The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-22
DENOUNCED THE COMBINE,
Residents South of the Park
Speak Their Minds
Freely.
Senator Perry Recalls Past History.
Gaden's Opinion of Winnings
Move.

1t was large, intelligent and enthu-
siastic gathering which assembled at +. w.
M. Lange's residence, 1877 Carl street, last
night to express its opinion of the Market
street Railway combine and say what it
thought of the withdrawal of the electric
cars from the Clayton, Waller, Cole and
Carl streets branch.
The gathering was composed of residents
who have built pretty and cozy homes
south OF Golden Gate Park and on Ash
bury Heights, and who had been led in the
| past to indulge in the fond hope that all
they would have to do to reach their
homes after the tedious cares of the day
would be to board q car that might take
them almost to their very doors. They
had been led to think so by the conditions
under which the old Metropolitan Com
pany's franchise was granted.
Ex-senator George III. Perry told what
those conditions were last night. He was
attorney for that company at the time and
was competent to talk. He SAID in SUBJ
stance:
When we went before the Board of Super
visors with our petition for franchise we
were met by the opposition of the Market
street Railway Company. That company COM
PEELED us to accept these conditions, namely:
That we would give q ffteen-minute service,
build the first mile within six months, build
out to the ocean within three years, and pay 2
per cent OF the receipts into the City treasury.
We had 10 yield, and you know what has fol-
lowed. The ffteen-minute service condition
has evidently been forgotten by the Market
street Railway Company, VIII ich has succeeded
to the possession of the franchise, for the cars
have been taken off altogether.
This opened the eyes of his auditors and
prepared them for what was to follow
from George T. Gaden. Mr.. Gaden "sized
up" the whole situation thus.
There is only one excuse which the Market
street Railway Company offers for taking off
these cars and that is that of Mr.. Vining, that
they did not pay. Now, it is well known that the
is really minor consideration with the street
railway combine; what 1t actually regards as
OF consequence is the value of this franchise as
piece Of aanpe 81 ha property and the .5 p
section is all built up as 1t will be.
The snimus behind the taking off of these
the value of the magnificent site offered by
Mayor sutro for the Affiliated Colleges. 1t is q
piece of petty spite work against Mr.. Sutro-a
little bit of contemplate revenge.
A year and three months ago Huntington
defed Mr.. Sutro to reduce the car fare to the
ocean to five cents. Mr.. Sutro has done so and
takes this method of getting back at Mr.. Sutro
If the Affiliated Colleges and the Sutro Lii
brary are built out here it win cause a fine
class of people to come here and build homes
a large number of literary people who like
esthetc surroundings, and can appreciate
fully the influences of nature which here
will double the price of property within five
years easily. 1t will do for this section what a
similar character of home-builders have done
for Pasadena.
The fact of the matter is the combine has
possession of the franchise and now proposes
to hold on to it without fulfilling its conditions
while waiting for the property-owners TO build
up. this section and make its line valuable
without any expense to the Narket-street
Railway Company.
Mr.. Gaden then offered the following
resolutions, which were unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That we, citizens of South Side, in
mass-meetiDg assembled. do hereby solemnly
protest against the withdrawal of the car SER
vice from Waller, Carl, Cole and Clayton
streets as wholly unjustifed by any public
facts.
If any facts do exist for such withdrawal,
then they are not apparent to our common
view, and We demand that the company shall
at once make such an exposition of its reasons
sity.
This section is a growing one, and we have
made our Investments and built our homes on
the assumption that the cars would continue
Tor our accommodation.
We regard the recent conduct OF the Market
street Railway Company, in relation to said
owners and fragrant act of villainous faith
against this municipality.
We condemn the vicious and tyrannic policy
| OF the company that at all times follows greed
| as its guide and tramples popular rights in the
dust to carry out its acts of malice.
we believe that malice was the only motive
name of the City we object to being made its
victims.
We do not desire to be sacrificed to satisfy its
spite against public benefactors.
! f(eSOtUe6, five citizens
and the same is hereby appointed, to investi-
gate the legal status of the franchise and its
seeming abandonment, with authority to take
such proceedings as may be requisite to secure
renewal of car service by the company, or, in
case that cannot be done, by some other organ
lzat1on ready and prepared to accommodate us.
Afterward, at the suggestion of R. T.
Harding, who advised conciliatory tactics,
| q portion of the first resolution, supposed
to be objectionable. was Withdrawn until
the committee had had an opportunity to
confer with the heads of the combine.
Chairman George w. Hansbrough APP
pointed as the committee Messrs. F. w.
M. Lange, w. Fl. Jones, Secretary D. L.
Westover, R. T. Harding and Eugene M.
Fritz, and il is to report at the next meet
ing, next Wednesday evening.
1t came out before the meeting ad
lourned that the Market-street Railway
Company was having petition circulated
| for signatures out there asking for half
hour service. A letter from Snperinten-
| dent Vining was read in which he said
that the two cars when they were running
did not pay the expenses of one, and pro-
posed that half-hour service be given be-
tween and A. M. and $3.50 and IL 80 p. NJ.
The petition had been drawn up accord
ingly.
Mr.. Gaden pronounced Mr.. Winnings let
ter "piece of brazen impudence," and
Senator Perry recalled that this was the
act OF the company after it had secured
the franchise, laid the track, bonded the
road and SOLD the bonds.'
At Bremen, the largest sailing.ship afloat
has Just been completed. She is called the
iotosi' rs hye-master, S94 feet long, 80