The San Francisco call., 1896-08-27
WANT IDLE CAR
TRACKS TORN UP
Wheelmen Discuss Radical
Ways to Improve
the City.
NEW LEAGUES PLANS.
Nominees Must Declare For
Reforms to Get the Cyclers'
Votes.
WHEELS MUST GO as BAGGAGE
Good Pavemen and General Good
Government to Be Aimed for by
the Riders.

The recently formed Wheelmen's MuDic-
ipal League met last night at the head
quarters of the San Francisco Road Club,
500 Golden Gate avenue, and took steps cal
culated ultimately to make the power of
the cyclers felt as a great political force in
this City. All the large cycling clubs of
San Francisco were represented.
The league will work as a strictly nom
partisan organize ton, bent on securing
not only smooth pavemeBts and impartial
branches of municipal business.
That article IN the constitution provid-
ing for an executive committee of nine
mem bers to transact executive business
was stricken out by vote of the meeting.
J. S. Cornwall, chairman of the execu-
tive committee, presented a report en-
bodying the following recommendations
First-That the Wheelmen's Municipal
League indorse only such nominees for the
State Senate and Assembly as will pledge
themselves to support bill declaring the
bicycle TO be baggage.
Seeond-That the committee be empowered to
invite each nominee in the Assembly and Sem
atOrial districts of the City and County of San
Francisco to appear before the executive COM
mlttee OF the Wheelmen's Municipal League
and express himself as to the Armstrong bill
and all other measures of interest to wheel
men.
Third-That the wheelmen's Municipal
League endeayor to secure the nomination
and election of such municipal officers as will
be of benefit to wheelmen.
FOurth-That the executive committee be
empowered to nominate officers, such nomi-
nations to be subject to the confirmati of
the association, and that it be the object of
the league TO secure the Endorsement of these
nominees by the nominating conventions,
such nominations to be consistent with the
decision of the Supreme Court in the case
now pending.
When the report was taken UP for dis
cussion only the first clause, that in regard
to legislation declaring the bicycle to be
baggage, was adopted, and the other mat
ters were reserved for future consideration.
W. L. Maule, chairman of the com mittee
on additional membership and credentials
advised as to the methods to be pursued
in enlisting the cooperation of the MANY
hundreds of cyclers not attached TO any of
the clubs. The report as whole was
adopted.
7. B. McGinnis for the finance and aud.
itIng committee submitted q report rec
ommending that the league work for the
passage of the Armstrong bill declarin g
bicycles baggage; appeal to political
parties and not to individual candi-
liJical parties to have new, smooth
pavements laid where old basaIt and cob
Bile pavements are now being repaired at
considerable expense; to strive to have all
street railway franchises forfeited where
the tracks are not used and to have the
tracks removed and such streets put in re-
pair; to demand an immediate change in
the plans and specifications of street work
as now performed; to strive to have the
park lighted by electricity, perhaps en-
ploying, and at small expense. the power
ful machinery already in use for pumping
purposes during the daytime; and to show
the public that the league is working not
only for good streets, but for good govern
ment generally.
1t was also suggested that inasmuch as
San Francisco is already well covered with
streetcar lines all streets not now covered
by franchise be forever preserved from
the introduction of tracks and be main
tanned as smooth driveways.
The management of the Mechanics
Institute FAIR sent word that Friday,
September 4, has been set aside as bicycle
night. Chairman Frank H. Kerrigan
accordingly appointed the following COM
mittee to take charge of the programme
for that evening: n. +. Wynne, ]. w.
MCGUIRE and w. B. Faucet.
Among the reasons assigned by the
officials of the Southern Pacific for i'm
posing tariff on bicycles crossing the
ferries and to nearby points is that they
are subjected to frequent and annoyingly
small demands for damages to bicycles
injured in transit, and the idea of chars-
ing for the transportation of wheels is to
indemnify che company for these claims.
When this excuse of the monopoly was
brought to the attention of gentleman
who has been in the habit of frequently
using Huntington's trains to return from
bicycle trips he expressed surprise that
such f1imsy and peculiar excuse should
be put forward to justify what he terms a
DIT OF petty and absolutely uniustlfable
imposition.
Few wheelmen who take a train back
from point like San Jose,' he said, care
pense, but they will resist this tax to the