting OF the franchise were
stated by these men to be the congeS-
tion of traffic which must necessarily
follow the installation of the Saltair
excursion service up and down North
Temple street and over the Oregon
Short Line viaduct. 1t was represented
by the protestants that there is SUI
icient danger in connection with traf-
fic over that narrow viaduct at the
present time without increasing that
traffic by the addition of the Saltair
train service. One OF the protesting
speakers said conditions in the summer
are dangerous to life and limb, and
the lives of little children are in CON
slant jeopardy from the streams Of
street cars, automobiles. wagons, carts
and vehicles of all kinds passing over
the vladuct. The noise. the confusion.
the danger would all be increased by
the additional traffic, and the residents
objected to the franchise being granted
on these ground.
THE RESORTS VIEW
For the railroad company Mr., Mel
son contended that traffic woud not DE
increased to an extent that would be
dangerous and asked what difference
the running of the cars of the Saltair
line. which would be similar to the
street cars. and those of the Utah
Light & Railway company would make
over the tracks? To the point made
that the viaduct was not wide enough
to admit of the passage of vehicles and
street cars at the same time, Mr.. Mel
son suggested that steps be taken by
the council to compel the oregon Short
Line Railroad company to widen the
viaduct so that danger of collision
might be avoided and the traffic be
given plenty of room.
This brought up an interesting ques-
tion. and it was stated by Mr.. Rich
that the Viaduct Is still the property
OF the Short Line and had not been
accepted by the city, consequently no
franchise should be granted over the
viaduct to anybody, 1t was stated
however. that the viaduct would soon
be accepted by the city. and Chairman
Lyme was of the opinion that the coun-
ell could compel the railroad company
to widen the viaduct IL necessary.
MI Nelson claimed that 1t would be
an Injustice to withhold a franchise
from the Sailtair company to run it's
cars over the route proposed when the
street car company was given the same
privilege, and this view was concurred
In by Chairman Lyme.
Mr. Lewis said II the Saltair line. was
given the privilege of running over the
viaduct there was nothing to prevent
any other line. or 10 other lines. from
asking the same privilege. and secur-
ing 1t. and contended that 1t was not
justice to the residents of the streets
affected to permit this additional traffic
which he said was full of danger to the
children and others residing on those
streets.
No action in the matter had been de-
cided upon at the time of the adjourn
ment of the committee meeting. and
further sessions Will probably be held