The San Francisco call., 1896-04-28
Supervisor Dimond's Criticisms
on Nickel-in-the-Slot Tele-
phones.
WANTS THEM TO BE LICENSED.
The New Municipal Building Matter
Will Not Be Dec;d,d for
Four Months.

Supervisor Dimond says that the nickel
in-the-slot arrangements that are attached
to thousands of telephones about the City
are either swindles or games of chance,
and that they should be either suppressed
as one or subjected to a license as the
other.
When resolutions were called for at yes
terday's meeting of the Supervisors Mr..
Dlmond presented a measure providing
that the nickel-in- the-slot boxes of tele-
phones be required to pay quarterly IL
cense of $3 just as poker, candy and other
chance games are taxed. In support of
his resolution Mr.. Dimond said:
These boxes are not only games of
chance, but they are worse. They are
swindles, and if we cannot suppress them
as such we should at least derive the same
revenue for the City from them that we
do from the gambling games, where men
drop nickels in the hope of winning cigars,
candies and the like.
u have known numerous instances
where the arrangement now in use has
worked more like a swindle than anything
else. A few days ago / wanted to call up
friend OF mine-a merchant who has
always had telephone-and after getting
the word from central to drop nickel,
waited for my call. When IL did not come
after considerable delay | called up central
again, and was politely told that the party
had not answered. and that must drop a
second nickel if | wanted them rung up a
second time.
"a lady told me yesterday that after she
had dropped nickel in one of the boxes
for call she had been told that the party
she had asked for had had his telephone
taken ont month before. Later she met
the gentleman on the street, and learned
that his telephone was still IN his house.
Ii that does not constitute swindle l
don't know what it is. If 1t is not that it
is game OF chance, for you certainly take
your chances in dropping your Dlckeis eX-
pectlng to get what you pay for. l move
that the order be passed to print"
An amendment providing that the order
be sent to the License and Order Commit
tee was accepted, and report will be rem
dered at the next meeting of the board.
After taking six fruitless ballots to try
to arrive at some conclusion regarding
who shall receive the contract for super
vlsing the erection of the new municipal
building the board, by vote OF to 5,
laid the matter over for four months,
within which time it is expected that a
majority OF the members can combine on
some one architect. The first, second and
third ballots resulted similarly to those of
the past few weeks, Shea & Shea receiving
SIX votes, w. o. Banks five and Mooser d
Mooser one
Ihen the Banks men varied their pro-
gramme by voting for Smith and Freeman
and any others that came to their mind
until it became evident that choice would
not be made.
After the sixth ballot Supervisor Spreck-
els moved that the matter be postponed
for four months and, apparently to the
surpise of all, the motion carried.
supervisor Morgenstern, chairman OF
the Committee on Water and Water
Supply. stated that the time for visiting
the lakes at CastroviIle, Monterey County,
with view to purchasing the water rights
and piping the supply into this City had
been liked for Saturday next.