The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-03
.FAVORS CITY OWNERSHIP,
Peoples Party Central County
Committee lndOrSe the
Movement.
The Supervisors Requested to Open
the Ballot Box for an Express
sion Of Opinion.

The movement favoring municipal own
ership of water, gas, light and other public
utilities as first agitated by the Union for
Practical Progress is assuming definite
shape. Already several organizations de-
voted to reform movements have indorse
the idea and there are others ready to fall
into line as soon as the matter is brought
Def ore them officially.
AT meeting of the Peoples Party
County Central Committee Saturday night
they not only Endorsed the ideas as set
forth by the Union for Practical Progress,
but addressed the following letter to the
Mayor and Board of Supervisors:
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, August 81, 1895.
To the Honorable Adolph Sutro and Board Of
meeting of citizens called and held under the
auspices of the Peoples party County Central
Committee the petition of the Union for Prac-
tical Progress, asking for special election,
was Endorsed. The petition requests that an
election be called and held for the purpose of
deciding whether this City and County shall
own and control its water, gas and electric
| light supply. We very respectfully ask that
you favorably consider the request above des-
ignated. E. S. BARNEY, Secretary.
L. II. PORTER, Chairman.
The committee appointed at the last
meeting of the Society for Practical
Progress to draft constitution for the pro-
posed municipal ownership clubs have
mitted to the society for formal ratification
at the next meeting:
We the undersigned citizens of San Fran
cisco, believing that it is just, proper and ad-
vantageons for this City to own and control the
water works, gas works and electric lights
street railways and telephones, do hereby asso-
ciate ourselves together for the purpose of Sc
curing this object. The officers of this club
shall be president, secretary and treasurer
They shall be elected from the mem bership by
majority at the first regular meeting and
shall hold their respective offices for the term
of six months from the date of their election,
and until their successors are regularly elected
The officers of this club shall perform the
duties usually devolving upon such positions,
and their acts shall conform to the wishes of
the ma jority of this club, as expressed at regu-
lar or special meetings by a ma jority vote.
Any voter residing in the above precinct
may become member upon application and
the approval of two-thirds of the members
present.
Such amendments and bylaws as are regn-
larry offered. voted upon and approved by a
majority of the members OF this club shall gov
ern its conduct and management.
JOHN NJ. REYNOLDS,
H. A. CLIFFORD.
''The movement is spreading like fire."
said John M. Reynolds yesterday. " The
more people investigate this question of
municipal ownership of public utilities, the
stronger their pre- JUDGE against the present
system. In Washington, under Govern
ment control, the cost of water is 81 so per
year; in Chicago, under municipal super
vision about So per year, and in San Fran
cisco, under private ownership, about $40.
In Bangor, Maine, the cost under private
ownership was $3.50 per light, which was re-
duced to $48 when the city assumed con.
troll. These are unanswerable arguments
in favor OF city ownership, and feel con-
fident that if the question were submitted
to the people to-day they would overwhelm-
iningly decide against private ownership"