The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-27

owners Of the northeastern and
southern districts of the city
have at last won a victory, not
Withstanding the antagonism
and persistent opposition Of Mayor
Phelan and Supervisor Byington. The
Board Of Supervisors offered for sale
yesterday the corkscrew franchise, and
bids viii be opened on July 81. The
Marlet-street Railway Company was
also granted the right TO use the over
head system of electricity on its Post
street road. Both propositions were
adopted as they came from the Street
Committee, the franchise for the loop
on Grant avenue and Bush street being
denied.
Until the very last Mayor Phelan and
Supervisor Byington offered objections
and technical obstacles, but they were
voted down. The Mayor, who had been
hiding behind Byington and placing all
responsibility upon that officials
shoulders, was forced to show his hand,
and when he did so the merchants, who
have so much at stake, made their plea
10 him. He made no comment and
necessarily had no vote. The franchises
passed the board without his sanction.
The meeting of the Supervisors yes
terday was interesting from many
points Of view. AS soon as the minutes
had been read the Mayor exercised an
exceptional privilege in an effort to
shirk the responsibility of the gas rate
fascO. which had such an inglOrious
conclusion in Judge SeaweIPs court
The rate of 81 10 a thousand feet for
gas had been declared illegal because it
Disseminated against certain classes in
the community. The resolution adopt
ed by the Board Of Supervisors had
been prepared in Mayor Phelan's office
and under his direction. The response
bility for the discrimination rested
therefore. upon the Mayor.
His Honor seized the opportunity
Yesterday TO deny most emphatically
this regrettable fact. He declared that
he was not responsible for the mistake
He insisted that the resolution did not
tome from his office and he did not
know from whose office it did come
He wished to disavow all responsibility
and in passing remarked that as the
resolution was adopted in hurry the
mistake in all probability was innc-
Gently made.
This explanation of the Mayor leaves
the matter in a more serious condition
than it was before. The very interest
ing fact remains that the resolution
was prepared in the office Of Mayor
Phelan. 1t would be hardly fair to sug-
gest that he does not know what is
being done in his own office. but the
gas resolution as it was adopted by the
i;
that. his Honor handed it in person to
Supervisor Perrault to be introduced
a.t the meeting of the board on April
3: The Mayor may have forgotten some
Of the incidents of the transaction in
the multitudinous detail Of public bust
ness.
After the Mayor had made his expla-
nation: and another matter of public
Importance had received attention,
Supervisor Holland called for a con-
sfderation of franchises out of order.
The same petitioners who have haunted
. the rooms Of the Street Committee were
before the board. They were deter
mined this time not to be trapped by
the filibustering of the Mayor. They
had found his Honor profuse in prom
Uses but lax in performance, and they
came to fight for themselves. Repre-
Sentative property -OWE"rs, merchants,
Improvement clubs anG the Merchants
Association, all were in aggressive at
tendance and the fight began. The
franchises as they came from the Street
: Committee were read, and then Super
-. visor Aigeltinger moved an amend
ment.
He urged that the Grant-avenue and
Bush-street loop be included in the
corkscrew franchise. Supervisor At
fridge Immediately seconded the
amendment
Supervisor Holland objected en-
phatically to any changes, amendments
or. reconsiderations at that time "A
great number of people, merchants,