The San Francisco call., 1896-08-02
COrnwalrs Facts Are Other
=: Than Those of Supervisor
Taylor.
JURORS MAY CALL BATTLES
He Is Supposed to Kncw Something
About the Methods of the
Supervisors.

H'llllakn h gum mernayeS. VICE president
and general manager OF the Mutual Elec-
tric Light Company, is of the opinion that
P. B. Cornwall may be abfe to tell the
Grand Jury something of decided interest
when he gets back from New Whatcom,
TO which place Mr.. Cotnwell has gone
upon business. Mr.. Summerhayes viii
not.say that Mr.. Cornwall knows any thing
about brokers for the Board OF SupeTvis-
, ors, 60 -betweens, middlemen or anything
OF that sort. At the same time he viii not
deny that Mr.. Cornwall may have such
knowledge and may be ready TO impart 1t
at the proper opportunity.
. do you know of your OWL knowledge
anything ABOUT a broker for the Super
yisors having approached the Mutual
Electric Light Company
This question was put to Mr.. Summer
hayes yesterday.
mo, said Mr.. Summerhayes after
pause. mo, have no such knowledge
:: Have you any indirect knowledge of
any approach made by broker for the
!. Supervisors 10 your eompany?"
Mr.. Summerhayes said to this NO"
but in 3. hesitating way, and intimated
thatif any such advance had been made
/. the Grand Jury would undoubtedly hear
all about that soon. But Mr. Summer
hayes was warm when he spoke of an in
sinuation contained IN morning paper
that the Mutual Electric Light Company
. has had smooth travelling recently because
it has pTopitiated the Supervisors in some
way
.: We have received no faEors from the
Board OF Supervisors, he said hotIy. I'VE
have been hampered and opposed by the
Supervisors and by the Street Department
from the Superintendent down. Any one
is at liberty TO probe into the affairs of the
Mutual Electric Light Company. 1t will
: be found that not one cent has ever been
expended by this company 10 secure
privileges from the city. We have no fran
.chise. No, sir, not even the price of
drink or OF cigar has been expended TO
influence one Supervisor. 1 do not know
what Mr.. Cornwall can testify to before the
Grand Jury. When he testified before the
Grand J ury before it was not as president
OF the Mutual Electric Light Company but
as president Of the Edison Company. The
Mutual Electric Light Company was
not in existence at that time. You can
Judge how much the Supervisors IA
'vor our company by recalling how
the assessments Of those companies with
which we compete were reduced, while at
the same time our assessment was not re-
duced. The assessment against the Edi-
son Company was reduced from 500 900
to $500, 900. We were assessed $50, 900 for a
franchise which we do not possess 1ti q
fact, also, that the Edison Company has
no franchise. That company succeeded
the California Electric Light Company,
but has no franchise"
''You said yesterday that Mr.. Mills,
your solicitor, had made affidavit before
notary concerning the treatment which
your company has met at the hands OF the
Supervisors. Where is that affidavit7''
e. Mr.. Summerhsyes produced transcript
on appeal to- the Supreme Court in the
suit of the Mutual Electric Light Com
Pany against Thomas AshWorth, Superin-
tendent Of Streets. and also against the
City and County of San Francisco. This
contains cory of the affidavit of Robert
Mills, which was made before Notary 6. T.
Knox. Mr.. Mills affidavit is long. Among
the sworn statements in it are the follow
ing:
Some time in the fall of 1895 the said CON-
pany (Mutual Electric Light Company was de-
sirous Of putting up some electric posts and
lamps On lowell street, in front OF the Baldwin
Hotel, at the request of the proprietor Of said
hotel:e that ssid company made application to
ths Board Of Supervisors for an authorization
to do this, and Mr.. Summerhayes, .the vice
presigento and manager of the company, was
duly informed by the Street Committee of said
board, composed Of three members, that there
could be no objection to- the company doing
this, ana the said board collected from the
manager OF the plaintiff. Mr.. summerhayes,
the sum OF $40 to pay for advertising the reso-
luton, as is the custom in like cases.
That before meeting OF the Board of Super
ovisors was held the said Street Committee
changed its mindasnd rescinded the proposed
resolution and refused to grant the plaintiff
in this action. the privilege Of putting up the
eleotric-light posts and lamps at the place
above mentioned.
That this efiant was thereupon instructed
by Mr.. Summerhayes the manager and vice
president OF the plaintiff IS aforesaid, to go
and see the defendant, Thomas Ashwnrth Su-
rerfntendent of Streets, in relation thereto
That in pursuance of such Instructions this
afiaht visited the Office of said Ashw6rth, in
the new City Hall, to make inquiry why plain
if was deprived of the right Of putting up
sueh electrie-Iight posts and lamps. 90
That the said Ashworth replied that it was
impossible for him to do anything in the mat
ter; that he acted according to his irstruc-
tions received from the Board OF Supervisors;
thst pressure had been brought TO bear upon
him ana that the Edison Light and Power
Company objected TO plaintiff furnishing these
lights; that ths Edison Light and Power Conf
pany had franchise and that the plaintiff
had not ana that. therefore, this plaintiff
could not expect the Supervisors to give il the
same privileges as they granted the Edison
Light and Power Company.
Further along iE the same affidavit is
the following:
That tits anisnt, pursuant to instructions
from Mr.. Summerhsyes, proceeded and did
visit several, of the Supervisors especially
Charles bunker, E. C. Hughes ana c. E. Benia-
min; that this affant talked to them sand
ssked why these lampposts could not be left
Standing: that the Baldwin Hotel people were
willing 20 furnish these lights free TO the City,
and could not understand why the plaintiff
should be prevented from putting up the posts
and lights. DIR. bunker, Mr.. Benjamin and
Mr. Hughes each said that they could not do
anything about it; that the matter had come
up before the board, and the Edison people
mad brought such power TO bear By claiming