The morning call., 1892-07-31
Sixteenth-Street Property.Owners
On Their Mettle.
Effective Resolutions Passed Last Night.
Action Taken to Reject the Report and
Remove the Commissioners

ODtaln seats. 1ue meeting was splendlQy
handled and there was no jarrlug element
| to interfere with the Guaniminty that pre-
vailed.
Captain Taylor took the platform and
briefly referred to the object of the meeting,
which was to discuss what action should be
taken in regard to the Infamous assessment
for the extension of Sixteenth street. He
characterized it as an act of robbery. He
| had been assessed for improvements before,
but he never heard of such an audacious
act of obbery either here or anywhere else
as TINS was. The idea of assessing proper
| ty-Owners on the south for the extension Of
the street to the Cliff House as against
| reason and comm on-sense. 1t was for the
meeting TO appoint permanent chairman.
EX-Superyis0r Jefferson q. James was
unanimously elected permanent chairman,
| aud +. j. Mcnamara secretary.
Mr.. James, VINO on taking the chair was
greeted with great applause. said that they
should discuss the matter quietly and dis
| passiOnately. The present Board of Super
viSors was not at fault, and they should go
! to them and ask their help. The assessment
was barefaced piece of robbery, and they
would see 10 1t that il was not put through.
| Applause. 1t must be reduced very con-
slderaby The extension would injure
! rather than benefit The south part OF the
| Mission
!
On motion a committee on resolutions.
| cons sting Of MesSrs. John Center, A. 7.
| Van Duzer, Captain Taylor, Isaac y. Thorn.
| DAVE and Devaney. was appointed. and re-
| tired 10 make its report.
! Captain Smith thought they should have
/ another committee appointed to examine the
| assessments. He had not been able TO 90
! through them carefully, but he had seen
enough &c convince hiiitt ss: ~: :;;sss
was an o stroelous one; One property was
| property of the same nature. In fact there
were discrepancies OF as much as 100 per
! cent on the line Of the street. These
matters should very properly be inyesti-
! gated and remonstrance laid before the
board. Then, in regard 10 damages, he had
| found 2CO per cent damages allowed in ex-
| cess or the actual value of the property
/ Persons in this way were actually benefited
ana NOT damaged by receiving an excessive
amount as damages 1t was prudent they
should be prepared with all these facts so as
10 present their arguments in;elligently
before the board. Applause
a. Is Mcguire moved that a conference
or advisory committee be appointed to In-
Nest!gate these matters as suggested by
captain Smith between now and the special
meeting of the board on Tuesday night.
he motion was adopted.
j. \. Ayre explained what had been done
the previous night as to the acce rtauce of
the reduction for Seventeenth street. He
was interested in this steal for Sixteenth
street. but the proper name for it was a
sWlndle. Applause. 1t was high time TO
draw the line and fight this thing to the
bitter end; In fact. fight them all. Zap
plauseI At least they must get the assess
ment reduced, as there was no way OF get
ting out OF paving something.
ID. II. WilSOn-Ies. there is. Applause
A CROWD OF $500
Nj. AyTe-lt would be a grand idea for
JO30 OF them TO meet and march down to the
board meeting on Tuesday night.
Mr.. Wilson said that he had been suf-
fereT from these sehemers and blacklegs for
the past two years and four months. TAp-
plause.I lie had teen fighting them right
along but could not ma Ike any heRdway till
now. lie had protested and protested tn
Dave Barry, head OF the Solid Nine ted
him TO stop his protests, as they would get
the work done. He would yet show them
enough Of points TO set aside their reports
and he would not pay one cent. GGrear an
piause.I IL was altogether unlawful and
unjust and IL would not be long Def ore the
law WAS repealed. He had case pending
| in the court and he looked for e favorable
decision. The Commissioners had been in
| collusion with the Solid Nine TO put the
| property-owners in this hole and they had
| acted like a lot Of bloodhounds, These
| people lad been selling lots 10 poor, misin-
/ formed people and afterward fencing in the
| lots again. Laughter.J 30 eager were they
TO make money tina: they sold the lots on
| the installment plan or any other way
| PToperiy-owners were bound 10 follow these
! lands sharks up and send them back 10 the
gopherholes where they belong. lGreat
| laughter.
Major MeKinne said he would be there to
! oppose the scheme on Tuesday night. The
/ reason why the north had not been assessed
was owing % the influence of the Southern
! Pacific and the Spring Valley Company so
as not 10 include their properties. He be-
! lieyed they had 10 thank these corporations
! for being saddled with this assessment.
Harry Please characterized the assessment
/ inf -. II.
greatest schemes he had ever heard Of for
! defrauding the people and jropardizlng
| their property. The Commissioners should
lie given free passes TO lunatic asylum.
| lLaughterJ 10 assess a lot at SIG on the
| direct line OF travel and a similar lot At
! Nineteenth ana Castro streets at SIG 60 was
| a glaring iece OF Injustice and robbery.
| fApplsuse.l More than that, on one corner
| of Seventeenth and Castro lot was as
sessed al SO 60 and the lot on III e opposite
| corner at $500.
NOT IN A woBKMANLIKE MANNER.
Did that look as IL the Commissioners
| had done their work in workmanlike
| manner? IL was most flaring and das-
| tardly inconsistency for the board to honor
the work of the Commissioners. Applause
| If this assessment was adopted a cloud
| would be placed on their property AID il
| would be utterly impossible for the owners
! 10 lift 1t, and they would be sold out. 1t
was one of the grandest steals ever con-
| ceved IN The brain OF man. lApplau'e.J
| Seventeenth street had agreed TO give 80 per
| cent Of the steal. They were so scared, so
| tOrmented and harTied that they thought 1t
better to get cut half whole than be de-
| stToyed entirely. Every one in the hall
should ma Ike it point TO take three others
along on Tuesday night and present such
| body OF well-dressed citizens before the board
| as to strike terror into the hearts OF the
I Supervisors. [Great applause.l He attaeked
Sutro, Joost and Center for conniving to
get the scheme through so as to increase
| the value OF their barren property on the
| hill, and that they only wanted the street
put on the maps. as it would not be graded
| for 60 years.
The chairman objected TO such charges
being leveled against Mr.. Center and Mr..
| Sutro, as they were both protesting against
this assessment. He thought it a little I'M
| just 10 speak of them in that way.
A. L. Van Duzer deprecated such wild
enthusiasm. 1t was good to have it. but
not IN that way. lie coul tell them that
the Supervisors were just as enthusiastic
| rs the property owners to do away with
the Commissioners. but the law would not
allow II. They might 60 in large numbers
TO the board to oyerawe 1t, but it would
not do much good. He was interested in
| this assessment, and he had carefully
studied the act till he almost knew 1t by
heart.
| MIGHT HAVE SAVED EXPENSE.
Regarding Seventeenth street, the prop
| ivy -o"hcis HikHt nave saved their attOI-
| nry expenses, as the Supervisors had told
him before the protest was flied that they
would cut down the assessment one half.
Al the streets. FIVE In number, round about
van Ness avenue, had been assessed at
! S162,c00, and for this one street-Sixteenth-
| The assessment was S343 OOO He had gone
10 the Commissioners for information, and
was practically told to mind his own bust
ness. lie made Ii his business, and on these
ave streets tina assessment had been re-
a mt H. a hn
found the commission had allowed all
along the Hip track from 81 80 to So