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Show I J . ... ..-a ' W v . v.. " -y- J ' ' v ' " " r Li..: . L: . l J..C...,.: , t bsssssssssbssbbssi 'The ertprts 'of the Utah Light and Power company . were shown at the meeting of the People's Protective committee com-mittee at the Commercial clubroorr.s, Saturday evening, for the purpose of passing on the report of the sub-com mlttee on laws. A number of persons were present who have declared themselves them-selves In favor of the traction Interests. This tends to show that the monopoly is using every power within Its grasp to Impose the franchise It desires upon the City Council. . - The franchise as dratted by City Attorney At-torney Dey will probably be ready to be passed upon this evening by the City Council.. A meeting of the Coun-ctl Coun-ctl Committees on Municipal Laws and Special Water, has been called for this afternoon to arrange the final :detal,s of the ordinance. . . , Five demands for the public were decided de-cided upon at. the meeting' of the People's Peo-ple's Protective committee. The committee com-mittee declared thai the new franchise should contain a forfeiture ciau6e, the city be given the right to regulate charges, establish standards of light end gas, that no restrictions be placed on the power rights of Big Cottonwood canyon, and that the company's franchise fran-chise be extended no longer than 19a. The report of the law committee. was asTollows: v ... -y " ; I Hon. John Dcrn. Chairman Cltltens' Proteo-' tlve Committee: Dear Sir: Tour committee on law met Wednesday evenlns, April 12, and after a careful consideration of tha franchise prepared In accordance with lnetructiona of a majority of the membera of the Council Committee Com-mittee havlnr thla matter under conlderatln.' bea leave to aubmlt tha followlns aa. ths unanimous report of thia committee: .1. Tha etreet railroad franchisee and a part of tho electric llsht franchises now have a forfeiture clause. We deem It of vital Importance Im-portance that whatever franchise may . be granted the Utah Light and Railway company tbf forfeiture, clause be retained. It -la the only, effectual means of com pel line good service, serv-ice, and we do not believe that this very Important Im-portant function should be delegated to tha Police court of thia city, for under the provisions pro-visions as contained In the proposed franchise, the rules of criminal . law would be applied and It would be necessary to prove beyond a reaonable .doubt that the company had failed to comply with the provlslona of Ha franchise and the penalty would be only a fine. Excepting Except-ing the waterworks, nd public utility . la of such Importance to the . masaea of the people as are those operated by the I'tah Light. and Railway company, and the public should not delegate or surrender tha right to compel good sen-tea. - Moreover, there doea not seem to be any good reason why a contract made with, and for the benefit of tha city should not reserve re-serve to th city the right to rescind, if It chooses,, upon failure of the other party- to comply with the provisions of- its-contract, as in the case of - contracts between v private Vartlea ' ...'- 2. The right to reasonably regulate charges, rent of meters and railroad fares hereafter should be expressly reserved. The use of electricity. elec-tricity. Is In Its Infancy. Advancement is being be-ing made year by year, and we should reserve the right to give to the public the benefit -of tha cheapening process a Th rat' that la now proposed msy .be reasonable at thetpres-nt thetpres-nt time. Ten years hence It may be exorbitant, exorbi-tant, and we ahould. not tie the hands of posterity pos-terity and compel them to pay exorbitant rates, but rather reserve for them the power to fix tha rates from time to tlrao upon a reasonable baaia Tha Legislature has empowered em-powered tha City Council to regulate tha sale and' use of gaa, electric and other lights, the charges therefor, - and the rent of meters (sec. 20a, par. id, R. 8. Utah as amended 103). and we see no reason why ths city should Ignore this, grant of power, even U it can lawfully do so. ..,. ' 1 It is welt known that the electric llahts for some time past have been and now are very unsatisfactory. This " - new franchise should ax some standard by which the lights shall be tested," and we recommend that competent com-petent electrical engineers be consulted on this matter and that a standard be determined upon and embodied la the fianchise. and thai ths right to fix new standards, aa mar be proper wtth the advancement of tha knowledge knowl-edge f electricity, be reserved. : 4. If the city acquires the . waters of Big Cottonwood stream, we believe there 'ahould be bo restriction upon either the use. of tha water or the electrical energy generated by the power derived from - the water. - : &. The franchise ahould not be extended beyond be-yond May: 27. -1)47, that being the expiration of the longest franchise now held by the Utah Light and Railway company. Tha tendency of modern legislation la that franchises should, not be granted for a long period, and the-outside lfmlt Is generally conceded to be thirty years. The present holdings of the Utah MSht and Railway company consist of: . First Electric light and gas franchlsea Second Street railway franchlsea 1. For the purpose of convenience ws will segregate them and consider first the electric light franchlsea The, fourfrlnclpa) franchises held by It are the following: a The Salt Lake and Ogden Gas and Electric Elec-tric Light company, granted May SO. 1WL ' lb) Robert M. Jonea or Big Cottonwood Power comrJany, granted July 26, 1SJ. - c 8. F. Walker or Citlsens Electric Light company, granted December Is. 1KWI. - (d) Pioneer Electric Power company, granted grant-ed Msy CT. 17. Each of the above franchises was granted for a period of twenty-flve years, and on December De-cember 31. 1903. each of them was extended for a period of twenty-flve years, and la addition addi-tion to the light then furnished the company agreed to give to the city, ss a consideration fur said extension, twenty-five arc lights, as follows: After May 19, HIS, alx: aftrr July 24. 11X, alx; after December IS. H18, six: after May 17, llrS. seven. Considering that the city will be much larger In 1K0 than It la now, the consideration for thla extension of tsrenty-Sve tsrenty-Sve years waa wholly Inadequate. . Also at that time the Utah Light and Ppwer company, com-pany, the Predecessor of the Utah -Light and Railwsy company, agreed to bury Ita wires between South Temple and Fourth South, State street and West Temple, beginning and to be completed within nine years. .' 2. The street railway franchises were originally orig-inally granted for a period1 of twenty yeara. In 184 both the Salt Lake City Railroad company com-pany and the Rapid Transit company fiecurml an amendment to their franchises, Wi hat all of them were continued for a period of fifty years from the 1st day of January. lmM. Since' that time a few franchises have Jeen granted, but they expire practically et the same time, vis.. January 1. m.r. , While your committee believes that aerlaua mistakes have been made In the past in extending ex-tending these, franchises to Unreasonable limits.- but as that caanot now be remedied' and aa one of the light franchises extends until May 27. IfKT. -If all the franchises held by the company Ixt extended to that dale we think the company can ha,ve. no Just cause-for com-plalnt.. com-plalnt.. Kespectfully submitted. . ,. - O. WV POWERS. Chairman. ' |