The morning call., 1891-08-14
STRUCK A SNAG.
Why the Latest Job of the "POul-
flee" Ring Failed.
The San Francisco Paving Company and Its
Little Pull-one of Its Directors in the
Street Department.

From the developments which nave Deen
made there is every reason TO believe that
btumin0us-rock ring was at the bottom OF
the extraordinarily large order for work
which was passed by the Board of Super
yiSOTs at its last meeting and which was
rushed through in spite of the strenuous
objections Of Supervisors Ebert and Heyer.
When the resolution came up for passage,
Supervisor Ebert asked the reason of such
large order for street work, necessitating
the expenditure of over 100000 by the
properiy-owHers. He moved that the mat
ter be referred back to the Street Commit
tee, with instructions to investigate and
show the necessity of such quantity OF
street Improvements.
The Chairman of the Street Committee,
Supervisor Taber, arose and objected to
such a course. saying that the recommenda-
lions had been made by the Street Depart
ment, and that he presumed they were all
right
NO INYEsTIG ALTON.
Ellert's motion was lost In spite of his
claim that 1t was the duty OF the Street
Committee to investigate the streets them
selves and see that the improvements were
needed or desired by property owners. As
a result the recommendations Of the Street
Department. notwithstanding the admIs-
sion Of the Chairman of the Street Commit
tee that he had not Investigated the neces-
SHY for the improvements or consulted the
wishes of the prOperty-oYnerS, were all
passed
Then came a howl from the property
owners when they saw what had been done,
and protests piled mp in the clerks Office OF
the Board of Supervisors until almost every
one of the thirty blocks ordered to be ponl-
tice1 was the subject of a protest from in
ulguant taxpayers.
Their indignation was intensified when it
was discovered that it was proposed to lay
the puuitIce over streets which mad only
recently been macadamized at considerable
expense TO prOpeTty-Owners, on streets
which had no sewers, nor water or gas
pipes and on which there were no houses at
all.
INTERESTING EXAMPLES.
A. as Instance, il was proposed to lay
b.uWuaus rock on Steiner street, between
Post and Suffer- On neither side of this
block is there house, and in consequence
10 gas ana water pipes or sewers. On
great many of the streets some of these con-
dI;i0ns exist, and this would necessitate the
Tearing up of the expensive poultice every
lime house was built
What the citizens considered the greatest
outrage, and which some of them propose to
bring into the courts should the poulticing
process be persisted in, is that the city
could not accept the majority of the streets
even when the expensive pOultice was laid,
from the fact that a street in order to be
accepted must be properly severed aud
have gas and water pipes. This Is required
10y law. In all contracts for laying down
bitumlnous rock ii is expressly stipulated
that the street improved shall be acr epted
by the city before the prOperty-0wnerS are
liable fer assessments. As the law requires
sewers and gas and water pipes in streets
before they can be accepted, ii is clear that
the Supervisors could not let the proposed
contracts and hold the pr0perty-owners
liable. This is the view which is taken by
those Mho are acquainted with the statute
and ordinances bearing on the subject.
A NASTY JOB.
Under all these circumstances, the pas
sage OF the order and the recommendations
oil the Street Department for the work
were an occasion of considerable wonder.
This surprise has considerably abated,
however, since certain revelations have been
mede regarding the way the Street Depart
ment Is run, and the power which the vari-
Gus bItGmluOus-rock contractors are WELD
Ing in that branch of the city government.
On all sides there are strong scents of
nasty Job in the way the work was recon-
mtnded and the influences which were
brought to bear to accomplish that result.
Deputy Superintendent of Streets Owens
stated that the recommendations were made
because certain property-owners requested
them When asked, he was unable to give
their names, and the weakness OF his aSser-
hon IS easily. seen when one takes up the
fwenty-Seven protests filed out Of the thirty
blocks on which the work was ordered.
These protests represent over 200 property
owners.
THIS does not look like request from
prOpertv-Owners that the work should be
done. Ii is said that Owens was person.
ally opposed 10 the recommendations, but
that pressure was brought to bear on him
by the bituminOus-rOck contractors.
RING TACTICS.
The principal bituminous-rock company
most interested in the result is the
San Francisco Paving Company. This
SC oaid 70 hatra nal, u
ton with all the other companies with the
exception Of one When it came to getting
the contracts a certain price was to be
placed on the work and all we're to obtain
their share. The San Francisco Paving
Company Is stated to have no less sup
porter than Crimmins himself, who was to
furnish aud did furnish the pull which re-
suited in the work being recommended and
the resolutions passed by the Supervisors.
-. The company was incorporated on April
3, 1891, but within the last sixty days took
on a new lease Of life. and has shown itself
a power in the Street Department. Its Di-
IectoTs when incorporated were: George L..
Wilson, Edward c. Brown, James A. Har-
ney, Al j. Raisch and w. c. Raisch.
SPECIMEN BRICKS.
or these Harvey is the most energetic
Through the influence Of Crimmins he Sc
cured a place in the Street Department as
Deputy about two months ago. he is there
now, and draws from the city salary of
tie paving company. Al Raisch was in the
Street Department and is familiar with all
the details of the Office. The company,
however, secured another source of infiu-
ence in the employment of William Carnes
III their office. Carnes is son of Super
visor Carnes, who yields not a little in
fluence in the City Council.
With all these advantages of political
power, influence and pull, the San Francisco
Paving Company imagined it had the inside
"a Inhh hac ~
the evening sheet which poses as the official
organ, and the eyes of the stockholders of
that paper fairly watered in anticipation Of
the large sums they were 10 get for adver-
Using, which forms one Of the heaviest eX-
penses in all street work.
BUNGLED BADLY.
1t has been seen how easily the ring got
the work recommended and passed by the
board. But they bungled and showed mex
perience IN asking too much at once and IN
not selecting their streets more carefully.
As a result the property-oWners arose to
protect their rights. How the property
owners regarded the job may be seen from
the following list OF protests many of which
are very energetic in their language:
PROTESTS FILED.
Protest OF property owners against the having
feet
Protest against the paving of Suffer street,
between Baker aud Lyon, 5lS feet
Protest against The paving OF Suffer street, be.
tween Central avenue and Lyon, 535 feet.
Protest against tile paving OF Lyon street, be-
tween Bush and Suffer- 426 feet.
Protest against The paving OF Fulton street, be-
tween Fillmore and leiner. 549 feet.
Protest against the paving OF Post street, be-
tween Fillmore and Steiner, 6S2 feet.
Protest against the paving OF Fillmore street
between OFarrell aud Geary, 435 feet.
Protest against the paving OF the crossing OF
Fillmore aud Geary streets, 1161 feet.
Protest against the paving Of Pierce street be-
tween Post aud Suffer, 525 feet.
Protest against the paving of the crossing of
Suttrr ana 1 ierce streets, 1852 feet.
Protest against the paving Of Suffer street, be-
tween Scott and Devisadero, $50 feet.
Protest against the paving OF Post street. be-
tween Lyon and Central avenue 466 - feet
Protest against The paving OF Baker street, be-
tween Pine and Bush, $50 feet.
Protest against the laying of granite curbs on
toSt street, between Baker and Lyon, 100 feet
Protest against the paving OF Lyon street, be-
tween Post and Suffer, $50 feet.
Protest against the paving of Webster street.
between Pare Halt faat