Show 1GHT FRANCUISE IS UP Councilmen Discuss New Companys Petition I DECISION NOT YET REACHED Manager Campbell oC the Utah Light and Power Company Was Present and Told of Reductions Voluntarily Voluntar-ily Made by His Company C Edwards Representing New Company Com-pany Inclined to the Belief That Campbell Was There to Fight tho I Proposition At the meeting of the Council committees cornt mittees last nIght the main discussion was upon the application for a fran i chise of the Merchants Light coin cernt I pany which asks permission to erect I a new electric lighting plant In Salt p Lake The matter was considered by the Committees on Streets Laws and Improvements sitting together and after af-ter the reading of the proposed form of i franchise by Councilman Hartensteln I II C Edwards representing tho proposed I pro-posed new company was given the floor to speak In behalf of the granting f of the franchise He stated that the I company was not going into the thing for pastime but with the Intention of erecting a plant and proceeding to operate it if thefranchlso were granted and after stating that the company Would consent to any modifications of the draft submitted so long as the franchise was fair between the city and he company ho directed attention to a petition In favor of the new company The petition bore the signatures a Cf eighty wellknown firms proprietors of u hotels roominghouses stores etc Mr Edwards pointed out that the proppsed i franchise promised a reduction of I cents in each 15 cents for the lights furnished fur-nished the city and an allnlghf service ser-vice EXPLANATION FROM CAMPBELL Manager R S Campbell of the Utah Light and Power company was then given the floor and stated that he did not desire to enter into any controversy at this time leaving Itto the committee to determine the advisability of having a new light company in the city under present conditions Mr Campbell stated that his company had voluntari ly and In the faceof no competition re duced the price of lights from 20 cents to 15 cents and at the expiration of the present contract which runs three years expected to make a further re duction Mr Edwards replied In a heated manner questioning whether Mr Campbells company had a repre sentative present through largeness oC j heart and inclining to the belief that Mr Campbell was there to fight against competition In reply to a question by Councilman Hewlett Mr Edwards slated that he did not belIeve It would be right to give the names of the pea pie back of his proposed company at this time On motion of Councilman Hartensteln the Recorder was Instruct ed to furnish the members of the com mittees with printed copies of the fran chise before a special meeting of the committees which will be held In the office of Councilman Thomas in the Dooly block Thursday afternoon at 130 to further consider the matter of the franchise HOLIDAY REQUEST DENIED A petition from the drivers of sprin kling carts asking for a halfholiday on Wednesdays Sundays and holidays was turned down by the Sprinkling com mittee The Street committee recommended granting the Consolidated Hallway and Power company permission to perma neatly locate the west rail of their line on West Temple from Ninth to Tenth South two and a half feet west of the center of the street the Idea being that the company may want to put In a dou ble track at a later period The Streets committee also granted the Alcatraz Asphalt Paving company permission to use gravel from the citys pits until the price per load should be fixed by the Council the matter having been re erred to the committee with power to act A petition from residents on Fifth South west of the river asking that the street be repaired where the water mains had been taken up was consid ered and referred to the Board of Pub lie Works with Instructions to report to the Council why the street hud not been repaired |