The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07
A FRANCHISE IN DANGER.
Right to Bring Forfeiture Pro.
ceedings Invoked by Cit.
liens.
Conditions of the Award Ignored by
the metropolitan Railway Corpo.
ration-A Vigorous Protest.

An animated session of the Ashbury
Heights and Stanyan-street Improvement
Club was held last night at the residence
of F. w. NJ. LANCE, on Carl street, near
Stanyan. Representatives of the South
side Improvement Club were present and
spirited protests were uttered against the
outrageous manner in which the Metro
politan Electric road is managed by the
Market-street Company.
The incensed property owners had some-
thing else to talk about last evening than
the imperfect service of the road. At half
past 6 o'clock D. L. Westover, a worthy
citizen, was violently bounced from a car
and thrown into the street by bury con-
ductor and subservient police officer.
Mr.. Westover took a transfer at the corner
of Page and Clayton streets.
He wanted to go to Stanyan street, but
there was not sufficient power on the Carl
street line to run the cars. So he waited
until the next car came along to journey
three blocks nearer home on the line that
he had transferred from. The conductor
refused to accept the transfer, and Mr..
Westover declined to pay another fare.
| Inc citizen was standing on his rights, but
the lmperloua conductor, backed by the
police, elected him.
The property-owners in that region Of
the City have petltiOned AttOrneV-Gen-
eral Fitzgerald for the right to bring suit
for forfeiture of the franchise of the
| Metropolitan Railway Company The petit
ton was prepared December II, and is
now signed by many Influential residents
and property-holders. The petition sets
| forth that the franchise was granted De-
mber 9, 1890, to the San Francisco SYN.
dictate and Trust Company, and was SUBJ
sequently assigned to the Metropolitan
Railway Company.
The petition further AYERS that the Mar
ket-street Railroad Company has since
become the owner of the road and the
franchises.
The general ground of complaint in the
petition to the Attorney-GeneraI is
that the conditions on which the
franchise was granted have not been
fulnlled. 1t is asserted that since
the LIST day of June, 1895, no railway has
been operated or railway cars run for the
accommodation of passengers or other
wise upon those portions of the streets
named IN said franchise and described as
follows: That portion of Scott street ex-
tending from O'Farrell to Fell street; that
portion of Fell street extending from Scott
to Baker street, and that portion of Baker
street extending from Fell to Page street.
mo part of said railway was operated,
nor any car run thereon from August L
1895, to September 1, 1895, on any part Of
the line west of Clayton street."
AS the line is now managed, on Carl
street cars are now run from A. NJ to 10 A.
NJ. every twenty minutes, and then do nok
run again until from 6 P. NJ. to IL :5OP. M.
People living in the Sunset district.
Ashbury Heights and south of the park
are not receiving the facilities of transpor.
tation which the franchise contempIates.
Citizens in that region of the City assert
that the railroad has simply intrenched
itself against other companies. 1t refuses
to provide service and holds fast to-
privileges under the franchise to prevent
other lines from building roads to serve
the people. So greatly incensed are the
residents that all the improvement clubs
are banding together to bring the common
enemy to terms.
The petition so extensively signed bv
the injured property-owners will be sub.
mitted to the Attorney-General to-day or
tomorrow.
George A. Rankin, president of the Ash
bury Heights and Stanyan-street Improve.
ment Club, presided at the meeting last
night. A. j. Fritz, secretary of the club.
was also present. Among other property
owners attending were:
George IL. Rankin, George T. Gaden.
J. w. Westover, w. r. Walkup, F. w. M
LANCE Eugene n. Fritz, w. Pitchford,
E. d. Hunt, Fred Roster, NJ. A Fritz, H.
BeVeridge, A. Hugle, Ida Never, Max
Rosenstine, Alex Rattenstein, II. Stettin,
T. A. Mcdonald, DR.. A Prosek, C. III.
Rider, Louis Helbing, J. D. Cranston, ID.
ID. Foley and j. j. WEIGH.