The San Francisco call., 1898-04-17

MT; Cornwall. continuing, said that the people are now paying $ls 50 per month for incandeScent lights, such as the Mutual Electric Light Company would ference, he added, is even greater than this in some kinds of lights. He assured the board that his company would be glad to be allowed to erect one-third the number of poles the Gas and Electric Company has outside the fire limits. In conclusion he said: We are prepared to give the citizens and the city better ac- commentators, better lights and lower rates than they now enjoy.
 Chairman Clinton suggested that MT; CorhWall give the number of poles ana their location.
 MT. Cornwall stated that these matters would be determined as the people made @ appncation Tor lights. He wanted the contracts Tor street lighting let in such way and at such time as would give his company time to put up the necessary poles
 At this point Supervisor Britt, who throughout the session made wonderful ana frequent exhibitions of his ignorance of parliamentary usages, sprang what he evidently thought was a trump card in the game of freezing out the Mutual Electric Company for the benefit of its Sea rival; he ht cal called attention to the act prohibited franchises being granted to any corporation for more than two years without nrst advertising for bids for the sale of such franchises. If this law ap-
 
 entering into competition for the con tract for lighting the streets, which must De awarded before the 1st of August of this year The franchise would first have to be sold, and this would take consider able time. In order that the Mutual may pc able 10 come into competition with the Gas and Electric Company it must have at least three months time for the erec- ton of its poles and wires outside the fire limits.
 MT. Cornwall declared that no other corporation had been limited to two or even ten years, and added that DO other corporation had experienced the same dI4.iculty in securing a franchise that his company had.
 Clerk Russell read the act referred to by Britt. This provided that all iran chises tor the use of public streets or highways must be sold to the highest bidder, and that bids must be advertised for.
 M. M. Estee, the attorney for the Mu tual Electric Company, stated that he did not think the act constitutional, as 1t violated section 19, article Il, and section q, article l, of the State constitution He read these and also a recent decision Of the State Supreme Court, declaring that the Board of Supervisors had no right 10 refuse to grant to one corporation prlV- ilege which it had granted to some other.
 he then stated that if the Mutual was allowed to erect poles outside Of the ire limits 1t would be in a position to save the city the sum of $40,00O and to the clt- izens of San Francisco the sum Of SlOV,oOo annually. .
 We are furnishing to-day he said, l "electric lights at a reduction or 70 per cent from the price that was charged py the other companies before we came into the market
 Supervisor Dodge called attention to the fact that the Merchants, Association, which represented the best business men in the city, had made formal request to the board to see that competition was made possible when the next conlracl was let for lighting the city At tHe present time he said, Alameda was pay ing SS per month for what the residents | of this city were paying SIG.
 He declared that all technlcalltleS ol minor character should be swept aside | II don't think this board can aHoru 10 | ignore this proposition, he added. r, lt comes before us in too sollo d Ioii Hi ,n1I gentlemen connected with it are all well known in this community. l nave yet to hear any legitimate reason aoVanceo against it. We have to save liIie, me sense of this board that in the consldera- ton of this question the object shall be to advertise for proposals at Such date that competition may be posslple'
 Supervisor Lackmann seconded the mo- ton. . a matter of erecting poles ana not d question of furnishing light, and declared that he would vote against any plan 10 allow the erection of poles, but would vote for any measure compelling corpora lions to put their wires underground
 Chairman Clinton said that the general matter of electric lighting might be dis cussed and that the debate need not be confined only to poles.
 the object of his motion was simply to get at the intention Of the board m, m refa- ton to competition. II think the DlllS TOT lighting the City Hall are eXorpltant, was his concluding shot.
 A rolIcaIl was demanded on Dodge's mo- tion, and it was carried by unanimous
 " R Hewitt. superintendent of the police and fire alarm system, attempted to make an argument against the erec- tfon of additional poles; put Doost sptfhet fat his gun by calling atteption to the fact that the Bell Telephone Company was putting up a large number Of poles on Bush street. In the croSsire that 1ol- veloped that Hewitt had ordered these poles put up on the understanding that he was to be allowed to string such wires as he wanted on them.
 Dodge claimed that the city would string no more than two or three wires on these poles. while the telephone company would place 200 or 300 on them. lie charged that favoritism was being shown to the telephone company while the Mu- tual was being dIscriminated against:
 J. NJ Mcdonald. of the City improve ment Company, asked permission to erect poles for electric lighting on Haignt, De- visadero, California and Fillmore streets, and was instructed to make hls appnca- tiOn in writing.
 Dodge moved that the committee of the whole report in favor of the adoption of the resolution before them, tho is, to ad- vertise for bids immediately, ana lhde the bids be so prepared as to allow or competition.
 A. s. Baldwin. vice-president or the Merchants Association, said that ms as sociation was opposed to poles in the streets, but that the erection or addl- tional poles were necessary in thlS case to permit of competition.
 Notwithstanding that Dodge's, motion had not been disposed of, Smith moved that it be the sense of the board that: as requested by the Merchants Association the business streets, Golden Gate avenue, Folsom street and Van Ness avenue De lighted by electric light instead of by gas, and that the lights be burned every nlght In the year.
 This was carried' without a dissenting vote.
 Dodge moved that proposals. be asked for by the board for lighting the city py districts, as outlined by the Merchants Association, and that the Street Light Committee be instructed to Immediately ;f;rr,+