The San Francisco call., 1897-03-11
TO SUPPRESS seal PERS
Fine and Imprisonment Pre-.
vided as Alternative
Penalties.
Action of the License Committee.
Ottinger Says Scalpers May
Fight.

The License Committee of the Board of
Supervisors will report to the board an
ordinance to repeal the ordinance licens-
ing ticket scalpers and providing penalty
for selling railroad or steamship tickets in
this City and County outside of railroad
or steamship ticket Office. The text Of
the proposed order is as follows:
Section 1. 1t shall be unlawful for any per-
son to sell IN the City and County of San Fran
cisco any railroad ticket at any place other
than at the office of a railroad company, or to
sell any steamship ticket at any place except
in the office of q steamship company.
Sec. 2. Any person violating any OF the pro-
visions of this order shall be deemed guilty of
a mlsdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof,
be punished by fine of not more than 500,
or by Imprisonment not more than 100 days,
or by both such nne and imprisonment.
Sec. 3. This order shall not be construed to
apply to the tickets of street railroads operated
in this City and County.
Sec. 4. Order 1904 and all orders or parts of
orders conflicting with the provisions OF this
order are hereby repealed.
Sec. 5. This order shall take effect and be in
force from and after its passage
In addition to the proposed order the
committee will submit report setting
forth, as the reasons for such action, SUBJ
stantialiy the following:
The committee OF the Carnival of the Golden
Gate, in consideration of the railroad, steam
ship and other transportation companies hav-
ing agreed to materially reduce fares TO and
from this City and County, and to carry
and transport exhibits free OF cost or
charge, desires to be protected from ticket
peddlers, who will and can take adveptage of
such coupons by purchasing tickets so sold at
reduced rates. with stop-over privileges for
persons who under false pretenses obtain such
tickets at reduced rates AS represented, the
companies agree to subscribe literally TO the
fund as well as to make such reductions and
ex end all privileges desired if this board will
prohibit the sale of railroad or steams hip
10 pHafS al q no roo off
of the railroad or steamship companies.
As it is important that every aid should be
extended to foster and encourage the efforts
of the general committee in inducing a large
influx OF visitors to this City and County and
the State it can only be done by lessening the
expenses of trans portation to and from the
City and County, and ii that is done IL is ex-
pected by the general com mittee that about
SO, 600 strangers will visit this City Your
committee therefore reports in favor of repeal.
ing order 1904 and of requiring all railroad or
steamship tickets to be sold at the respective
offices OF the railroad and steamship COM
panies.
General WarfeId, s. M. Backus, Henry
Martin and s. h. Friedlander of the car
nival committee appeared before the
License Committee yesterday morning
and urged the adoption OF an order.
The License Committee denied the peti.
ton of the Madrid Mutual Benevolent
Society to change the date for holding its
masquerade ball from April "a to May I.
The carnival committee objected to the
change of date because that would bring
the Madrid Society into com petition with
the carnival.
Adolph Ottinger, the ticket broker, of
61o Market street, when asked whether
the local scalpers proposed to take any
definite action in opposition to the pro-
posed order of the Supervisors, said that
they would undoubtedly raise a protest.
General Warfeld' 8 argument" continued
he. ITO the effect that we are likely to do
thriving business during the carnival
at the expense of the transportation COM
panies. hasn't great weight in this case,
because most of the tickets we sell are
transcontinentaI. The railway companies
are taking advantage of the carnival pre-
text to create a monopoly and enable them
to charge high rates. II the ordinance
passes the public will never obtain any
reduction