The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-21
CLEMENT ATTACKS JOOST,
Inc Lawyer Sharply Criticizes
the Electric Railroad
Man.
Inc Regular Battle Over the San
Mateo Railway Franchise
EnliVened.

Inc tlme-honored application of the
San Francisco and San Mateo Railway
Company for an extension of its franchise
to enable it to build to the ocean was be-
tore the Street Committee of the Board of
supervisors yesterday, with the customary
large representation of interested people,
The arguments that have been advanced
time and again against the petition were
gone over IN large part without variation
until Henry n. Clement took the floor
against it. His reasons were terse and
personal. He said:
Il would ask the honorable board to re-
fuse this application for the reason that
Behrend Joost. the president of the road,
who applies for it, is entirely Irresponsible
lie Is untrustworthy, without character,
and violates every obligation that
he assumes. / challenge these men
who speak for the petition to pro-
duce one man who will guaran-
tee that he will fulfill the condi-
tons of the franchise if you grant it to
him. He has neither money nor ability to
10 so. He could not build single block
of the railroad. Within this very hour a
man asked him to perform some piece of
work required by previous contract, and
he told him simply TO 20 to - That is
the kind OF man he Is. He is the most
successful man ever saw in antagonizing
the property-owners along his line. The
company is bankrupt 1t couldn't meet a
judgment of $3.50. L have some against it
in the Superior Court. The cars are the
noisiest, most shackelty-bang affairs any
one ever saw. The company defaults on
all its obligations. 1t has not paid the .
per cent of its gross earnings to the CITY as
required The application should not be
granted"
A representative of the receiver said that
the per cent had been paid-that there
was just one payment backstanding that
had fallen due recently. He also said the
service and cars were being improved as
rapidly as possible.
Mr.. Clement admitted that the receiver
had improved things.
An owner of property in Noe Valley
took exception to Mr.. Clements remarks.
He said he had cast ridicule on Mr. Joost
uniustly and that he himself and many
others wanted the road extended.
Mr.. Joost in his own behalf said he
would take as much of the extension of his
franchise as the board would grant, that is
to say if he could not get it all. He had
asked for two branches and hoped one at
least would be granted. He said he was
not and had not been a railroad man, but
that he had had much experience with his
road and believed that he was now a first
class railroad man. He hoped the road
would be out of the receivers hands in
few months.
With regard to Mr.. Clements personal
attack he had nothing to say except that
he (Clement) would have been his attor-
ney if he had had money enough to en-
ploy him. AS it was he appeared for the
Southern Pacific.
That he appeared for the Southern Pa
cifc Mr. Clement denied. He did not say
just who he did appear for other than
himself. for he said, he had property out
that way and was personally interested
President Denver of the Eureka Valley
and Corbett Road Improvement Club OPP
posed the petition. He said that Mr..
Joost had treated the people out that way
so badly and caused depreciation of their
property to such extent that they hoped
no further extension of the franchise would
be granted.
The matter was held over still another
week.