The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-02
MONOPOLY ORDER PASSED
Eight Supervisors Favored the
Bituminous Rock
Outrage.
WILL MAYOR sUTRo SIGN IT 2
The Board Has Ordered an Inquiry
Into the Affairs of the
Sutro Road.

-
The bituminous rock order of the Super
visors was settled at the meeting OF the
board yesterday afternoon, as it was hoped
it would be, but it was not settled right.
Therefore, according to the spirit of the
time, it was not settled.
r Eight members of the board voted for the
order: Joseph King, Peter A. Scully, c. e.
BENJAMIN, Alphonse Hirsch, E. c. Hughes,
Chris bunker, A. w. Morganstern, Edward
L. Wagner.
Four members voted against tying the
city up to Southern Pacific monopoly in
the matter OF securing the bituminous rock
for its city streets: Joseph l. Dimond, G.
L. Taylor, A. B. Spreckels, J. K. G. Hobbs.
And now it remains to be seen what the
Mayor will do in the matter. Should he
veto it the four who voted against the order
would certainly sustain him., and this
would be sufficient to overthrow it as nine
votes are. necessary to pass an. ordinance
over ayeto.
In the re port of the; Street Committee a
long argument was incorporated on behalf
of the order and q resolution indorsing
was added. At the conclusion of its read
ing Supervisor Hughes, not waiting for the
chairman of the committee, as is usual in
such cases, quickly moved its adoption.
Chairman Spreckels as quickly offered
an amendment excepting the resolution.
Mayor Sutro, under misapprehension,
put the question on the adoption OF the re-
port, and Mr.. Spreckels asked for a roll
call, and thevot on this was the same as
above. n o exception was taken to the fact
that the question was not put on the
amendment as it was apparent that the
result would have been the same land, be-
sides, the main question was to come up
later on the order itself, as it did, with the
result stated. III. u 49,.
Mayor. Sutro submitted the following
communication to the board with regard TO
the theft of O block on 0'Farrell street by
the Market-street Railway Company on
Saturday: "
To the Honorable the Board Of Supervisors of the
City and County Of San Frdncfsco- ENTLEMEN:
On: Saturday March 80, information reached
me that the Market-street Railway Company
had seized d block on O'Farrel1 street, between
Scott and DeYisadero; and had proceeded to
tear up the street and lay rails thereon, with
ont authority of law, as it has a franchise for
only q portion OF said block. -.
AS Mayor of the city requested the Supertnten-
dent OF Streets TO stop the work. He dispatched
a deputy 10 the place and gave due notice to
the men 10 quit. They did leave the work, but
no sooner had the deputy turned his back than
the men resumed, OF which was promptly in
formed by telephones l then proceeded TO the
spot myself and requested the Chief of Police
to send a squad OF his men, W hieh he promptly
did.
Before the arrival of the police gave notice
10 the foreman of the gang that they were I'M
lawfully engaged and that they must quit, to
which they paid no attention. After the police
arrived l again gave. notice that they must
quit, If not they would be arrested; thereupon
they took up their tools and left. The police
have been in charge ever since, and no further
work has been done.
call the attention of your Honorable Board
to these facts with the request that you order
the superintendent of Streets TO proceed I'M
mediately 70 the spot, tear up the rails and ties
and restore the street to its original state at the
expense. of the Market-street Railroad Com
pany.
If small criminal commits an unlawful act
he is arrested and promptly punished. can
not see why a powerful corporation which COM
mits grand larceny should not be equally dealt
with If you permit il to steal a street and
the stolen property you break down all prin-
ciples OF law, honesty and propriety. Respect
fully submitted, ADoLPH SUTRo, Mayor.
Dated April /, 1895.
The communication was referred to the
Street Committee. Subsequently after
Mayor Sutro had left the chair and Super
visor Taylor had been called to it, Super
visor Dimond offered the following resolu-
ton, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the attention of his Honor
the Mayor is hereby called to the provision of
order No. 2S44 prohibiting all persons, COM
panies or corporations from commencing work
on the public streets under any franchise or
privilege until notice Is served of their inten-
ton so 10 do al least forty-eight hours before
the public streets are torn up or disturbed, and
he is hereby required as the chief executive of
this municipality TO perform the duty expected
and required by causing q strict compliance
with the provisions OF aid order on the part of
all persons, companies and corporations hav-
ing franchises and to this end, In case of a vio-
lation, 10 swear out warrants and cause the
arrest and punishment of all parties falling 10
observe the conditions expressed by said order.
Mr.. Dimond, in presenting the order,
made little speech, saying 1t was time to
put stop to the theft of our streets; that
this order had been made only week ago,
but already it had been violated; il the
order was not strong enough to meet the
purpose then it was time TO find that out
also, for some measure must be taken to
meet the evil. The speech provoked some
applause from the lobby.
The report of the Street Committee in
the matter of the petition of the Peoples
Railroad, known as the Sutro road, and of
which Mayor Sutro is president, for an ex-
tension of time in which TO complete its
undertaking and upon the protests filed
against it, contained the following:
Whatever be the merits OF these complaints,
in justice to his Honor, the Mayor, who is
president OF the road Immediately con-
cerned, your committee are of the opinion that
an opportunity should be given the said COM
pany TO meet these accusations and set the
matters complained of at rest.
While your committee see no reason at pres
ent for refusing reasonable extension of time,
although such action has never been taken in
the case of any railroad heretofore, yet, as
only years time was asked tor, and granted,
there can be no objection to further extend
the time, if the conditions imposed have been
carried out.
The only purpose in granting the valuable
privileges for consideration by and for the
public is TO have material used in the construc-
ton manufactured in this State and to aid it's
manufacturers and give employment to our
artisans, and this is the most important fea-
ture, as our people have at last arrived at the
conclusion that good faith must be observed to
build up our industries and patronage of the
manufacturers, and as every one is aware the
solicitation of estimates from manufacturers
in the East for any material that can be manu-
featured here is not an evidenced good faith,
nor isit an intention 10 carry out what is de-
sired or required.
AS stated, this inquiry to be made is to afford
his Honor, Mayor Sutro, the grantee Of this
franchise, an opportunity which, there can be
no doubt, he desires, and TO make statement
which, it is hoped, will set these complaints at
rest, and to enable this 10 be done your COM
mittee will introduce resolutions on this sub
ject for your consideration and action.
The resolutions, which came along in