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Show BOARD STUDIES-'"FUTURE STUDIES-'"FUTURE STATUS OFAUMIETERS ' S. L. Hardware Finn Given Hearing i at Meeting ' Posthumous consideration Thursday Thurs-day of the parking meter controversy contro-versy included: 1. Explanation of J. C Sec-combe, Sec-combe, manager of the Industrial Indus-trial department of the Salt Lake Hardware company, that he "has no quarrel with the city commis- sion or its meter purchaae committee." com-mittee." 2. Starting of deliberations of city commissioners on "what to 1 t do with 200 curb devices now in- stalled?" Mr. Seccombe'e appearance be- fore the commission was in accordance accord-ance with a hearing date fixed after C. L, Wheeler, vice president of i the hardware firm, wrote city commissioners com-missioners protesting that a meter for which the firm has the agency was never demonstrated to the city commission. Situation Cloarrd f"We have no quarrel with the city commiaaion or the purchase committee," said Mr. Seccombe. "The situation seems to have cleared itself. a "Our only quarrel la that ere did not have an opportunity to come before this commission and offer to aell you our meter. And if we offered of-fered it to you on any basis and you accepted, the Salt Lake Hard- ware company would have fulfilled that agreement" "We did not have a very welcome wel-come reception at the office of Auditor Audi-tor Samuel F. Nicholla, chairman of the purchaae committee, and felt that our competitors had 'oversold' our meter by Insinuation or otherwise. other-wise. "We came to a meeting at the office of the committee, and Mr. Nichoils had not yet arrived. We were Invited to wait in his private office, and while waiting one of our competitors came in and aaid: 'Don't touch our meter.' He picked up some papers lying on the auditor's desk and laid them on another desk. Left 'Bad Taste' "Now the Salt Lake Hardware t company doee not do business that way, and I am frank to ataU that that incident left a bad taste with us." Mr. Seccombe praised the purchase pur-chase committee and Its Individual Individ-ual members. However, Mr. Nicholla waa not present. It being reported that the auditor ia out of the city. Commissioners thanked the hardware hard-ware firm's representative, who was greeted warmly before he started to talk. decision on disposition or meters already installed was not reached 4 by commissioners despite a 45-min-ute executive session in Mayor E. B. Erwin's office. It was reported commissioners , were divided in their sentiment e whether to keep or order removed the meters which now line curbs (of Main street and East Broadway and have been Inoperative aince January 9. One member of the board expressed ex-pressed himself as believing that the meters should be retained, but on the basis of their present installation. instal-lation. Although he declined to be quoted, that official expressed himself him-self as follows: That the devices Which Salt Lake City motorists have already paid a substantial aum on their nickels Inserted in the slots since last August Au-gust be distributed throughout the business district Redistribution Whereas now there, are about 40 meters to a block. It was proposed that only 14 or IS to a block be installed, in-stalled, creating a ratio of approximately approxi-mately two to one with free park- ing apace. The meters which would be taken out could be distributed In quantity yet to be determined along curbs of other business district dis-trict streets and again placed in 9 operation. Although no official sanction of such a plan has been given by the manufacturer whose meters are now , installed. It waa indicated that in all probability such agreement would be favored by the company and the contract now in force continue con-tinue to Its natural -conclusion when ( the meters will be paid for and become property of the city. If some such plan Is not agreed to and the meters are ordered removed re-moved from the streets, the invest- ment motorists have already placed In the devices will be lost it waa pointed out The present Installation cost about $12,000 and ia about half paid i for. It was explained. . Commissioners ordered a petition of the Salt Lake City council of women filed and instructed Recorder Record-er Ethel Macdonald to reply to the 1 letter. |