The San Francisco call., 1898-10-26
A Few Facts About Gas Rates and
 Street Paving.

 dressed an open letter to Mayor Phelan which contains some queries and state ments of fact that are of particular in terest at the present moment to the voters of San Francisco. The part the Mayor has played in recent events of a public nature is fully dealt with and serve to place MT. Phelan in an en- tirely new light as a public official. MT. Devany has taken the public into his confidence in this matter and it Is to be hoped the Mayor. in his reply, will be equally as generous, as the sub Ject matter of the communication deals with matters that are of peculiar in terest to the voters of this city. The letter follows:
 SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 9, 1898.
 Hon. J. D. Phelan-Sir: In reading some of your speeches I observe you have made many statements which go far to convince me that whatever acquaintance you have with truth was not made through the formality of an intro duction.
 Among other things which I will touch on directly in your speech before the Non Partisan convention you said: MT. Devany on every square issue that af- fected the interests of the people voted against the people" Will you kindly state any vote recorded against me in the Board of Supervisors which was against the interests of the people? Don't in dulge in glittering generaities, but name the vote-the record is open. You also say: "Mr. Devany was a great disap- pointment to his friends" You are only guessing at this, as you have no means of knowing, as my friends in the clubs are not numerous enough to justify you in forming an opinion If you had access to those " R a liVinR-the carpenters, for instance-who you think ought to be satisfied with one dollar for a days wages, you might be able to as certain how much of a disappointment 1 am to my friends. Or you might try this statement on the Wheelmen, reminding them of the fact that through their unanimous support I received the largest vote of any Supervisor. Ask them If their demands for good streets and the ''repaving of Market street. has been car ried out to suit them, and to whom they give credit for this work.
 l see you are still coQuetting with the water question in spite of the kindly ad vice the Supreme Court gave you in that matter. But l suppose you must have some amusement to relieve the arduous cares of office. You also touch on the "electric light scandal" If there had been no election there would be no sean dal. Perhaps the public would like to know the history of this scandal" The speci- ffcations for lighting the public streets were approved by the entire board. The specifications were advertised and bids invited. The only bid-that of the San Francisco Gas and Electric Company was approved of and the contract award ed to that company by the unanimous vote of the board. The contract was sent to you for your approval. You held the contract the full legal length of time, re- fO he aT5 wifi D. proval You gave as your reasons that in consequence of the board refusing the Mutual Electric Company permission to erect poles and wires that this company was prevented from bidding. You omitted to state that the board had refused the same privilege to the Bay State Electric Light Company, the Market Street Rail- way Company, the Spring Valley Water Works, the Western Union Telegraph Company, the Life Saving Station and all other applicants, for the reason, with which you singularly coincided that the board was opposed to the further erection of poles and wires
 Had the board granted the petition of the Mutual Electric Company there were a dozen concerns having power to spare ready to ask the board for the same priv ilege. 1 will let it rest with the pub lie whether the board acted unwisely in refusing to permit the erection of any more poles and wires. You state, when ever you get an opportunity, that the Mutual Company promised a saving or $40 900 on the lighting contract, but fail to state that the charge for lighting this year is about 10 per cent less than the price last year, an actual, not a promised, saving of nearly, If not quite, S40,OOO
 Your advice to the board to reject all bids and await the decision of the Su- pierior Court in the case of the Mutual Electric Company against the Board of Supervisors would have plunged the city in darkness had 1t been followed, as the board has no power to purchase light ex- cept by inviting bids. Throwing the city in darkness might have suited the pur- poses of your campaign, but doubt if the people generally would approve of such action. l observe that you are very solicitous about the welfare of the Mu- tual Electric Company, ignoring the fact that there are other companies entitled to as much consideration as the Mutual Company. But. perhaps they are not as close up to you.
 But your latest veto affecting the pay ment to the Gas and Electric Light Con- pany for payment of its bill under this contract is unique for the reasons given therein. You claim that Supervisor Rot tanzi has no vote in the Council for the reason that he holds a Federal position, which is incompatible with the municipal office to which he was elected. That Su- pervisor Rottanzi was unwise enough you would argue-to offer his services to his country in time of need he should. for that reason, be excluded from the enjoyment of the honors conferred upon him by his fellow citizens. If all our citizens were imbued with the intense Americanism which you seem to possess what a glorious ending the war would have had-for Spain.
 You next take up the question of the rirorr r.E -l,s. take the full credit. It has been stated Tn the press quite recently that scientists nave succeeded in liquifying air. and that the product is extremely powerful, and if not properly handled very dangerous. In reading this the thought struck me that your unparalleled success in manipulat- Ing Boards of Supervisors and nominat- ing conventions might have been instru- mental Tn causing the same startling ef- feet on your gall. With the possession of iquifed gall 1t is easily conceivable how you can lay claim to the credit of