The San Francisco call., 1895-05-21
The Majority Puts Through
the Bituminous-Rock
Job.
HOPE TO AVOID THE VETO.
But 1t Won't Work-A New Water
Resolution Sprung on the
Minority.

majority of them-smiled and smiled, and
put through the bituminous rock job as
serenely as though they believed it was a
public service they were doing.
1t was q wonderful thing to look at. After
seeing which one can better understand
how the criminal in the dock caught red
handed can yet look the court calmly in
the face and say he didn't do it.
Supervisor Hirsch deserted the crowd for
reasons which he gave to the CALL last
night.
1.-The resolution establishes a monopoly.
/ am convinced of that now, and / shall
not use the the power and privileges in
trusted to me by the people to foist mo-
nopoly upon them for which they are
liable to pay dearly. 1 am and always
shall be opposed to granting special privi-
leges and monopolies. That is why
voted no.
The other members of the board, Di-
mond, Hobbs, Spreckels and Taylor, who
have hitherto stood manfully for justice
and fair dealing on behalf of the City, were,
of course, against 1t. What was before an
'torder" came up late in the session yester-
day on the file of new business as ''reso-
luton" purporting to embody the recon-
mendations of the Superintendent of
Streets, as to the method and material
with which streets, proposed to be laid
with bituminous rock, should be built in
future.
These specifications have already been
printed and commented upon.
When the clerk read the resolutions en-
bodying these specifications to govern the
future street contractor, Hughes moved
the adoption.
Supervisor Taylor, in the chair, wanted
to know if it was the intention to move to
adopt or to pass to print.
Wagner arose and seconded the motion
"to adopt as he understood it. Hughes
agreed that that was what he meant.
Hobbs moved as an amendment that if
it be passed to print as important matter
of the kind it should go through the regular
form.
Hughes looked pleased, and said that this
resolution had eliminated all the OBJ
the late order. 1t was recommended by
the Street Superintendent, who, he said,
was capable man, and no one had ever
questioned his honesty, etc. This Su-
perintendent of Streets had asked the
Supervisors to pass such a resolution. He
wanted the rock to come to this City in its
natural state, SO that he could see what he
was getting. 1t had been alleged that it
could not be so shipped by water, because
it would have to be mined out of the boats
upon its arrival here. If it was shipped by
rail it had to be mined off the cars, so what
was the difference?
The objection offered to the late order
was that it provided that the bituminous
rock must contain no sand or gravel.
These specifications said it must contain
no coarse" sand or gravel. He thought
this difference was all that was to be de-
sired. 1t had come with recommends
ton OF the street committee also.
Mr.. Spreckels, chairman of that COM
mittee, took exception. Not as whole"
he said. Il, for one, of that committee
am opposed to it, -
Hirsch wanted to know if the specifica-
tions limited the supply of rock to any
certain person or persons.
Hughes said there were number of con-
tractors who could supply the rock desired.
Mr. Spreckels said the statement was
misleading, as it was not the fact.
Hobbs said that if Mr.. Hughes was SO
certain that this resolution was so entirely
innocent and withou. fault it was hard to
understand why he opposed its going to
print: The delay of one week which that
entalled could harm no one. The fact was.
he said, that these specifications were pos
itively identical with the order recently
vetoed by the Mayor. He has seen the two
printed side by side in the San Francisco
CALL and the only difference was few
sS "AiSSeCu tIC
Hughes replied that as Mr.. Hobbs had
seen the specifications in print he could
not see why he (Hobbs) wanted further
delay. He must know what it meant. and
if he was opposed to it why not vote it
down right now?
81 want this thing to go through the
mill as an ORDER" said Hobbs. "You are
right. I do know what it means. but /
know we have not enough votes to vote it
down."
At this the "other side'' smiled know
ingly and insisted on the question. The
roll was called on Hobbs motion and it
was defeated-King, Scully, Benjamin,
Hughes, bunker, Morgenstern and Wag-
ner voting no, and Hirsch, Dimond, Tay-
lor, Spreckels and Hobbs voting aye.
Then the motion to adopt the resolution
was carried by the same vote reversed.
The purpose of carrying the matter
through in the form of resolution was to
avoid the necessity of submitting it to the
Mayor for his signature, as they hold that
resolution differs from an ordinance in
this respect and cannot be vetoed.
Yesterdays session was full of surprises,
although this action in the bituminous
rock matter was scarcely a surprise, as it
was well known what was to be done.
AS the clerk ceased reading the min utes
Morgenstern, chairman of the Water Com
mil u-hn