The San Francisco call., 1896-05-31
.SUTRO OPPOSED
To EXTENSION,
Suspicious of the Geary-
Street Roads Ap-
plication.
SCORES THE COMBINE.
Its Grasping Propensities, He
Says, Grow With the Exten-
sion of Its Lines.
ARROGANCE AND DEFIANCE
These Said to Be the Staple Attributes
of the Market.Street Railway
Company.
ARROGANCE AND DEFIANCE.

If public and private opinion combined
count for anything, the application of the
Geary-street, Park and Ocean Cable Rail-
road Company made to the Supervisors to
have its franchise, which does not expire
until 1903, extended for fifty years will not
be granted. Under the franchise the
company is given the right to run its cars
from Kearny street out Geary to Point
Lobos avenue, to Fifth avenue and to
Golden Gate Park. The application was
made on the 18th inst, and was referred to
the Street Committee of the Board of Su-
| pervisors.
| Mayor Sutro looks upon this move of
the Market-street Railway combine as
only another attempt to impose on the
public spirit OF the community and showed
considerable indignation in discussing the
matter.
$50 far as this application for an extern
sion of the Geary-street franchise is con-
cerned," he said, "it looks suspicious on
| its face for such an application to be made
seven years before the old franchise ex-
| pires.
'This.is on par with the insolence of
/ the Market-street Railway Company and
that of the Southern Pacific Company of
| Kentucky, of which it is one of the out
growths.
"The Market street company to-day
gridirons the City of San Francisco, and
as the syste m grows so does its grasping
| propeEsities.
''Most of these franchises have been OBJ.
tanned by corruption and misrepresenta-
ton, and to-day they DEFY the authorities
and euen the courts in the enforcement of
the laws of the land. The proceedings
be fore Judge w Wallace within the last few
daSy eoh h ava 1r1lo Of a ofxrio
the law, and great indeed must be the
power which dares to ignore the law.
! Another fragrant instance of defying
public opinion has occurred within a few
weeks in the attempt of this company 10
infict hardships on its patrons by putting
tran sfers. And now comes the demand
for the extension of franchise which will
not expire for seven years.
.No ordinary company would dare to
| ask such privilege, but they not only ask
but generally manage to enforce their
demands.
's'It is high time that the citizens of San
| Francisco associate themselves in clubs to
curb this overbearing company. 1t is true
we have q number of improvement clubs
which have lately been Joined together in
an association, but they should be supple
mented again by additional clubs in all
parts of the City to guard the general in
terests of the people when they are en-
croached upon.
81 believe there should be solid and
bold opposition by all our people against
the attempt to secure new franchise for
the Geary-street road before the old char
ter expires. This action should be re-
sented by all the people of this common
wealth."
Mayor Sutro evidently still feels consid-
erable anxiety over the funding bill. as he
took the opportunity to express himself
as follows that Subiect.
"The greatest scheme of plunder ever
attempted by this corporation is the
funIpnc bill of the Pacific railroads, which
is probably dead for this session of Con-
gress. Notwithstanding the general be-
lief to this effect and the news from
Wash ington, which has not yet been con-
firmed, that the Senate Republican caucus
has resolved to let the funding bill go
over until next session, it will behoove
the friends OF the people to keep their
eyes wide open until Congress has actu-
ally adjourned.
at is well known to men versed in the
tactics used by the lobby in Washington
that extensive and corrupt measures are
often purposely kept back until the last
hours of the session, when, in the mid
night and early hours of the morning, bills
have been smuggled through which no
one expected could pass.
Huntington is still in Washington
with his hundreds of lobbyists, and if any
one knows that the last hours of Congress
are the most favorable for passing corrupt
jobs it is Huntington himself.
II do not think the funding bill can
pass, but there is pare possibility that it
might, and only when Congress has ad-
iourned shall we be able to breathe freely
again until the next session."
The process of stereotyping is nearly 12O
years old.