The San Francisco call., 1898-04-10
FIGHTING THE
 BIC MONOPOLY Supervisors Consider the Mutual Electric Light
 Co.'S Petition.
P. B. Cornwall Says He Only Asks the Same Privilege
 Granted Others.
Tho Matter to Be Taken Up in Com r,oittee of the Whole Next
 Tuesday Night

Considerable hostility was shown to the electric light company that is trying to break the monopoly now enjoyed by the San Francisco Gas and Electric Com pany at the joint meeting of the Streets and Street Lights committees of the Supervisors yesterday. Supervisor De- vany presided, and Smith, Britt, Rivers, Clinton and Morton were present.
 A number of interested parties were present, including large delegation from the Merchants Association and Messrs. Cornwall and Summerhayes of the Mutual Company.
 The meeting was called to consider the resolution introduced by Dodge two weeks ago, asking the Mutual Company to state what was necessary in the way of extending Its service to enable 1t to compete for the contract of lighting public buildings and certain outside dis -tricts, and calling on the Gas Inspector for a map showing the location of every gas and electric lamp in the city. h. spector Taylor was present and stated that he had no such map and could not prepare 1t without going to considerable expense.
 P. B. Cornwall, in response to a re- quest from the members, said the first resolution passed by the Supervisors granting permission for the erection of poles and wires was to the California Electric Light Company in 1881. That was followed by an ordinance giving the Edison company the same right. Other ordinances had since been passed giving telegraph, telephone and street railroad companies the same privileges, to which no exception was taken. The Mutual Company had laid it's wires underground within the fire limits, and it now asked to be granted permission to erect poles outside the fire limits. It did not ask any privilege that had not already been granted to other corporations, or on so large scale as others had been favored
 Clinton asked what 1t cost the city for electric lights at present, and it was shown that the San Francisco Company is paid $129,0o0 a year.
 MT. Cornwall said his company guaran- teed to save the city at least $40, ,OO0 a year on the present cost, and he would put up the best bond ever offered to the Su- pervisors for sl00 900 or any other amount to insure its fulfillment. He said his com pany would also save private consumers S60 900 year on the present cost, making a total saving Of s1000 0G0. There was no way a competing company could enter the field except by erecting poles in outside districts for 1t would be far too eXpen- sive to put wires underground in the resi- dence portion of town.
 Devany and Britt. overlooking the pro- visions of the pending resolution which called for the very information they de- manded, wanted to know how many poles 1t would be necessary to erect, and if the company was prepared to give the in- formation right there. MT. Cornwall re- piled that he was not prepared to answer, as the resolution had not yet been passed calling for the information, but If given until Tuesday he would give all the in formation required.
 Clinton moved that the resolution be adopted, but there was no second to the motion, and MT. Cornwall said his com pany only asked to be granted its con stitutional privilege. In answer to Smith, Britt and Devany. who insisted upon Cornwall giving the information, though they opposed the resolution calling for it, that gentleman said he thought it would not reuire more than 140 poles to extend his service when necessary.
 A petition from the Merchants Asso- citation was then read. It asked that gas lamps be abolished and all the streets lighted by electricity, reciting the efforts of the association in that respect and the good results accomplished. A. s. Bald win spoke on behalf of the association and submitted the maps Inspector Taylor had not been able to prepare.
 After MT. Baldwin had concluded, Clin- ton moved that the whole matter be sub mitted to the board Monday, and con- sidered in committee of the whole Tues day night. The motion was carried.