The San Francisco call., 1897-08-13
HEVING OUT
A NEW CHARTER
Fair Progress Made at the
Convention Last
Evening.
Three Important Reports Sub
mitted by Various Com
mittees.
Public Utilities to Be Acquired
Through the Issue of Bonds
by the City.

Charter building made fair progress last
night. Three com mittees submitted com
plete reports, and nun ber of recon-
mendations and suggestions made by
com mittees and members were acted upon.
Hugh Craig acted as chairman. Shortly
after he had called the mem bers of the
charter convention to order, May or Phelan
came in. He was invited to take the hair,
to which he had been duly elected, but
declined say ing that he preferred being
on the floor.
Reports were received from the commit.
tees on public Improvements, public u,ili-
ties, harbors and wharveS law and re-
vision.
On behalf of Irving NJ. Scott, chairman
OF the COMMITTEES on public Improvements,
! the following was submitted:
1t is resolved to recommend for your sdop-
ton the following provisions FOR the charter:
That the public Improvements be under the
control and charge OF Board OF Public
Works. consisting OF three Commissioners.
That they be appointe by the Mayor.
Under the conlrol of the said board shall be
the following: The sewer system: streets,
highways, roads, etc.; parks and squares;
street cleaning; street lighting; bridges,
wharves ana docks; the construction of pub
lie buildings under plans duly approved by
the departments including schoohouses and
fre-engine houses; the supervision OF all
building construction and the repair. superin-
| tendence and maintenance OF all public build
ings; water supply; street railways; the dis
posai OF street sweepings, garbage, ETC.; ali
utilities acquired by the City TO be under its
control
That Golden Gate Park shall be, like other
parks, under the management and control OF
the said board.
George K Fitch, chairman OF the COM
mittee of public utilities, made the follow
ing report:
Whene yer petition, signed by number of
the registered electors of the municipality,
equal 10 20 per cent OF the total vote cast al
| the last preceding municipal election, sh all
be presented 10 the Board of Supervisors re-
| questing the acquisition, construction or COM
pletion OF WORKS by The municipality for
lighting, water, telegraph, telephone, street
railroads or other public utilities, the cost of
which will be too great to be paid out OF the
ordinary revenues of the municipality, the
| said Board of Supervisors shall within ninety
| days af ter the presentation OF such petition,
! call special election at which shall be su D.
mitied TO the qualified electors of the munich
| pality the proposition OF incurring debt by
| the munici pality for the purpose set forth in
| the petition; provided, however, that at said
| eecii ion there shall not be su omitted ques-
| Il ons involving the construction or other
| acqu .sitlon of more than one utility.
| Upon presentation OF such petition the Board
OF Supervisors shall, with all reasonable dis
! patch and due consideration of the time
within which the call is to be promulgated.
4
/ mated in the petition made by three compe-
tent engineers; the board shall also receive
! and outsider all Offers made 10 it for sale of
works oil the designated character already con-
| structed in whole or in part, and with the in
| formation derived from the above design "a ted
and all other sources estimate the cost of ac-
QUESTION OF such works as are In said petition
| designated.
The ordinance calling the special election
| shall be publish he'd once day for thirty DAYS
| Immediately preceding such election in some
! ne a In
! City of San Francisco; with 1t shall also be
published the call for the election, notice of
! the proposed mourning OF Indebtedness and
| lis purpose, the total amount OF such proposed
| Indebtedness 10 COR pond with the above
men toned estimate, the number and charac.
ter of the bonds proposed to be issued, the rate
| of interest thereon, and the amount OF the
! special tax levy annually to be made for pay
ment thereof.
! The committee on harbors and wharves,
of which Hugh Craig is chairman, made a
! report recon mending that The law COM
mlttee be instructed TO draw bill to
| transfer from the State and from the
Board of State Harbor Comm issioners to
| the Board of Supervisors of the City oi
| San Francisco the Management and con-
troll of all wharves, waterfront and harbor
| property.
Chairman Dohrmann of the com mittee
on revision submitted recon mendation
| that joint meetings of certain com mittees
be held in order that their work might be
more intelligently carried on. The recon-
mendation was adopted.
| Gavin McNab OF the law committee re-
ported that his committee had carr ed out
the instruction OF the convention and had
drafted petitions to the Supervisors ask ing
| that body TO call q special election for
! fifteen freeholders to draft new charter
for the City and County of San Francisco.
| Two forms OF petition we're presented, one
to be signed by citizens at large and the
| other by members of the charter conven-
ton. The work of the com mittee was D.
! proved and adopted.
On motion of P. J. Healy it was de.