The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-17
The Lines of the State Join for
Mutual Advan.
tage.
WILL CUT EXPENSES FINE.
May Take Hand in Making Laws.
General Manager Vining on
Its Objects.

The street-railway business in California
is in future to be cut to q finer basis, so
that the uttermost profit may be gained
from 1t. Yesterday o meeting OF officials
OF leading street railways of the State was
held at the Occidental, and a general
organization perfected for this and other
purposes.
The association is patterned on the lines
OF the association in New York, which
takes in all the lines. Not all the roads of
California were represented at yesterdays
meeting. but since the big ones are in it
there Is no doubt that the others will be.
General Manager Vining of the Market
street Railway system said so last night.
He attended the meeting and is heart ana
soul in favor of it.
There were about twenty of the street
railway men present in all. S. P. McLen-
nigan of the San Mateo road, who has been
agltating the formation of the association
Tor long time, was made temporary
chairman.
There were present. besides him
and Mr.. Vining, j. E. Morris of the High
land Park road, F. W. Wood of the Los
Angeles Consolidated, Mr.. Wheeler of the
Oakland, San Leandro and Haywards
road, A. K. Grimm of the Oakland Con-
solidated, A. w. Baron division super
intendent of the Market-street cable sys-
tenn. and also NJ. D. Stein. Assurances
were given also that the various streetcar
lines OF Sacramento. San Jose and other
California cities might be counted on to
act IN connection with the general
association.
Mr.. McLennigan submitted a constitu-
ton, drafted partly from that OF the New
\ ork Association. and involving new and
desira bic clauses for the advantage of the
association. 1t was adopted.
Colonel Charles +. Croker was then
elected president S. P. McLennigan vice
president and ]. L. Morris secretary end
treasurer. An executive committee con-
sisting of E. P. Vining, +. w. Wood and
Mr.. Wheeler was also elected. Messrs. M.
D. Stein and A. w. Baron were also named
as committee to formulate suitable by
laws and report at the next meeting.
General Manager Vining of the Market
street system said last night that the asso-
citation had many objects in view. He
said
For one thing, we want to compare notes and
get the management of the streetcar lines in
the different cities down to profitable a basis
as possible. By q social interest we can i'm
prove the service, and there is no doubt that
by having this association and meeting as
often as experience may find necessary, many
new points of value will be brought out.
Ii any III ally CITY nus discovered q
good thing in any way, so that an improve
ment can be made, he will give the benefit of
it to other officials at the next meeting, and it
viii be adopted. In this way we can materially
aid each other and insure better service to
the people.
No, we do not intend to increase the number
of men employed. AT present no changes have
been thought OF in that way They will prob
ably remain they are. Wherever an i'm
proyement can be made, however, it will be
done.
No one will doubt that one great object
Of the formation of the association is to
reduce expenses wherever possible. This
is tacitly admitted. 1t will be no surprise,
therefore, if, by the combination, wages
are gradually reduced.
Wherever a nickel can be saved it will
be done. Paving united organization,
also, it is not improbable that there may
be a system of blacklisting, so that grip
man or conductor discharged in one city
may find it impossible to get employment
in another.
All the methods by which keen business
men manage to cut expenses may I'M
doubtedly be counted on to be used. Being
an association which takes in ali the sys-
TENS OF the various cities of California it
will evidently be powerful as there will
be no appeal from it. Not improbably,
too. it will interest itself in passing ali
kinds of laws to uphold and sustain it.