The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-01
THE PAVING JOB.

SIX months ago the Street Department
recommended and the Street Committee
ordered the paving OF about two miles Of
streets with what IS commonly known as
the p0ul,ice pavement Included in the two
miles were many blocks which were unim-
proved. others which were only partially
improved. and others which had just been
macadamized under orders from the Street
Department. a8d were in fair condition and
likely 10 remain SO for several years. All
overwhelming majority of the property
owners who would have had to pay for the
proposed poultice protested against the at
tempt to rob them. and under the ET0om3n
Act the protests stopped action ter six
months That period is now expiring, and
the Street Department and the paving com
pany are preparing to 60 on with the work
in defiance al the wishes Of prOpeTty-OWn-
ers.
As preliminary step they have sued out
an Injunction against one Bingham, a con-
tractor, who proposed to compete with them
in laying b!tumiHous pavement The
ground of the Injunction is an assertion that
tie Pacific Paving Company holds a mOugp-
oily OF the right Of converting bitGmInOus
rock into material for pavement by the
steam process. II is alleged, On apparently
good foundation, that the claim is unten3-
he, that the process referred TO has been in
Use generally for many years, ana that no
ole can DOW assert monopoly Of it. How
ever this may be, the efecto Of the injunction
wu probably be to prevent the granting Of
contacts To Bingham for the present, and
10 enable the Pacific Paving Company to Sc
cure lie paving Of the two miles Of streets
IL Is proposed to pouluce.
1t cannot for moment be imagined thai
the parties who are to be the sufferers by
this operation VIII submit to il without an
appeal 10 TIE courts. 1t IS stated that the
profit Of the paving company viii be SIC0 a
ton for every ton Of bitumjnous rock laid
era million dollars for the job now under
taken, all Of which viii come oil. Of the
pockets Of Iot-0wuers, and will be a naked
addition TO their city taxes. At the time
the Job was first preached, six months ago.
THE CALL looked into The matter, and
published an account Of the company which
proposed to help itself TO this million. It
stated that the stockholders ana Directors
Of the company were prominent city poll
tciaDs, who did not own in their own right
q pound Of bituminoUs rock, and certain
clerks and attaches of tie departments. To
that statement no answer has ever been
made. and it may be assumed 10 be correct.
If these things can be proved to the salts
faction Of a Judge Of the Superior Court,
it is hardly 10 be doubted that law can be
found TO stop this latest enterprise Of the
bOodleIs. There are some j0Ls which are
too barefaced TO succeed.
The VT0oman Actw wisely designed to
prevent a single cuImudgeon from standing
10 tie way Of the Improvement Of the
locality in which he lived. Bat its author
th0ughtfuIy reserved to a majority Of
property owners on each block the right 10
determine whether, when and how they
would improve their streets. This TeserYa-
tiOn has been defeated by the city govern
ment As interpreted by the Supervisors,
the protest Of lOt-UwneTs only aYaIls 10 stop
expenditures on the street for six months
after that time they are pOWerle-s, and a
combination between TIE Street Depart
ment and the Street Committee can order q
block to be reUaved, atthe cost OF thousands
Of dollars, IN defiance Of the wishes Of every
l0t-oWuer on the block. There is an unfair
ness in this which Will strike every mind.
The late Senator Vrooman never for a
moment imagined that such consequences
would flow from the passage IF his act lie
would scarcely expose prCperty-owners TO
be taxed, at the pleasure Of the Street De
pariment, for the benefit Of contractors and
| paving companies or to turn loose a lot Of
politicians and hangers on Of the New City
Hall 10 fatlen On the plumber Of people who
! happened to have bought house and lot.
Still the job viii be carried into effect uu-
! less it is resisted vigorously and intelli-
! gently. The application Tor an injunction
against the only possible competitor in the
/ laying of bituminOus rock pavement shows
/ that the boodlers are in earnest, and pro-
! pose 10 lose 10 time.