The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-31
PROPERTY OWNERS
Want TO KNOW,
WILL THE BITUMIN0US ROCK Or
DINANCE ESTABLISH A
MONOPOLY
IT SHUTS OUT COMPETITION.
The ORDER HAS SOME POINTS
THAT WILL NOT BEAR IN
YEsTIGATIoN.

The proposed ordinance providing speci-
fications and designating how bituminous
rock shall be treated prior to laying it upon
the streets has given rise to rumor that
it is an attempt to establish monopoly
detrimental to the property owners of San
Francisco.
This order has been passed to print and
will come up for final consideration by the
Board of Supervisors Monday evening.
Among other things it proposes that btu
minous rock shall contain from 10 to Is
per cent of bitumen that will not vaporize
at $50 degrees Fahrenheit and must be free
from all stone pebbles, mica, earthly, grav-
ely or vegetable matter.
Reduction of the rock shall not be done
in open kettle, and furthermore the rock
used shall be in the condition as taken
from the mines in its natural state in
bulk, and delivered on the streets without
having been previously disintegrated,
This ordinance has been criticized by
those who know what bituminous rock is,
as it is asserted that all bitumen and other
asphaltic products contain more or less of
the foreign ingredients prohibited by the
ordinance.
AS the product of the San Luis Obispo
mines, which are the largest bituminous
rock deposits in the State, can be brought
to San Francisco only by sea after reduc-
ton and packing in bags suspicion has
been aroused that the ordinance relating
to bituminous rock is cinch game, played
to shut off competition and establish a
monopoly. There is good reason for the
suspicion. With monopoly of the mar
ket the Santa Cruz bituminous rock COM
panies could raise the price of material,
as they are the only concerns that can de-
liver the rock In bulk. Shipowners refuse to
carry it in bulk as the heat causes bitumen
to consolidate in vessels if the rock is not
in bags. 1t IS apparent then that the
benefits Of competition would be denied
the public by this specious ordinance.
The right TO the benefits of competition
would then be taken from the public
through this proposed ordinance.
San Luis Obispo rock is well known to
be equally as good as Santa Cruz rock
and there certainly is no reason why the
Santa Cruz mines should be given mon
opoly of the business.
The order compelling the delivery of the
rock on the ground in its natural state
will not assure good work when laid, as
the rock can be SO badly burned in passing
through the kettle as to be unfit for paving
purposes.
Again, the prohibition of open kettles
will drive out of the field small contractors,
who cannot afford to own expensive steam
plants. and it will add greatly to the cost
of small pieces of work, owing to the ex-
pense of moving heavy steam machinery
from place to place.
These same steam engines on the public
streets are more of a nuisance than the
open kettles. San Francisco is about the
only civilized city where they are tolerated,
as experience has shown that they blacken
houses with smoke and are the direct
cause OF serious accidents. Early last Feb
ruary Maurice Casey, secretary of the Cen
trail Gaslight Company and manager of the
Mclaughlin estate, was out riding with his
mother, when his horse was frightened by
a steam plant, and running away threw
Mr.. Casey and his mother upon the street
Luckily the accident was not attended with
fatal results. Only last Thursday a man
was killed by running against plant that
INSTRUCTED the street.
What the public are most deeply inter.
ested in with regard to the ordinance is
this: 1t is aimed at competition from
various sources, and has all the appearance
upon its face of being an attempt to secure
dangerous monopoly through the medium
OF the Board of Supervisors.