The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-24
MARKET STREET RAILROAD
INIOUITY

tons absolute rule and of the fact that pedestrians
have no rights that the Market Street Railway COM
pany is bound to respect.
1t had been supposed that owing to legal Obstacles
the attempted grab by this arrogant monopoly OF
whole sections of the city as to reduce almost the
entire territory north and much OF it south OF Mar
ket street to its absolute control had been tenn
porarily abandoned. But, at the meeting OF the
Board of Supervisors On Monday last the community
was undeceived for all the former demands were re-
v;ved and extended with the recorded sanction OF
seven members of the board Nothing but technical
bunder so far as can be seen, prevented the entire
grab amended from reaching the hrst legal stage on
the road to success.
In the editorial columns of The Call on the 9TH and
Sth of May the comprehensveness and the rascay OF
this audacous invasion of public right were clearly
exposed. 1t not then certain, however that
majority OF the Street Committee of the Board of SUI
pervsors ready in private session. to accept any
proposal the Market Street Railway Company had to
offer, in order to thwart the operation OF the new
charter or that majority of the board itself
eager to act ratifying agents OF the monopoly
This Haunting contempt of the public will and of the
public interests reserved for the proceedings of
Monday.
The details of this unprecedented scheme OF plum
der have now been perfected 1t includes the re-
block on Battery between Sacramento and Cali
fotna streets, block on Stockton street between
Pacific street and Broadway, and two approaches to
the CITY and county line, one terminating Milliken
street and the other Fortynint avenue, the
Cliff House All these franchises exacted for fifty
years. or double the time allowed by the charter.
The present Geary street franchise, which would ex-
pire November g. 1908 1t proposed to surrender on
condition that and coextensve franchise, COW
ering electricity and all other motive powers, be
granted The new franchises on Taylor street be-
tween Geary and Post streets and along Grant
from its intersection with Geary street to Bush street
and down Bush street to Sansome OF
demanded The of electricity and OF other i'm
provemens in motive power is also required for the
whole system The new charter not only limits the
duration OF street railroad franchises one-half the
period now permitted, but explicitly declares that
such franchise shall be granted unless the percentage
OF gross receipts offered is least per cent for the
first FIVE years, per cent for the next ten and per
for the last years The drafted resolutions
presented by the Market Street Railway Company
relieve the corporation from the payment OF any per-
centage for five years The statute OF March IS, 1897,
only requires per to be contributed for the last
forty-fve years of the franchise. The charter,
furthermore enables the municipality TO fix, establish
and reduce the fares and charges for Transporting pas
sengers and goods" and contains other stringent
provisions for the protection Of the public which
not embodied in the existing laws
This is the most atrocious and unspeakaby dishon-
est plan to destroy possible competition and to
firmly ntrench railroad despotsm in our midst of
which there is any record The bukhead bills of 1850
and 1862 which sought to place the entire front
in the hands of French capitalists, supposed at
the time to have precedent for infamy and for
audacity But in 1899 the Market Street Railway
Company has easily surpassed that wholesale scheme
OF confscaton which the Supervisors OF forty years
ago repudiated, and of the triumph of which there
was never any danger while honest Governor pos
sessed the veto power Now in the full glare of pub
licty with the facts and with the law thoroughly
tlated and understood, it appears that all Mr. Hun
tngton has do is to signify his pleasure to
members OF the board and his intricate robbery ap
proved before even its details could have been read
AS the new charter goes into effect January I,
1000 and as the existing franchise OF the Geay Street
Railway Company has more than four years to rum it
is impossible for any part OF the vile project which
has been thus impudently uncovered, and especially
Tor so much of it relates to Geary street to
coed without manifest corruption. Cranks and
fanatics often unjust to public officers, but this
d proposition that the most tolerant citizen in San
Francisco cannot fail to indorse To give franchises
for half century, and deprive the city of not less
than 3 per gross receipts for FIVE years and
of an increasing proportion for forty-fve years
longer, when, by waiting for seven months, the
law that the people and the Legislature have ratified
can be enforced transparency iniquitous and
capable OF explanation. And these only isolated
specifications Of the enormous injury that this COM
munity is expected to endure The monopoly could
afford to pay million dollars to consummate the
steal
IF the opinion of the City and County Attorney
upon the questions arising from this latest railroad
fraud has been delivered there has been publication
OF the fact But appearances indicate that neither
law evidence metropolitan necessities which
are increasing year by year, to receive the slight
est consideration at the hands OF Mr. Huntington or
OF bare majority OF the Board of Supervisors
The patience of the property holding citizens of
San Francisco has been frequently and severely taxed
but this last raid upon the municipality transcends all
former experience
THE CONTEST FOR THE GPEIK-