Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-16
Municipal Affairs
CAR LINE PLAN CHECKED
BY WELFARE COMMITTEE
Denies Application for Franchise
on Thirty-Ninth st. West
of Western Ave.

There will be no street car line on
Thirty-ninth street, from Vermont to
Western if the statement of Robert
Marsh to the public welfare committee
Of the council yesterday proves true.
Mr.. Marsh said the railway company
will not build the line unless 1t can
cross Western avenue. and the pubic
welfare committee is determined 1t
shall not cross Western avenue.
This decision of the committee was
not arrived at without strenuous OBJ
iections by MIR. Marsh. Mr.. Marshs
objections were so vigorous that for a
few minutes it looked like w. j. Wash
burn, chairman of the committee, and
Mr.. Marsh would hurl some verbal
bombs at each other. but the exchange
of opinions did not go beyond the
limits.
Mr.. Marsh told the committee that
in making an arbitrary rule that no
franchise would be recommended un-
less it stopped at the eastern side of
Western avenue 10000 people were be-
ing deprived of the street car service
they needed and were willing to pay
for, and that the lack of a street car
line would hinder the development of
property in the vicinity. But the COM
mttee considered it was acting for
the welfare of the entire city, and
while the members expressed sympathy
with the people who are deprived OF
street car service, it concluded it bet
ter they should suffer than the en-
tire city i'm the future. The committee
fears that the railway wants the fran
chise to the western side of Western
avenue only for the purpose of get
ting into private property where 1t can
I afrrl ln tor
when the city needs the right of way
for street purposes 1t will have to pay
hundreds of thousands of dollars, as
was the case on Sixteenth street.
Several months ago, before the old
council went out of office. Robert
Marsh petitioned for the franchise on
Thirty-ninth street, from Vermont to
Western. Before the franchise could
be awarded the new council came into
office and Mr.. Marsh told that body
that the railway had demanded
large bonus to construct the line and
that the residents and property own
ers had raised the money by subscrip
tion. He was the largest individual
subscriber because he had secured two
twenty-acre parcels of land tnat he
intended to subdivide If the franchise
was granted. The council referred the
matter to the board of public utilities,
and the board recommended that it be
granted provided the franchise stop
ped on the eastern side of Western
avenue and did not cross the street
into private property where perpet-
ual franchise could be secured.
IL was this recommendation of the
board of public utilities that the COM
mittee considered yesterday.
But the railway will not build the
line IL It has to stop at Western ave-
nue." said Mr. Marsh.
who's running this city, the coun-
ell or the railway companies?" asked
Councilman Betkouski.
This is only a little technicality and
il is not right that 10000 people should
be deprived Of street car service by
distractions of. the council" said Mr..
Marsh heatcdly.
This application is not made in
good faith, and you know it, Mr..
Marsh" said Chairman Washburn.
You know that the railway expects a
private right of way on the other side
of Western avenue"
at was made in good faith" Mr.
Marsh replied, land you have no right
to say any such thing to me-"
"Well the chair will entertain a mo-
the utilities board" said Mr.. Wash
burn, and the motion was made. Mr..
Marsh left the presence of the COM
mittee sarcastically thanking it for
the distractions it had put in the way
of the community that wanted de-
Yelopment and car service.