The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-06
FOR THE WIDOWS AND THE ORPHANS

= ONFRONTED by the action OF the Board Of
Supervisors reducing the price of Lighting to
consumers in this city from the former eXtor-
tonate rates to a reasonable charge, the gas COM
pany sets up the old familiar wall that ruin and desc
lation is about to beiall the widow and the orphan.
The argument OF the monopoly virtually amounts
to a plea that the people OF San Francisco should
continue to pay excessive charges for gas and for
electric lights as of charity the widow and
the fatheress The assertion is that widows own
stock and orphans own stock in the company, and
that a reduction OF revenue to the company means
destituton in the homes OF these dependent ones.
Such plea, no matter with what fearful eloquence
pleaded, nor with what amount OF money its publ
cation IS obtained in corporation journals, cannot
affect the judgment OF intelligent men, A due con-
sderahon OF the needs OF the great majority OF
widows and orphans in this city requires chat extor-
tionate lighting rates shall be prohibited For one
widow who owns stock in the gas company there are
fifty who do not For one orphan who would be bene-
dted by the triumph OF the monopoly there 4
hundred who would be injured
Shall few widows and orphans who have invested
tr earnings in watered gas stock go about bearing
upon their bones the meat furnished by thousands Of
other widows and orphans?
Moreover, the claims for justice OF the widows and
the fatherless among the stockholders should be d
rected against the public but against the company
that issued watered stock and sold such innocent
purchasers. Even at the rates fixed by the Super
vsors the gas company can pay ample dividends on
all its rightiul capitalization. 1t has no right what
ever, after having put forth shares representing fc-
titious capital to now demand that the public shall
bull those shares in the stock market W conserving
to pay exorbitant rates for gas
The gas company, however, is not the only sinner
in this respect by any means the greatest That
d0mineering monopoly known as the telephone COM
pany has long score of ofenses against the public
to be dealt with. 1t IS another charger OF extorton-
rates, osensiby for the benefit OF the widow and
tie orphan For that company also day OF reckon
ing is coming, when competition will compel it to
give San Francisco better service for less money or
quit the business.
Investigations made by the Postofhce Department
o. London have disclosed that telephones can be
prohtably operated in that city for g. or about S15
year The experience OF several cities in the United
States has shown that where competing telephones
are in operation the cost to the public is hardly one
half what IS charged by the monopoly here That
fact fully brought by Congressional investi-
CATION resulting from extortionate telephone charges
in Washington City.
The telephone monopoly in this city not onlv
charges rates high to prevent the great majority
Of widows and orphans from having the benefits OF
the invention but the service poor and as has been
shown by The Call the secrets OF patrons are fire.
quently betrayed by the company or its employees to
rivals in business, to spies to almost any one
who will pay for them.
1t IS full time that San Francisco were rid of the
burdens and the vexations OF this monopoly, and
fortunately the end is at hand In this case as
in that OF the gas company moreover the fight is
made for the public generally, including the widow
and the orphan.