The San Francisco call., 1895-08-02
THE STREET COMMITTEE,
Jordan'S Protest Against Dis
elimination Not Under
stood.
THEY WANT HIM TO EXPLAIN.
Mayor Sutro's Call for the Repeal
of the "Rattler" Test Is
Ignored.


Supervisors yesterday disposed of guam
tity of important business. 1t was the last
meeting of the committee before adjourn
ment and when it adjourned last evening
it was for long jump-to September 10.
1t was expected that there would be
discussion upon the protest of James G.
Jordan, president of the Jordan Bitumin-
Gus Rock and Paving Company, against
the discrimination shown in depriving
him of a chance to compete for the work
proposed to be paid for by public funds"
Mr.. Jordan filed his protest some days
ago with the clerk of the board. and it
was presented at Mondays meeting. 1t
was this communication that Supervisor
Dimond asked to have read in the open
meeting and which reading Supervi sor
Hughes, by his objection, headed off, for
in such a matter there must be unani-
nous consent. 1t was then referred to the
Street Committee.
J. w. Mcdonald and others of the air
tight combine were present yesterday
morning to have a hand in any fight that
might develop, probably, but as the parties
protesting had nothing to add to the writ
ten protest they retired. The protest is as
follows:
To the Honorable the Board of Supervisors Of the
City and County of San francisco: As road build
ing is no longer IN an experimental stage, and
as any one who has studied the subject knows
that good foundation is the first essential to-
ward producing a durable and satisfactory
superstructure, desire to call the attention OF
your honorable board to the fact that the pres
ent macadam foundation on Van Ness avenue
is not q suitable toundatl0n fOr Dltum1nouS
rock pavement.
An estimate has already been submitted to
you showing that it will cost .021 cents per
for the first seven years. The next seven years
will require at least double that amount. The
repairs for fourteen years. the life of an average
bituminous pavement, will amount to about
.O6 cents per square foot, and at the end of that
period there will be nothing to show for the
money expended and during the above named
period the pavement can never be in good con-
dition owing to the nature of the foundation.
If q substantial concrete foundation is laid
under the bitumen it will have cost no more at
the end of fourteen years, and, besides having
had smooth pavement during that time, you
have an everlasting foundation for future
coverings.
AS citizen and taxpayer protest against
using public funds for make-shift pavement.
l also protest against the unlawful appro-
priation of 85 cents per lineal foot for laying
granite curbs on Steiner stree t, between Fulton
and Grove, and % cents per square foot for
basalt-block pavement on the same street,
when the contractor to whom this work is
given (without compedtion) is bidding 90
cents for curbs and II cents for basalt pave
ments when competing for the work in public
contracts, and l desire to call the attention of
your honorable board for comparison to the
public contract for paving the adjoining block
on Steiner street, from Fulton TO McAllister,
with bituminous rock for 1S4 cents per square
foot.
The same contractor is given 80 cents for
curbs and % cents for bitumen pavement on
Steiner street, between Washington and jack
son, when the adjoining block, Jackson street
from Steiner to Pierce, was let at public con-
tract for 6S cents for curbs and 10 cents
for paving.
The same contractor is given the contract to
pave Clay street from Steiner to Pierce and he
is allowed S5 cents for curbS and % cents for
paving, Notwithstanding that this block can be
prepared for the pavement at less cost than
the above-named block on jackson street,
directly opposite.
The same contractor is given 81 cents per
square foot for paving on Vallejo street, be-
tween Octavia and Laguna, and 27A cents for
paving on the crossing OF Vallejo and Laguna
streets.
The crossing of Broadway and Octavia street,
one block distant, was let to the San Francisco
Paving Company at public contract for 1917
cents.
You have directed the Superintendent of
Streets to enter into contract with the San
Francisco Paving Company to curb and pave
Fell street, from Baker to Stanyan, eight
blocks, for 85 cents for curbs and 2313 cents
for bitumen pavement. The public contract
price for work in the same neighborhood has
been as follows: Haight street, from Lyon to
Lott rs cents for curb and 20 cents for paving;
d street, from Fourth TO Eighth avenues, 90
cents for curb and 1S15 cents for paving.
The City's portion OF the work above enumer-
ated will cost over $4,000 more if done under
the private contracts you have authorized the
Superintendent of Streets to sign than it would
cost to do the work if let by public contract, as
the street law directs that all City work shall
be let
l formally protest against the discrimination
shown in depriving me of chance to compete
for the work proposed to be paid for by public
funds. JAMES G. JORDAN,
For the Jordan Bituminous Rock and Paving
Company.
San Francisco, July 20, 1895.
The paper was filed with an invitation
inscribed upon its cover, inviting Mr.. Jor-
dan to appear before the committee at its
meeting of September 19 and "explain
what he means by discrimination"
Now. ordinarily the Street Committee
| is very stolid. staid and busy body of
men. This is its first known attempt at
! joking, but this effort rose up like a levia-
| than, mature. full blown upon the instant
| to stand out forever in the history of all
City Hall jests; broke away and went bel
| lowing up and down the echoing corridors
| all the afternoon; indeed, to-day, this
morning, no doubt, one can still hear the
| hollow reverberations of that abounding
| guffaw as the high and dark recesses of the
| great pile still tremble with its astonished
merriment.
| Oh that was rare jest; ''explain what
he means by discrimination" oh, hush,
| hush that is too much.
Then Mayor Sutro's communication.
pointing out the evils of the rattler test.
| how it creates distinct monopoly and
how it works harm to the streets by stand
| ing in the way where citizens desire to put
down macadam road, for which the hard
blue rock is not at all adapted, was taken
up for action. 1t asked for the repeal of
this clause in the street building speci-
| fications.
~ don't see why we should repeal this
clause said Supervisor Hughes, who pre-
| sided in the absence of Chairman Spreck-
els. "That clause was framed originally
by the last board out of its experience. /
don't think we ought to repeal it."
And they didn't repeal it, of course.
Mr.. Hughes remarks were 'enough said !"
| SO to speak.
The others, Morgenstern, bunker and
Benjamin, simply smiled and nodded, and
the clerk accordingly wrote upon the back
the word against" and threw it on the
pile.
Was it case of strange coincidence that
brought battalion of property-owners
into the room the very next moment. all
OF them pleading, as a great favor, saying
that 1t would be great favor to them if
the honorable committee would be so kind