The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-04
His PotrerO-Avenue Game
Denounced.
AN EXTENSION COMMISSION.
1t Provides a Sack in literature of
a Contingent Fee for the
Supervisors.

| Gently railroaded through the Board of
| Supervisors for the extension of Potrero
| avenue.
They propose to protest most vigorously
against the recent proceedings, aud have
added j. c. Bates to their counsel for the
purpose of fighting the matter TO the court
| of last resort.
1t was determined TO apply for a writ of
| certiorari to review the action OF the board
in con firmipg the report of the commission.
and abundant funds were subscribed by the
| interested protestants.
Since Supervisor Taber rushed the matter
through the "miik in the cocoanut" has
| thoroughly come to light
He, with MessrS. Roy and Hayward, owns
the San Mateo Dairy. to which point Po-
| trerO avenue will go when extended, pro-
vided the scheme is successful.
This will Of course give them greater
| facilities for putting their produce directly
on the San Francisco market. and induced
Taber, of course, 10 use his influence to that
| end.
In the first place, dsintrrested engineers
pronounce the road to be impracticable. Ii
crosses three or four ranges OF high bills
| and as many marshes, and the amount of
money required to complete the work
would buy all the property along the route
to the extent OF three or four blocks on
| either side.
The magnitude OF this job Is really with
out parallel in the history OF street extern
sion commissions, which is saying good
deal. indeed.
Careful estimates which have been sub
| mitted to the committee having the matter
in charge show that the cost OF doing the
work contemplated would be over 81 ,00o-
600 in clean coin.
But before anything was done the COM
mission reported, asking for 1912 202 67
10 begin with. which sum was simply
10 purchase the right-of-way and pay the
| three Commissioners and their hired help.
The contingent fund was placed at S19,-
9S7 So. which. like all contingent funds,
Will 90 where the w00done twinetn, as
jim Fisk used TO say.
The report OF this wonderful commission
came mp at special meeting of the board
held on the 22d Of last month.
The lobby was crowded with pr0teStants
who were only too anxious to get hear
ing. A few OF them were allowed 10 make
statements and the remainder were sienced.
though there were half dozen different
protests on file against the confirmation Of
tie report OF the commission.
When the last property-owner had con-
cluded bis remarks, Supervisor Taber drew
forth a resolution, cut and dried, and sent it
up TO be read.
the commission be confirmed without modi-
hcaiioD. Eight votes carried the PROPOSE
tien, and. TO the dIsmay of The property
owners, all was over.
In furtheranee of the job, the commission
had its duplicate report fled with the
Superintendent of Streets bright and early
the following morning, so that tie Doodle
could be collected without delay.
The snap judgment of the board was
puFpesely taken at a special meeting TO
head of any possible legal steps that the
praperty-Owners might take.
! The Importance OF this haste in the matter
| is apparent when it is noted that Taber's
term of Office expires with this month, and
I tt, toll
job hopeless should il be DELAYED until the
next board comes In, and there would be no
Doodle from this particular job to divide.
Another gross injustice was the refusal OF
the board TO give the professionals hearing
| they asked for In the protest signed by
nearly 400 on November 10 last. which
| specifically charged fraud In the formula
ton of the Commissioners report; also that
great discrimination had been used and
that The expenses of The commission were
equal to highway robbery. In the protest
the property owners asked for reasonable
time in which 10 present evidence in sup
port OF their charges.
This had the effect OF causing additional
haste, as it was feared that the proof was
too strong and would utterly annihiate the
plan Of Mr.. Taber.
Among the overcharges the bill of Sur
veyor O'Shaughnessy for $1,000 Is cited,
which he put in for making amap of the
district, whereas it Is asserted that he made
no survey of the proposed work, but simply
compiled from an official map in the As
SCISSORS Office and such private maps as he
could borrow.
The property owners have offered 10
prove and still offer 10 prove that he made
no surveys whatever. and that the $1,000
map is nothing more nor less than copy Of
! maps already IN existence.
The extreme lIberality Of the commission
with other peoples money IL shown In the
contingent allowance of SIC. 9o7 80. which,
it claims. will accrue Subsequent to the
hling Of the report with the Board Of Super
| visors.
At the meeting yesterday those present
were open IN their expressions TO the effect
that the money was simply sack TO assure
the confirmation of the report by the board
and aid certain members In their final
''clean up"
Father Seaman Of st. Jossph's Church Is
one OF the most vigorous of the opposers of
the Taber deal, and declares that he will
not stop until all legal remedies have been
exhausted.
Attorney Smith, who has been delving
into the subject, remarked in explanation
to the committee: This vast expenditure of
money only secures for you the street. An
additional outlay Of money for paving. curb
ing and sewerage will be required, In order
that 1t may be pu. in condition for the pub
lie use. and all this without any proportion
ate, or, in fact any benefit 10 you whose
property is already Of easy access. anu yet
YOU VIII have to bear oDeeighth OF the bur-
den.
1.-The price paid for this land and I'M prove
ments taken for the street and subject TO
condemnation amounts to the sum Of $780,
553 "a This sum is more than three times
the assessed valuation OF the lands and i'm
| provements so taken, and is inequita BILE
and unjust. For instance, condemned lot 4
has been awarded by the commission
S5172 90. although with Improvements it is
assessed for only S1740. Condemned lot 3
has been awarded $1,000. although with its
improvements it has been assessed for only
$3.50 Condemned lot 6 has been awarded
$6S15, and with its improvements stands as
srssed al $4,000. and so on"
After giving considerable data the attor-
ney resumed:
"The charge Of $500 for three commits
sIoners was excessive giving them $500 per
month for nine months work. Their iabors
could have been done in six months time if
their entire time had been devoted to the
work OF the commission"
The charges of the surveyor were given
an overhauling. and the $500 bill for
searching records was denounced as All out
rage. The appraisers bill Of $1,000 was de-
nounced rs n raw robbery, as such pay
amounted to 1888 per month.
The entire bill OF charges was gone
through with and 1t was determined that a
any section of the city aud county OF San
Francisco since It's foundation.
What Father Seaman and many others
regard as the eliminating outrage Is the
putting OF the avenue unnecessarily through
block at Ninth and Brannan streets In
order TO bring great number of property
owners within the assessment district and
make them pay unnecessary tribute.
The cut furthermore ruins valuable
block by cutting off from it a small corner.
LII the writ Of review is granted the rop-
erty-owners feel confident of anuulling the
work OF this board. the matter will come
up before the succeeding board.
YOUNG JESSUP'S ESCAPADE.