Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-07-21
AFTER HARD
STRUGGLE
Streetcar Franchise With Light
ing Feature Gets Through
The Council.
FAVORED BY FIVE MEMBERS.
H. B. N. A. Pressed It To FL
nal Passage Second Meet
ing Tonight.

An unexpected fight came up in
the Council Friday night over the pro-
posed franchise for a street railway
and electric lighting plant in Hop
kinsvile, the railway to be a part of
the interurban system for which the
Fiscal Court has already adv rtised
the sale of a franchise outside f
town. R. z. Cooper and J. H. BEN,
representing syndicate of Eastern
capitalists, appeared before the Coun-
Gil July 8 and asked for a franchise
similar to the one the County has
ordered sold By vote of to 3,
the Council postponed action and
City Attorney Southal was directed
to prepare franchise acceptable to
the Council and submit it for the
approval of the Eeastern capitalists.
This was done, the Citv's ordinance
being very lengthy. comprising sew
enteen sections and going into every
detail. MIR Cooper objected to some
of it's drastic provisions, but sent it.
on with the assurance that its ac-
ceptance would remove any possible
opposition. Two copies were retain
ed here. one by the City Attorney
for the inspection of the Mayor and
Council and the other was given to
Mr. Cooper. Last Wednesday the
New York capitalists were heard
from and they suggested that while
the proposed franchise was cumber-
some on account of its length and
contained unusual provisions, yet
with few minor alterations and the
elimination of one section that they
would accept it. The City Attorney
and Mr.. Cooper then got together
and after a conference all points of
difference were harmonized. One
very long section, which granted
statutory restrictions, was left out
as unnecessary and a shorter one
was substituted and a section pro-
viding for the revocation of the fran
chise by the Council on 80 days no.
tice was stricken out as too drastic
and rendering the tenure too uncer-
tain to make bond issue possible
/ The regulation of the franchise hold
er was provided for in the other sec
tions without an arbitrary forfeiture
on the caprice of the council. A
large delegation from the H. B. M.
A., which had endorsed by unani-
nous vote the franchise, was present
to applaud the Council in passing it
and its passage was looked for by
unanimous vote. A committee COM
posed of L. H. DaYis, G. E Dalton
and G. f. Gary had been named to
urge its passage. but when Mayor
Yost called for the franchise, Mr..
Cooper arose and told him that it
had been agreed upon in all respects
and would be reported by City At
torney Southall. Mr. Southall then
fead the franchise and pointed out
the several changes asked for, some
of which had been made and others
refused. He said the franchise as a
! whole guarded the interests of the
city fully and that he recommended
its passage. The committee thought
it unnecessary to make a further
presentation of the matter, but the
first trouble manifested itself when
Mayor Yost asked City Attorney
Southall if the franchise was the
same one that had been shown him.
Mr. Southall said it was, with the
changes indicated by him. The Mayor
insisted that twas not the same fran
chise and wanted TO know how many
copies Of it had been made. These
personalities and broad limitations
brought further explanations. Mr..
Southall saying, 81 maintain that il
is the same franchise | prepared my
self" The question of veracity was
left unsettled. when Councilman Car
loss moved that the matter be post
poned till the next meeting and he
Mayor and all members of the Coun
lcil be furnished with copies. This