The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-12
A PROTEST.
Prominent Citizens Before the
Assembly Committee.
Opposition to the Proposed Action on The
Fire Department Bill
Arguments Against Comforting the Power Of
Appointing the Commissioners
on the Governor.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

getting ready TO play against him when
the control of the San Francisco
Fire Department is again placed as
stake upon the political table
A delegation of prominent citizens
of San Francisco appeared before the As
sembly Judiciary Committee to protest
against the transferring of the power to
appoint the Fire Commissioners from the
city to the Governor and Sam Rainey ap-
peared also.
Louis Sloss was the first speaker. He
said lie was one OF a committee sent by the
citizens of San Francisco to protest against
the substitute for the bill vesting
the appointing power in the hands
Of the Governor. The city was able
to govern itself 1t has a good
Mayor, Assessor and Auditor and
would not insist that the Supervisors should
appoint the Fire Commissioners, but would
be satisfied if the Mayor and other officials
should appoint them. Under the substitute
the Commissioners are not responsible to
the people for their expenditures. The city
would protest against having the right TO
expend its money as it saw fit taken from it.
Henry L. Dodge followed, saying, il passed
his comprehension why bill should be in
trodnced in the Legislature TO take from
San Francisco the right to attend to its own
affairs. II this power is to be taken from
San Francisco to attend to its own affairs,
Mr.. Dodge thought that such power should
be taken from every city.
Supervisor Tabor declared that San Fran
cisco wished TO appoint the Fire Commits
siOners because their appointment by the
Governor would be a reflection on the intel
lupupn of tho (HNlS RI hrpuubt
forth gutfaw from ScOnchin MalOney that
made the auditors sitting under the yibrat-
ing chandeliers edge out OF the way.
Bledsue, who Is going 10 amend the bill so
that the Fire Commissioners shall be elected
by the people, asked Sloss whether the
people would be satisfied with this.
SlosS replied atfiImatiyely.
Mayor Hazard OF Los Angeles spoke
against the appointment of the Com
missioners by the Governor on the ground
that instead of being the Governors
appointments they would be the appoint
ments Of men instrumental in causing the
Governors nomination and election. He
alsu opposed it because it would upset the
Fire Department Of Los Angeles. Then
Hazard went off his track and Iectured TIE
Assembly for passing the Police and Fire
men Pension bills.
NJ. A. Dorm opposed the appointment of
the Commissioners by the Governor as a
step toward Capitalization Of power, foreign
TO our institutions. Such appointment
would be in violation of the Consolidation
Act, which requires that the Auditor shall
examine aud seal every bill against the city,
and these Commissioners would not be un-
Der tie eye OF The Auditor, but would be a
preferred class.
Supervisor BUTlng entered brief protest
and Mayor SandeTsOn took the platform.
de said he thought the passage of the Ad-
ministration bill direct insult TO the city.
1t questioned The honesty of the people of
san francisco, who are justly indignant over
IL. lhlS bill enables the Governor to
appoint Commissioners from auy part
OF the State to rule San Fran
he had learned all he knew of the parties.
he was business man, and knew that
the business men of the city to man are
opposed TO this scheme for taking from tile
city the right of self-government These
Commissioners, picked UP from all over the
State, can come to the city and purchase
whatever they see fit, and run the city into
debt and all the city has to do is to put its
hand in the treasury and pay for it.
B.edsoe asked whether he people would
be satisfied il these Commissioners were
elected. The Mayor replied: " We don't
want TO speud $4,000 or $40 C0 for special
election, and We don't want TO live under the
present management for two years. If you
were 10 i've under II for two years your hair
would be white, l think the Board of Super
visors are the proper power to appoint"
BledsOe's amendment, which will be Of
lerrd to the bill when it comes up for
action tomorrow afternoon, provides that
the Fire Department shall be under the
supervision and control of a board OF Fire
Commissioners, consisting of FIVE members,
four elected IN November, 1892, and every
two cars thereafter. The Mayor OF the city
ss.~ll be an eX-OfiiCiO member and President
of the board within thirty days after its pas
sage, and the Mayor shall appoint members
Of tile board who shall hold office until the
next election. The impression prevails to-
night that the vigorous protest of the men
from San Francisco rang the knell of the Ad-
mlnlslratlon rule.
CONFIDENT OF VICTORY.
Colonel Burns and the adminstrationists
are as confident of victory as ever. They
held meeting after the adjournment of the
Ants" and decided to ament their bill so
that the Commissioners, if appointed by the
Governor, shall present their bills to the
City Auditor, as other city officials do, and
they will make any other change in their
bill requested, but will not change the sec
ton vesting the appointing power in the
Governor. Dibble will question the con-
stitn:ionality of their bill, and they will
reI ly with sustaining opinion from one OF
the most eminent lawyers in the State.
Colonel Burns was highly amused over the
plumbers made by the speakers who de-
nOunced the bill, because they said it gave
the Governor the power to appoint Commis-
sIoners from any part of the State, while
Section of the bill explicitly declares that
the Commissioners shall be residents OF the
county In which they are appointed to act
ELECTRIC MOTOR.
Some tremendous mistakes have recently
been made in the city and county of San
Francisco. Mayor Pond made a mistake
when lie vetoed the ordinance granting BART
Zell, J0Ost u Co. franchise to construct an
electric railway through the city. Mayor
SandersOn made hdeouS blunder when he
declared the overhead electric system dan
geTous; it is nothing of the kind. The
people of the city made an appalling error
when they protested against adding electric
motor wires to the network of telegraph,
teIephone and electric wires that ornament
the streets and enable fremen of an aero
batie turn Of mind TO display their agility
while cndeavoring to reach the blazing build
ing beyond. These ptiful blunderS of the
biz stupid city on She bay were blared in the
morning.
WHAT IS WANTED.
And who were the men that opened the
clty's eyes to behold its folly? We'll, there
was Brown. Brown of Calaveras; but not
Bret Harte's Brown of Calayeras. Brown
of Calaveras wanted Dibble's provision ex-
empting the city of San Francisco from the
b overhead system eliminated from the bill.
The working people of the city, he said,
wanted the electric road in order that they
could reach their places of employment at
trifilng expense Freeman, who is not from
San Francisco, but from Amador, intimated
that the railroad companies who are charg-
ing 10 cents for a ride from the city to the
ocean beach are at the bottom of the opposi-
ton TO the Electric Bill. Dennis of San
francisco replied that one could ride all day
Oh the Omnibus line for nickel, but the
rural legislators wanted to know if he dis
cerned anything green in their organs of
vision. Brusie-fery little untamed Brusie-
whom Robertson calls the tt-wilow of Sac
ramentO; Bruse, who will not wear naughty
Bill Dibbe's collar nor the wicked Burners
collar, had a list of prominent citizens and
he crushed the prominent" under a load OF
emphasis, who were frantic with fear lest
the mistaken citizens of San Francisco
should not have the privilege of riding on
cars moved by the overhead electric system
Robertson. who spoke against the electric
bills one day and voted for them the next,
spoke in favor of the electric system.
ADVOCATES OF THE BILL.
Then Bert of San Francisco joined the