The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-14

gone to the monopoly and the customer
grumbles his anger.
This petty thievery has become public
nuisance. but the monopoly is supremely
unconcerned. An instance of these in
Vulnerable outrageS Will be remembered
in the case of the Mission butcher who
smashed a telephone and its nickel in-the-
slot attachment He had tried in vain
to obtain a certain switch. He had in
each instance submitted to eentrals' de-
mand to drop a nickel. He finally be-
came eXasperated and refused to pay any
more. He was told that he could not have
the desired switch. He justly retaliated
by smashing the telephone and appropri-
ating the money he had paid.
Thousands of similar injustices have
been committed, but no redress has been
given. The monopoly is thriving in its
ill-gotten profit, and now the Supervisors
have determined that some OF this money
shall come back TO the municipality. The
proposed order which Supervisor Angel
finger introduced yesterday IS in full as
follows:
An order for the purpose of regulating and
imposing license for the purpose of revenue
upon any person firm or corporation carrying
or conducting in the city and county OF
San Francisco the business Of telephone SER
vice and the use of slot devices therein
The people Of the city and county Of San
Francisco do ordain as follows:
Section l. Any person, firm or corporation
carrying conducting any business, oc-
cupation service or employment hereinafter
specified shall pay license as hereinafter pro-
vided
Section @ Any person, firm or corporation
carrying or conducting in the city and
county Of San Francisco the business of fur
nishing telephone service TO any person, per-
sons firm, firms, corporation, subscriber or
subscribers and furnishing with telephones for
use in such service any slot-box or other
device for the purpose of collecting money or
other representative OF money value, shall pay
a license in the Of one dollar 81 00) per
quarter to the city and county CT San Fran
cisco for each such slot-boX or other device
so used.
Section g. Every such person, firm or cor
poration mentioned in section 2 OF this order
shall make or cause to be made TO the person
authorized to collect licenses for the city and
COUNTY of San Francisco once in every quarter
a statement verified by the oath OF such per-
son. member Of such firm or general manager
of such corporation as TO the number Of such
slot-boXes or other devices OF like nature so
used. The first statement 70 be so made shall
be made within tel days after the passage and
adoption of this ordinance.
Section 4 Every person failing to make the
statement mentioned in section 3 of this ordf-
nance shall be guilty of misdemeanor.
The foregoing order was passed to print
by unanimous vote of the board. In
speaking of the matter last night Super
visor Aigetinger said
Il introduced the order because I be-
lieVe that the telephone company should
contribute its just proportion of taxes. It
has escaped hitherto and under the char
ter has received more than fair treatment.
By placing quarterly tax of 81 on nickel
in-the-slOt telephones the city will reap
yearly revenue of between $40, 900 and
$50 600 If ii is possible I intend also to
force the company to give the people Of
the city an honest service. The imposi-
ton which now nets the company an
enormous sum is outrageous. 1t is Moth
ing less than robbery and the employees
of the company should be made guilty of
a misdemeanor if they accept a nickel
without first giving the switch for which
nickel is paid