Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-06-11
THE PEOPLE WIN.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE /.

sons examined to discharge the duties
of the positions to which they seek to
be appointed, and shall include, when
appropriate, tests of physical quail
fications, health and of manual or
professional skill.
Under the charter the Mayor will
have no power to remove or to appoint
subordinates in the city government,
and therefore could not build up d
political machine if he wanted to-
FRANCHISES AND THE CHARTER.
| The new charter will not protect
the corporations, otherwise they
would not be fighting it. Under pres
ent conditions they petition to the
Board of Supervisors for certain
changes every few years, and get in
addition to the changes, an extension
of the franchise for fifty years from
the time when the new order is pass
ed. By this means the franchise,
though nominally limited to fifty
years, practically becomes perpetual.
The new charter will put an end to
this. Any new franchise, and this
would include changes in the old
where an extension of time is inclu-
| ded, must be advertised and
SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.
| Under this provision the existing
franchises will expire at the time
now limited for their existence.
| When the franchise lapses it reverts
to the city and belongs to the people.
The Supervisors then either lease the
road or grant a new franchise for its
use. In either case the grant is to
the highest bidder, and in either case
the people will receive an income
from the property that is more close
| ~ related to the value Of the fran
chise than any they now get. If a
franchise is given, the income will be
from to per cent of the gross re-
ceipts: if the road is leased the year
ly income will be greater, but there
will be no bonus paid at the begin
ming.
In time every street car line now in
operation in the city will become the
property of the people. The stock
of the Market Street Railway Com
pany is now selling in the market for
S24, 100000: its tangible property,rea al
| is
600: the franchise, therefore, which
makes up all the remainder of the
property, is worth SIS, 100000. If the
value of the other franchises is de-
termined in the same manner, the
total amount that will come to the
people from this source, should the
new charter be adopted, will be found
to be $50, 100000, or an average of
5000, 900 A YEAR.
One of the first lines to revert to
the city will be the Geary street, from
Kearney to Fifth avenue and thence
to the park. That franchise will ex.
pire within five years. The people
will then own one competing line to
the western part of the city and to
their pleasure ground. a few years
later the road now operated by steam
from California street to the Cliff
House will revert to the people, and
make them the owners of the finest
scenic line in the city. AS time passes
more and more franchises will lapse,
and the income of the people will be-
come larger and larger 1t is no ar
gument that it will be a long time be-
fore all the roads become the proper
ty of the people. The last franchise
will have expired in forty-seven years
from the present time, and the ma
iority of them in far less than that
time. The defeat of the charter will
postpone and not hasten this consum-
nation. The profits resulting from a
franchise belong properly to the peo-
Pile: the corporations are entitled
only to a return for their manage
ment and their capital. The people
lIstN \ AlOJ lNNSANNA lNtA MS III AlAN
past; 1t remains with them to say
whether they will take them in the
future.
APPROXIMATE SOCIALISM.
The charter provides for s. a day
and eight hours wo-k by the city.
No voter will oppose the principle
of fair wages for good and effective
work.
The Marble Cutters and Polishers'
Union, at their meeting held Monday
night, decided to vote as body i'm
favor of the proposed charter. The
president will appoint during the
week a committee to prepare resolu-
lions, representing the sentiments of
the organization.
WHO OPPOSE THE CHARTER.
The people have been given a very
good idea this week of the influences
opposed to the charter