Arizona republican., 1921-07-11

leges granted them by the city and
 requires that he shall at least once iu each year demand and receive cer-
 tain reports.
 With reference to the foregoing sections the matter of certain fran chises appear to have been held in abeyance and no definite action taken. It seems to me that this commission should take immediate steps to ascer- tain the status of these matters and instruct the city attorney to prepare | the necessary demands to be made | by the manager and in the event l that said demands are not complied
 with in a reasonable length of time
 that the city attorney be instructed
 to proceed against the grantees, their successors or assigns, for the pay
 ment of such amounts as are due and if default of payment continues
 to prepare such documents as may be
 necessary to bring about a forfeiture of the franchises.
 Ordinance 228 was enacted by the | common council, August 13, 1896. and
 granted to l.. D. Copeland, his suc-
 cessors and assigns the right and privilege to construct, operate and
 maintain an ammonia and compressed
 air plant. Section 6 provided that the grantee would, after five years,
 pay the city one and one-half per
 cent of its gross proceeds, payments 1 to be made monthly, and default of
 any payment to work forfeiture of 1 the franchise. January 6. 1902, this
 section was amended by ordinance 329 and provided that grantee from and after fifteen years would pay
 one and aone-half per cent of the gross proceeds monthly.
 l am informed that the Phoenix Machine and Cold Storage company. operating under this franchise, has made no payments to the city for
 some years.
 Ordinance 429 granted to certain persons a franchise to construct and
 operate a telephone system in the
 city of Phoenix for which grantees
 were to pay the city annually on the
 first day of January in each year
 one per cent of it's gross earnings for the previous year. It was further
 provided that the grantees furnish
 the city annually a statement of the
 total of such earnings and that they-
 shall at all times permit any person
 designated by the city to examine
 their books to ascertain the amount
 of such gross earnings.
 am informed that the Mountain
 States Telephone and Telegraph Co.,.
 operating under this franchise, has
 not complied with the terms thereof.
 It seems to me that these matters are of vital importance and should no
 longer be permitted to peacefully
 slumber without some action being taken to ascertain their status and the rights of the city protected Ii
 these agreements are not enforceable
 let us make new agreements which are enforceable and secure for the
 icity a revenue due it for special privi- ; leges granted
 J While upon the subject of fran , chises feel that 1t would be an un- . pardonable sin to pass unnoticed oul , street railway franchise. and in addf- tion, show little respect for oul , worthy colleague, Commissioner Hen
 derson, who has sincerely and faith , fully endeavored to bring order oul , of chaos, make Phoenix streets safs |. for traffic, and bring peace to hii 1 fellow commissioners by either fore [ | ing this recalcitrant grantee to keeT its track paving in proper and safs repair or forfeit it's franchise. It 1: [ a matter of deep concern to the cit, to have this utility in operation, yet
 in my opinion, of greater concern tt
 have the streets on which 1t operates [ kept in repair so that our traffic |
 safe and the balance of the pavemen unimpaired by the curls and bump' along its tracks. L believe this com mission has been most patient in th' matter and has given the compan. . due consideration at all times, and VI have the right to expect a co-opera tive spirit in doing what 1t can with 5 out forcing the city 0 make the re ? pairs and enforcing collection Of costs , We should note with pleasure tn , interior cleanup the manager ha | 1 given the city hall and l would rec 7 ommend that his plan for making tn r exterior more presentable be ap l proyed. It is apparent from the vot : of the taxpayers that they do not de r sire the much-needed addition to tn { building, therefore it becomes ou : duty to seek some other solution $ the problem. 1 believe If the tax {. payers would interest themselves i : Investigating the immediate needs To y adequate quarters for municipal busi S ness and more sanitary jail faciiiue n that our recommendations submltte r to them again would meet their ap d proval For the unfortunate humani e ty which must be incarcerated there 1T in we should feel the deepest sym u pathy. In my opinion, the acquisitio r of property for a civic group is 2 IT least ten years in the future Tn
 city has grown rapidly and to kee h pace with this growth many outlay 1T TOT very uGCtSSdAy tt called for, and it is very douptfui ] Ie my mind whether civic group ca
 be afforded by the taxpayers fc n many years unless the unforesee IS happens and a phenomenal groWt Id occurs. Taxes are becoming seriou le problems to meet and if high, seri is lous handicap to the community. Mt l. nicipalities are confronted with ne > problems and added functions. Ot in city fathers are expected to take IT ce lead in community service and eac
 year finds us meeting addiuonai rt l. quests in furthering social wor l. These requests are most worthy ar g. should be met in a reasonable maI 1e ner, thus equalizing the burde l- through taxation. There are son ne in every community who refuse in support these activities and are col oy tent to live in comfort while the he fellow beings are in dire need of u Id bare necessities for sustenance, henc ne governments must meet the issue al Is, by its sovereign power Of taxeu(
 force the unwilling into compuisol to cooperation.
 by I trust. gentlemen, that you W mt give serious thought to the jail prol r. lem and endeavor to work out son It, plan for either improving the prese nd quarters or acquiring property for
 structure in some other locality. ct In the present period of depresslt pc there has been more or less sa nd about the reduction of salaries al w. wages and in some quarters this h US been applied to municipal service. H. my opinion municipal service he never received the recognition tn or is due it. It received no extraoro an nary war time raises and.the prese he ra+eS of nav in the city of PhOen