The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-19
CRITICAL LIGHT.

! ton of the Mutual Electric Light Company for
writ of mandate compelling the Board of Super
visors to award it contract for which it claims tc
have been the lowest bidder Superior Judge Seawel
has laid down some law which is at once hopeful anC
interesting Indeed it throws more light upon the
Illuminating situation in this city than any recent
declaration of the courts and if shall finally become
the law OF the suit brought by the Mutual company
it will be worth many thousands of dollars annually
to the people and taxpayers of the municipality.
The lighting situation in San Francisco has long
been anomaly among problems" The consttu-
ton provides that in cities where there public
works owned and controlled by the people for sup
plying the with artificial light, any person or
company may lay pipes conduits, under the direc-
ton OF the Superintendent of Streets and in accord
ance with such regulations the authorities may
prescribe and engage in the business without other
franchise or privilege. This law was made for the
purpose OF Introducing competition into the manu-
facture and sale OF gas and electricity. It is plain
case of granting franchise to whomsoever may
choose invest his capital in the worthy business OF
reducing the cost of artificial light.
The provision has been annulled in this CITY how
ever, by the simple expedient of placing an embargo
electric light poles The Supervisors have adopted
a resolution declaring that telegraph poles are
a nuisance and giving the owners of those
that are up a few years in which to
remove them Naturally when a competing
electric company appears and asks for the privilege
of erecting poles the board answers that having or
dered those already up to be taken down. it cannot
perpeuate the nuisance by allowing to be extended
The practical result is to create monopoly in cleo
trio lighting, since corporation lay an under
ground system and compete with an overhead
system.
Judge Seawell has simpified this remarkable stu
alton by declaring that the constitution which says
in terms that class of citizens shall not be granted
privileges or mn1untes which may not be enjoyed by
other classes, cannot be nullihed in this manner
the San Francisco Gas and Electric Company is to
be allowed to maintain poles, he says, the law com
pels the Supervisors grant the same permission to
the Mutual company If this is done of course the
lighting monopoly will go down with run, for the
latter corporation has offered to do the citys work
for $4,000 less year and grant consumers Is per
reduction their bills in consideration of the
privilege of maintaining poles.
1t is ferventy be hoped that the principles Judge
Seawell has announced will become the, law OF the
municipality Artificial light is necessity, and i,
should be cheapened much possible Most
other public utilities are luxuries but the lives
health property and personal safety of the people de-
pend upon the city being thoroughly lighted. Light
is civilization darkness is barbarism. The law on
grounds of public policy alone ought to maintain
CO1npettOn IN the manufacture and sale OF great
a necessity as electricity is coming to be.
-
An evening paper charges that one of the Police
Judges refuses to try 'drunks It is indeed pitifu
that Tor mere $4,000 yearly heightened jurists must
be brought into contact with blear-eyed citizens OF
unpleasant aspect. Perhaps it would be wise to per
nit the baking member of the bench to try his dis
agreeable cases over a long distance telephone
Cuh +1,a
States treasury By all means let them have it. Then
let Uncle Sam buy every Cuban baby rattle and a
gum ring. We:went into this business for. the pur-
pose OF making the Cubans happy and our aim is
still to please.
/ A grim old soldier like General Young seems to
have entirely escaped the Mysteries while in Cuba
In fact, the General entertans notion that war is
characterized by. hardships, and to have run III
/ against them before
For General Greedy to say that the volunteer army
has been good deal of failure was neither neces
sary gracious In all likelihood if he did say it he
had been taking dose of quinine out of Chaplain
McIntyTe's bottle
While contemplating the erection of temporary
City and County Hospital it is we'll to remember that
the rotten old shack partly serving the purpose
erected to be temporary.
There may yet be chance to annex few Spanish
ships to the navy without depending upon the badly
battered ones in Cuban waters
thoughtful magistrate has given him thirty day:
/ fox Isett,r ftrry <3,a~ :, -.