The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-17
LATEST OAKLAND NEWS,
The City Council Opens Brush
Street to the Water
Front
DESPITE RAILROAD PROTESTS.
Bicyclists Aroused by a Proposed
Ordinance - Very Speedy
Justice.

The Southern Pacific Company had its
first bout with the new City Council last
evening and came out second best.
Some time ago an ordinance was passed
opening Brush and Market streets to the
water front
A protest was entered by the Southern
Pacific Company, Pacific Improvement
Company and others, the former claiming
that the opening of the street would cut
into the freight depot and compel the com
pany to move its buildings, and that the
needs Of the neighborhood would be amply
served by the opening of Market street
The matter came up as a special order OF
business and G. W. Baker appeared to pre-
sent the corporations side OF the case
The people Of Oakland, be said, ''seem
TO ike railroads, seeing that they are try
ing TO get q new one, and yet the members
OF this Council seem determined TO make
the railroads move"
Councilman Bassett thought this was
going too far. This is the same old
story, he said. Every time the corpora
ton Is compelled to comply with the law it
threatens 10 move. That threat hurts no
body
But it would hurt the merchants of
that locality II they had 20 go to Sixteenth
street TO get freight. " reioined Mr. Baker,
land besides the company would have TO
pay $4,000 for the necessary land TO build
the depot The Southern Pacific Company
has no objection TO the opening OF Castro
and Market streets, but IL thinks that the
opening Of Brush street viii not only be
an unnecessary expenditure but an in
Justice TO itself"
by the way, asked Mr.. Bassett,
'where did the railroad company get its
land anyway"
From the owners, I suppose" an
swered Baker.
MY impression of that land is that it
belongs to the city" said Mr. Bassett.
After the chairman had checked some
applause emanating from the lobby, Mr..
Bassett asked whether, in case the opening
OF Castro and Market streets should be
decided upon, the company would waive
claim TO the land involved
Mr.. Baker was not prepared to answer
that question, but he knew that the cor
pOrauOn would not approve the opening OF
the Two thoroughfares.
Councilman Towle moved that the pro-
rest be overruled, and on a second by Mr..
Bassett the Council, by a unanimous vote,
threw the protest out.
Opposed by BicyeIists.
An ordinance was presented at last
evenings meeting of the City Council
u
vehicle, and particularly bicycle riders, up
in arms. 1t relates to the taxation of every
vehicle using the public streets and roads.
Following is the text OF the measure:
For every road cart, sulky, buggy, phaeton,
Carriage and other pleasure and business We
hicie, not including coupes, cabs, hackneys.
delivery and express wagons, trucks and dTayS,
with & carrying capacity OF not more than two
persons and drawn by one or two horses or
mules, - per anuum; the same with carry
-f.fr m
WITH capacity OF more than four persouss -
for every coupe, cab, hackney, carriage, stage
aad omnibus, IS; for every delivery and ex-
press wagon, truck, dray, with carrying capa-
civ OF from one 10 more than four TONS s. 10
SO for every bicycle, tricycle. and veloeipede,
-. All BICYCLES, trlCycles and yelOcipedes used
by children under l. years OF age and having
3 carrying capacity OF not more than 100
pounds shall be exempt. The penalty Tor
violation OF the ordinance shall be fine OF not
more than $50, or imprisonment 81 the rate Of
s. per day until the fine is made up The law
Is 10 go into force July l.
The wheelmen claim that the taxation
OF their silent Steeds Is entirely unjust and
uncalled Tor ana that they Will bring every
influence they can to bear against the
order. They say that the tax is TO be
levied 10 aid IN repairing the streets that
are damaged by the regular traffic and that
as bicycles do absolutely no damage the (
Council has no right TO call upon wheel /
men 10 pay the piper.
The members Of the Ordinance and /
judiciary Committee, to hi the obnox-
ious measure was referee, nave already I
been called upon by a number Of club /
members and Others interested in cycling. /
and much opposition 10 the ordinance will /
doubtless develop before it goes TO the /
Council Tor final passage or rejection.
Chased the Newsboy.
An adventurous San Francisco newsbov.
who hoped TO reap harvest Of nickels bv I
being enterprlsing, brought over an armf1I /
OF city evening paper extras Yesterday I
afternoon and started TO sell them along /
Broadway. He was soon discovered bV /
Oakland newsboys, who gave chase with /
bowls OF rage as they saw their own profits /
from the sale OF Oakland extras disappear /
Ing.
The police, headed BY the chief. scented /
an inciplent riot as the crowd swept ND /
the street and started in pursuit. bat bv the
time they caught the rear guard the fore
most pursuers had Oyertaken the San Fran
clscan, and IN a tTice his papers were torn
10 fragments and scattered in the street
lie boys claim 10 have merely reveDged
themselves Tor the treatment one Of their
mum Der received some time since while
trying TO sell Oakland extras in San Fran
cisco.
Mr.. DaltOn's Find
Assessor Dalton took quiet little trip
~ lllC estuary y YESTERDAY and as q result q
can francisco corporation which had not
figured on the assessors books before has
been entered for $1,000.
had been informed /" said the Assessor.
that The Pacific Pine Lumber Company of /
Ban francisco had been maintaining a /
raft OF piles on the Alameda shore for /
years on which il paid no taxes and / (
thought l might as well go and see. I +
found 100 piles, worth as a basis for as
sessment about Zoo.
4 do not anticipate any more startling
changes in assessment figures until get
my estimates Of the value of the street
railroad holdings fixed. Then you NAV
see some changes which will help out the
smaller taxpayers
Sues for Divorce.
Hattie Larmid Beck, the wife of a we'll
to-do farmer in the LivermoIe Valley, has
sued her husband, Henry Beck, for a di-
vorce on the ground of cruelty. The
couple have two handsome daughters, who
are well known in Alameda County so
ciety.
Mrs. Beck recites in her complaint that
her husband had for some time past treated
her with great cruelty, calling her bad
names and otherwise threatening her, and |
that she had been compelled to seek an
asVlum at her IA rents home