Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-07-09
COMMITTEE Named TO
INVESTIGATE CHARGES
IN Streets LETTER
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SELECTS THREE MEN TO PROBE INTO RUMRS
THAT SANTA E Water AND LIGHT COMPANY WOULD Be HELD UP
FOR LARGE sum BEFORE FRANCHISE OF COMPANY WOULD Be Ex
TENDED==C0MMITTEE STARTS WORK IMMEDIATELY
SENSATIONAL SESSION FOLLOWS
INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION

1T is said to be common talk OF
TIE plaza that our franchise is abou
expire and that new franchise vii
be given US only upon payment OF
large sum of money, which is to go
not to the city, but to the good citi
zens able to deliver it. Ii we do no
pay we are to be driven out of towl
and our property to be cOnfiscated.
The above sentence, which is quoted
from the New Mexican of yesterday
being found in letter from c. +
Street, president OF the Santa Fe Wa
ter & Light company to Mrs. John K
McFie, chairman of the cvics com
mittee of the Woman's club. which
was made public, was the storm center
about which practically all discussion
waged of the civics committee of the
chamber of commerce last night.
The net result was the appointment
of committee by the president OF
the chamber of commerce, consisting
OF Levi Hughes, James W. Norment
this report, gather all information it
could on the subject and report to the
next meeting of the chamber.
The committee named started in on
journed, holding a session which last
ed until after midnight, and calling
before it G. F. Street, president of the
light and water company, Frank
Owen, the local manager Of the com
pany and Judge John r. McFie. The
committee positively refused to dl-
,ulge any information regarding the
information it secured, stating that
tie report would not be made public
until the committee reported to the
chamber. The committee held an
other session this morning, which
lasted from IL to II o'clock
q, The meeting last night which was
called to order by President Dorman
shortly after 1880 had proceeded in
regular from until all the committees
had been heard from and it seemed
to adjourn, when Levi Hughes pre-
scented a resolution and moved its
adoption.
This resolution quoted the sentence
with which this article starts, and in
rather tofrid verbiage strongly advo-
Gated the appointment OF commit
lee of three to investigate this
slander. That word slander in the
resolution caused all the discussion,
for everyone who participated in the
discussion and that was most of those
present, though the matter should
be run to earth, and would have voted
for such a resolution shorn OF the
word "slander" and perhaps one or
two other phrases in the Hughes reso-
luton.
When Mr.. Hughes presented his
resolution there was a general stir IN
the audience and everyone seemed on
the alert for the next more. Attorney
General Clancy was first on his feet
and he said he had not read the even
ing paper, but he was inclined to think
that unless there was something IN
the context of the letter which ex-
planned or at least palliated such
statement that there was need for ac-
tion. He seemed very much wrought
up and his fervor did not cool during
the succeeding discussion. He closed
by asking if there was a copy of the
paper present.
Anticipating just such question,
] brought mine along" said Mr..
as he took copy Of the New !
Mexican from his pocket and handed
il to Mr.. Clancy, who hurriedly ran
through the article. There were sew
e,al others who evidently wanted to,
hear it. so President Dorman asked i
Acting Secretary Wilson to read the
letter as printed which he did.
Again it was Mr.. Clancy who lead
the discussion. He insisted that Mr..
Street having made such statement
must have something to base it on,
I'VE want to know whether we have
AnY hCl ouAu VAl
Clancy Il do not believe we have but
if so, want to know who they are"
Mr.. C. F., Street then spoke. He
said that he had heard great deal of
gossip since he had been in Santa Fe,
and that he had written this letter to
Let anyone and everyone know that
they could not get any money from
us. that his company was not in the
habit Of handing out blackmail money
He concluded by saying that he did
rot attach very much Importance IT,
the rumors.
Mr.. Clancy wanted to know If SO
little Importance was attached to
these rumors, why Mr.. Street did not
retract the statement made in the let
ter, and said: IF you retract this
statement, will vote against this res
olution, but otherwise am for it."
Mr.. Street did not retract, nor did
h, do anything Use, at this juncture,