The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-19
DID NOT MEAN TO ACCUSE THE
SUPERVISORS OF LOOTING
THE CITY.
WILL DISCUSS WATER RATES
AN ORDER PREVENTING STREET
RAILROAD BUILDING BY
NIGHT.

been called to order yesterday afternoon
when Mayor Sutro arose from his chair and
made characteristic speech. He said:
Gentlemen: l rise to a personal explanation.
In a morning paper, of February 10, appeared
an interview between a reporter and myself,
and on the following day an interview with
some of the Supervisors; the first containing
charges, said to have been made by me, against
the individuals composing your honorable
board, and in the latter criticisms and express
sions of Indignation by some of the Supervisors
at my supposed remarks.
will appear that / did not mention the Super
visors directly or by Implication, except as re-
CARDS some bills pending in the State Legis,
some you condemn. l beg to differ with you
as regards some of them, and while you may
have been perfectly honest in your opinion L
claim that was equally so in mine.
In another part of my interview l am re-
ported to have said "That am sick and tired
of this filthy business of politics and the men
who are piundering and footing the city"
This certainly did not refer to you, for you
have not as yet taken any action on any i'm
portant matter and therefore cannot be criti-
cized.
What referred to was the everlasting annoy
ance of being besieged in my Office and out OF
it, stopped on the street and even interrupted
at meals by greedy office-seekers and profes-
sional and often disreputable politicians.
l also had in mind piece OF street work, to
which my attention had been called that day,
where, in places, the foundation of six inches
inches thick, had been laid on the bare sand.
Such work is simply robbing the city and the
property-owners.
Since / became Mayor I have all street and
other work inspected before attach my sigma
ture to the bills, and l employ, at my own ex-
pense, a trustworthy and reliable gentleman,
who reports to me whether the work is cor
rectly done, and that articles purchased have
been properly received at no overcharge, be-
fore give my approval.
This brings to my notice abuses, large and
small. in different branches OF the CltV govern
ment.
The present occasion is possibly g most OPP
perfume and fortunate one, and must con-
graduate your honorable board, the city of
San Francisco, and myself Mayor, at the
vehement and indignant denunciation said to
have been made by some of the Supervisors
against supposed charges of boodlism and dis
honesty.
This is especially fortunate at this time, when
the rates OF the Spring Valley Water Works are
about to be fixed for the coming year.
1t has been openly charged that from
$4,000 to 500 900 has been spent annually
to have the water rates fixed as high as posi-
ble to the great loss of the water consumers OF
the city of San Francisco.
Your honorable board, l am therefore con-
strained to believe, will, as basis for water
rates, make an honest and fair appraisement
of the actual water works, excluding therefrom
the speculative tracts OF land held by the com
pany.
desirability of the ownership by the city of It's
own water works
The Mayor paused after finishing and
looked from one Supervisor to another as
though waiting for some comment on his
address, but complete silence was his only
reward and he ordered the regular business
of the meeting proceeded with.
A resolution was adopted calling for a
meeting of the board as committee of the
whole for the purpose of prosecuting the
hearing and consideration of all matters
pertinent to establishing water rates to en-
able the board to determine upon the rates
to be fixed for the year commencing July
l. 1895. The meeting will be held to-mor-
row afternoon at o'clock.
Supervisor Taylor offered resolution
that the San Francisco delegation at Sacra-
mento be requested to oppose Senate bill
No. 216, authorizing the State to become a
purchaser at delinquent tax sales, and
Senate bill No. 616, to amend an act pro-
viding for the sale of railroad franchises by
eliminating the purchasing clause and SUBJ
stituting an annual percentage. This was
adopted, as was resolution offered by the
same Supervisor asking that the San Fran
cisco delegates to the Legislature be
earnestly requested to favor the bill now
before the Legislature providing for the re-
lief of J. c. Pelton, the veteran pedagogue,
who asks for maintenance at the hands of
the State in his old age.
OIulOlu OlltIcu d IeSOluIlOn
prohibiting all persons, companies or cor
porations from commencing work on the
public streets under any franchise or privi-
1ege until notice of the intention to begin
the work has been given at least forty
eight hours before the public streets are
torn up or disturbed The text of the
order proposed is as follows:
Section /. Whenever any person, association
OF persons or corporation owning or claiming
to own franchise or privilege for the laying
down, maintaining or operating of street
railroad upon, along or across any of the
streets, alleys, parks, plaZas or courts in the
city and county of San Francisco, upon which
no street railroad has been built Hereunder,
desires or intends to do the work of construct
ing the same the superintendent managing
agent and secretary of such person, association
OF persons or corporation shall, before com
mencing the work, file a written notice of such
intention signed by one or both of such Off
GERS which notice shall describe the locality
and character OF suck work. The notice shall
be filed with the Board of Supervisors and with
the Superintendent of the Public Streets not
less than forty-eight hours before the work
shall be commenced.
Sec. 2. Immediately upon the receipt of such
notice the clerk of the Board of Supervisors
shall post copy of the same in a conspicuous
place in that portion of his office that is open to
the public during his Office hours.
Sec. 3. No person or association of persons
shall, under contract or otherwise, perform
any part of the work hereinbefore mentioned
without the notices provided for in section of
A
Sec. a. Any person or persons who shall vio-
late any of the provisions of this order shall be
guilty OF misdemeanor, and shall be punished
by imprisonment for not less than sixty nor
more than 100 days.
The order is to go into effect Immediately
upon it's final passage.
The author of the measure, in support of
it, said:
Gentlemen, I framed the order YOU
have just heard read after mature delibera-
ton, and l think it should without ques-
ton be passed.
I'VE have recently seen some of our
streets taken possession of by corporations,
working by night and tearing up and dis
| turbing thoroughfares so as to make them
practically impossible for the teams for
which they were originally intended. do
not think that it is asking them too much
when we request forty-eight hours notice,
for they do not undertake such enterprises
without mature deliberation, and can GER
tainly let us know their intention that far
in advance without serious inconvenience
to themselves.
The reason | made the order provide
for imprisonment without the alternative
OF fines in case of violation was that l
know, as I believe do you, that these
wealthy corporations care nothing for