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Show THK COUNCIL AND FRANCHISES. It is rather a , singular fact that three newspapers of this cily the rabid Gentile Tribune, Trib-une, the conservative Herald, and tho radical Mormon church organ, the Dcseret News have united in assailing tho city council for granting permits for tho investment of. capital iu new street railway enterprises. The assault of tho Tribuno was simply villainous, if the charges made are true, and wo shall not believo them until they are proven. Even if true, tho Tribune's method of attack was covert and cowardly in that it did not name the four councilmen charged with being dishonest men and boodlcrs, thus throwing suspicion upon any member of tho council. The News endorsed tho Tribuno by reproducing tho article, and staling that it was in accord with it, and that a well-deserved blow hud been struck at tho council. Tho Herald's criticism of the council's action was Half-way decent and dignified. digni-fied. Notwithstanding this singular unanimity unan-imity on the part of these three papers, The Times believes that the council has acted for the best interests of the public in granting the street railway franchises, fran-chises, which have caused this upheaval in certain interested quarters. Wo believo iu giving franchises to all legitimate enterprises in every caso where . . tho public will bo benefitted thereby and where the promoters manifest good faith and have the capital to carry out their plans. At tho same time we believo that old corporations cor-porations which have invested largo stuns of money in public improvements should be treated fairly, but that docs not mean that they should bo given exclusive ex-clusive rights iu order to shut out new enterprises. That would bo simply creating cre-ating a monopoly a thing which should not bo tolerated in any community. Iu this connection it is but fair, howoTer, to commend tho old street car company for its recent Improvements. It has given to this city a good system of street transportation, and we hope that it will rapidly uoiitiuuo its extensions on the streets upon which it lias acquired tho right to lay tracks. Tho old company has tho right to occupy a vast extent of territory, and is botiud to make money. New companies will not materially hurt its business if it keeps up its system of exlensioUH. The giving of franchises to new companies means a healthy competition, com-petition, tho rapid building of street car lines on streets whero they are needed, the employment of a large number of... men, and the putting Into circulation of a big sum of money. Tho ' .encouragement to new enterprises means prosperity, and yet it is strange that there are newspapers news-papers that oppose tho wheels of progress prog-ress and villify tho council for acting in tho interest of the public. The Timks is not opposed iu any way to tho old street car company, nor is it tho champion of any uew corporation. It does favor, however, all new enterprises enter-prises upon tho ground that competition competi-tion is necessary for tho public good, and iu this connection it believes that' the action of tho city council in the matter of tho railway franchises meets the approval of every honest aud public pub-lic spirited man in tho community. The council was requested - by the overwhelming over-whelming vote of a large mass meeting of citizens, under tho auspices of tho chamber of commerce, to do just what it has done. What else could tho eoun- cil do? Are not the councilmen tho servants of tho people? " Tho Tribuno says .tho franchise in question was secretly introduced, and railroaded through, that it covers the ground which the council had agreed to give to the qld company, that it parallels "street after street where the present service is perfect," and gives tho right to charge double the faro demanded by tho old company, aud so so. Now, tho fact is that tho only street paralleled is Second South, and that by a single track, and not by "four tracks and four lines of poles." This prlvilego had been asked iu all tho petitions of the new company, and openly and persistently per-sistently urged for a year past. The Times, however docs not think it is hardly the correct thing to parallel any street. Two tracks on a ttrcct are enough. More than two tracks would seem to bo an infringement upon the vested rights of the old pompany, as well as a trespass upon space demanded by tho public tralllc, unless there is absolute necessity for tho occupation of a portion of a street by three or four tracks, This is a matter that ought to bo carefully considered. As to a doublo rate of faro, tho Tribuno by lookhig at the old .company's franchise fran-chise will seo that tho rate is the same iu both charters. It is not likely, however, how-ever, that a ten cent fare will ever bo charged by cither company. Such an extortion would simply ho liiianeial suicide. The Tribune cannot prove a single instance iu which tho council has shown any antagonism to the old company. It has simply givoii fair treatment to tho applicants for new fraucbises, and in doing that it has acted iu accord with au overwhelming public sonlimotit. |