The San Francisco call., 1896-08-11
CORNWALL READY
TO Be CALLED.
May Testify at the Next
Session of the Grand
Jury.
SIGNIFICANT CONTRACT.
To illuminate the Streets for a
Period of Two
Years.
SUPERVISORS OUT OF TOWN.
The Accused Seven Should Be Ar
raigned Before Judge Slack
To-Day.
SIGNIFICANT CONTRACT.
SUPERVISORS OUT OF TOWN

Up to o'clock yesterday afternoon P.
B. Cornwall, president of the Mutual
Electric Light Company, had not been
served with a subpoena to appear before
the Grand Jury. He ascertained from the
newspapers, while he was looking after his
coal interests in the Puget Sound country,
that the Grand Jury was looking after
him.
He expects to attend the session OF the
Jury next Friday as a witness. He is not
definitely informed as to what the Grand
Jury desires to know, but if the informa-
ton desired is in his possession he will
impart it.
Mr.. Cornwall was asked If he had any
conversation recently with Colonel Taylor,
the Supervisor from the Eighth Ward.
"Oh, yes," replied Mr.. Cornwall. 81
have had many talks with Supervisor Tay-
Ior We are old friends and talk together
every time we meet.
Mr.. Cornwall was asked If he had any
knowledge of the person who was agent or
broker of the Supervisors, and in response
remarked: II do not believe that they
have any agent or broker"
Mr.. Cornwall was asked If the Super
visors had not made bad bargain for the
City in contracting with the Consolidated
Edison Light and San Francisco Gas Com
pany for lighting streets and public build
ings for period of two years.
Replying to the question he said: "As l
am in the electric light business myself
the question should be asked of some dis
interested party"
Ibid your company compete for the
contract?"
mo; we were not in condition to supply
light"
"Will your company inside of year be
able to offer competition for lighting
public streetsr'
"Yes, within year, believe; but we
get no satisfaction from this Board of Su-
pervIsors. 1t has been the common saying
for years, you know, that the last Board
of Supervisors was the worst the City ever
had This one is surely as bad as any we
ever had. The Grand Jury, by probing
deep. may get some important facts. Since
I returned from the north 1 have been
very busy, and have not had time to clear
up my desk. During nv absence from
the City learned through the newspapers
that the Grand Jury wanted me as wit
ness, and, of course, will obey the sum-
mons. So far have not been subpenaed.
l am glad that THE CALL is sustaining the
Grand Jury in the investigation. 1t is in
the interest of the public that the facts
should be brought to light"
II now seems to be pretty well settled
that Supervisor Taylor had Mr.. Cornwall
in mind when he said that one citizen of
San Francisco could tell something of the
rascality of the Solid Seven. Supervisor
Taylor is probably the man who gave to
the Grand Jury the tip that caused Mr..
Cornwall to be subpenaed.
To certainty it cannot be ascertained
what line of inquiry will be pursued at
the next session of the jury. The sus-
ceived more than the thanks of the Edison
Light Corporation and the San Francisco
Gas Light Company for the privilege of
lighting the City for two years to come at
rate highly remunerative to the consoli-
dated corporations.
When the two companies, several
months ago, were merged into one some
of the stockholders of the gas company
were inclined to kick vigorously when it
was proposed to offer the Edison Company
an interest in the consolidated company,
worth great deal more In cash than it
would cost to duplicate the Edison plant.
1t was then explained that the gas COM
pany could duplicate the Edison outfit,
but the duplicate would not remove the
com petition.
In the light of what has since transpired
it's seems reasonable that the main pur-
pose of the consolidation was to remove
all competition in bidding to light the
streets and public buildings of the City.
The Grand Jury may feel inclined to delve
into the hidden details of the combina-
ton and ascertain if a job affecting indi-
vidual consumers as well as the City was
not put up.
There will be other witnesses than Mr..
Cornwall at the next session of the Grand
Jury. Neither Mr.. Maskey, the foreman,
nor Mr.. Payne will say how many there
will be.
To-day is the time fixed for the accused
seven Supervisors to appear in court and
answer the accusation against them which
the Grand Jury presented to the District
Attorney. The seven will perhaps be
represented by an attorney. Four of the
accused were out of town at last accounts.
Benjamin has gone to Catalina Island,
Wagner to Milwaukee and Hughes and
Morgenstern to the mountains of Butte