Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-01-12

franchise was granted 10 compe-
ttlyo street car system and as re-
suit the Tulsa street Railway oom-
pany has found II even more difficult
10 secure the necessary capital with
which 10 make the many improve
monts which the officials Of the COM
pany realize are necessary and which
they arc anxious 20 install,
\ ON the other hand, the competitive
system has met with anything but H
success. Their lines In the west part
Of the city has been wholly abandon
ed and on the east end 10 Orcutt park
only half hour service is being main
tanned. And this perhaps IS not due
10 the ill management Of the com
panys affairs, but probably TO the
fact that the city is not large enough
10 support two Independent street rail
way systems
Tulsa's population is composed al
most entirely of people who formerly
resided in other states. Practically
every large ana growing city In tho
United states was formerly the home
Of one or more Tulsa citizens. These
business men, oil men and others ar.
disposed 10 place ban on competitive
public service corporations contend
ing That there is hardly a city in the
country with competitive transporta-
tion companies, electric light, heat
and power plants. Many Of these
cities have experimental with this
Opposition having TO secure lower
rates or better facilities In almost
every instance it has resulted I'm a
merger of the competitive systems and
an increase in the price Of their COM
modify
one thing sure Competition is
sure TO affect the financial credit OF
the original company IT'S revenue
is certain to be impaired to greater
or lesser degree and its business con
diuons will be unsettled and no gen
oral good can be accomplished by Tho
city or the corporation.
There IS apparently a slight mis-
apprehension with reference to the
Introduction Of the Iron Mountain
railroad into Tulsa through the
has one franchise granting his per
mission to use certain streets and al
ieys Of this city for steam, electric
or other power lines. This franchise
entities Mr.. Page TO bring the iron
Mountain, or any other steam railroad
into the city over the streets covered
by this franchise
MI. 1 N,vr D
business men that Mr.. Page has for
feitcd his right of the occupancy Of
certain streets by not complying with
the requirements of his former fran
chse. But this condition does not ef-
feet Archer street, which is the only
avenue Of entrance into the city for
the Iron Mountain or any other rail
road from the north.
In abuot two years the city Of Tulsa
will have an opportunity to control
the rates or purchase the property of
the Tulsa Corporation, its franchise
expiring at that time, 1t is deemed
unwise by many that the city should
in the meantime grant franchise TO
another electric light and power com
its dealings with the existing con
cern. IT is therefore believed by
many that the Page franchise should
carry with It a clause giving the city
certain fixed percentage Of the com
pany's gross income. This clause IN
the franchise Of public service corpo-
orations in many of these cities is
more than paying the interest on the
Indebtedness of these cities.
When the Tulsa Corporations
franchise was granted some ten years
ago few people expected that Tulsa
would some day be the city that 1t is
today, to say nothing Of what It will
be in another ten years. The citizens
were fortunate, they thought, to secure
an electric light and power plant
under most any favorable conditions.
Others believe that n cash bonus Of