The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-27
CALLED It A sW|NDLE,
Sharp Comment of the Super
visorS on Bad Street
Work.
REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT
A Contractors Job to Rob Property
Holders Discovered on Guer-
zero Street.

"The work done is simply outrageous
for the attempted swindle on the property
owners"
That is the way the Street Committee of
the Board of Supervisors answered the
petition of J. Sidney Henderson yesterday
to have Guerrero street, between Eight
zenith and Nineteenth, accepted.
The work done is one of the worst jobs
that has been caught going through the
Street Department in long while. Sew
eral attempts have been made to wedge it
up to the cashiers window OF the City
treasury, but cload of suspicion hung
over the Work and it was always success
fully blocked on the excuse that some day
it would be examined.
The work was begun under Street Super
intendent Ackerson and was accepted
under Superintendent of Streets Ashworth.
Last February Superintendent of Streets
Ashworth recommended it's acceptance to
the Street Committee, but the members
put him off, saying they wanted to look
into the matter. Last week he again
recommended its acceptance and urged
that speedy action be taken in the matter.
Supervisor Spreckels picked him up and
detailed his special agent, George w.
Elder, to examine and report on the con-
dition of the work done. Elder returned
blistering report and produced samples of
the concrete. and bitumen used on the
street work to back up his charges. He
found the bitumen to be Ia inches in
thickness, where it should have been 81
inches thick. The concrete was of such
poor material that it crumbled when
punched. On Elders recommendation the
Street Committee unanimously rejected
and condemned the work as being the
poorest kind OF a job.
J. Sidney Henderson's petition was
tersely Endorsed as follows:
The committee reports against the accept
anoe OF the street work on the ground that 1t is
simply outrageous. Under no consideration
can this street pavement ever be accepted.
The foundation shows no solid concrete work
and the contractor is not entitled to receive
81 for the tempted swindle On the property
owners. In It's present condition the street
will never be accepted.
Behrend Joost submitted petitions for
two franchises through territory leading to
the new racetrack near lngleside. One of
them was by way OF Stanyan, l. Sullivan
and j streets and Ninth avenue to the San
Miguel Rancho. The other was by way of
Acadia street, Sunnyside avenue, Foster
street and Flood avenue. He said he
would be willing TO pay $500 each for the
franchises, but of course the committee
could not entertain the proposition in that
shape. The franchises must be regularly
bid for. Joost was asked to appear be-
fore the committee with his maps next
week.
The bid of the City Street Improvement
Company to put in the sewer through the
Preside for 1899 was ordered recon-
mended.
The protest of the Spring Valley Water
Company against lowering the grade at
street six feet, as urged by Mayor Sutro
aud Capitalist Doyle, ended in a compro-
mise. The grade will be lowered three
feet, so as not to necessitate a change in
the laying OF the big pipe of the water
company.
Action on the five petitions sent in from
residents and i'm provement clubs south of
Golden Gate Park went over two months.
All the petitions called attention to the
great damage done to the property by last
winters rains. Petitioner asked that the
City Engineer be directed to make the
necessary examinations, surveys, maps,
ETC., in order to recommend a system of
sewers and grades for the district
City Surveyor Charles s. Tilton called
attention to his report filed last June that
it would cost $11 900 to do the work.
Several large property-owners stoutly
opposed the work. A NUM- Der of small
property owners present were in favor of it.
Some of the property-owners were in favor
of expanding 900 on the surveys. The
commission decided to put the whole mat
ter over two months with view to the
parties most interested coming to better
understanding.
Contractor H. J. Jackson did not succeed
in getting his contracts rescinded on bids
for sewering crossings on Sixteenth street.
Jackson complained that the prices of ma
terial had gone ND since he got the con-
tract. 1t came out that Jackson did not
need more than barrel OF cement for his
work also that instead of having soft
ground to dig he had encountered rock.
Jackson had put up checks to guarantee
his contract and the committee ruled to
hold him to it,
The fences ohstructinp Van Ness ayenua