The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-05

" HERE has been an unexpected 4Tl
in the affairs of the Supervisors
they are all looking forward to en-
forced vacations. and the railroa'
and the gas company are CORE
spondingly disturbed.
When the question OF franchises for tn
Market Street Railway Company began t'
grow serious The Call pointed out that n
q last resort the Mayor had power by re
fusng TO call meeting of the board. L
at least prevent harm from being done
Without meeting there could be 10
franchises passed and it would be posi-
bic TO SO delay the workings of the board
that public sentiment could be reused i'
q realization of what was being done
Since then. however the need for such {
proceeding has passed. One man supposed
TO have been with those who would gram
whatever the railroad chose TO ask de
Cared himself in open opposition to the
railroads. schemes. and yesterday another
Supervisor Aigeltinger. declared he wouiC
under no circumstances vote upon The
franchises until the charges of bribery
had been cleared up. The declaration al
kalben was sufficient to tie up the board
ON the question of franchises. and the.t
was no need TO hinder the city's business
with that as an excuse. SO II created gen
eral surprise when II was announced sun
day morning that he Mayor after con
sultation with the members of the old
minority. had decided not 10 call a meet
ing Of the board.
This decision had no reference to the
franchises, although at first it was be
lieved the minority was going to take No
chances; il was a question of gas rates
and the means which would have tied VI
the franchises are being used 10 do the
same office by the gas rates. The boarC
viii not meet to pass upon the rates anC
so the rates will hang on until the close
Of the fiscal year. At the expiration OF
the fiscal year the balance in the stree
lighting fund viii revert to the genera
fund and the gas company will be tina
much out unless in the meantime Ii i!
willing to make terms. IT seems 10 be
question of make terms or lose rates, an,
the board will not be called togethe
again this fiscal year until the gas com
pany has been heard from.
At the beginning of June the city OWED
the gas company SlS9,0O0; that was by tn,
gas company figures, however, anC
based on rate Of 81 SO. BY the end OF
June this amount would have been much
increased. While the board considered
that the rate of 81 10 first fixed by tn,
Supervisors was a legal one stnl the
minority is now willing 10 make such con
cessions as will make the rate practically
81 30. The gas company can take that 81
lose 1t. and in taking 1t the company viii
accept 81 % as the legal rate for ali con
Sun7ers.
It is an issue between the board and tn,
company. but it includes the rates for al
consumers, and if the city wins ii vii
settle for the year at least all further
question on the gas account.
The power Of the Mayor IS derived from
that clause in the consolidation act which
says that the Supervisors shall NEE
within five days after each annual cleo
ton and also on the first Monday of Jan
uary, April. July and October of eacl
year. and at such other times as specially
required by law; or they may for urgen
reasons be specially conVOked by III
president of the Board of Supervisors
This lays upon the Mayor the duty o
calling all the weekly meetings eXcep
those specified in the act. and If he refus
TO call such weekly meeting the boar,
must wait his pleasure
The members of the majority are non
plussed at the state of affairs. They d
not feel so bad over the franChiseS-the,
were lost anyway, but they did want t
vote through those gas bills Kalbeu
who came out with the opponents of tn
franchises. declared he would vote 70
the gas bills as figured by the company
and the others who favored the raflroa
franchises We're d unit on the subject O
gas. They would have passed the bills
ana they are sorrowing over the lost Cd
portunity.
There is another complication whfc
may cause the Supervisors vacation +
be cut little short. There are scores O
outstanding bills against the city Whic
must be passed upon and ordered paid
and unless this is done they will 20 Owe
INTO the next year with the gas bills an
another set Of the city'S creditors will h
CRYING Tor their money. For this reaso,
u Is more than probable that the boar
Will be called together in the last dav
OF June ana the bills Will then be take
Up and considered. The merchants bill
will be passed and ordered paid: ii ma
even be that the gas company's bills Wi
be passed at the inflated figure but thes
the Mayor will veto and the board canno
hIn
called together again 1t will not b
called until the old fiscal year has paSse
into history, and then the gas compan
will have TO seek the courts II will star
with the Mayor veto a position rathe
more awkward than il cares to hold.
Ihere Is some speculation az I
whether or not the majority will try t
force meeting during the coming week
The Mayors attorneys and Clerk Russo
agree that any meeting they might ca
would be illegal. and they do not fea
any such action. The board has no MOVIE
to fix the time of its meetings as
shown by the section of the consoIidatjo
act quoted. and the only one who ca
call special meetings is the Mayor He
not bound TO recognize the requests q
the majority. and they cannot force hi
action; neither can they legally secure
meeting themselves.
Members Of the supervisorial minorit
are not inclined to talk about the under
standing among themselves and tn
Mayor reached al their Saturday caucu.
but their programme can be credibl
stated.
1t is conceded that at the first meetin
of the board the gas company's bill.
amounting now TO about S1S9 600 will h
passed by the majority Supervisor Kal
ben openly declares himself in favor q
their approval If passed the resolutio
authorizing payment will be vetoed b
the Mayor. The veto would require
second meeting for it's consideration. q
course there would not be a two-third
majority to override the veto and
would stand.
Now. it has been figured out in som
wa ny Mayor Phelan and his legs
sharps that at this, point the gas compan
would reach an advantage This advan
tage would arise concerning the possibl
and threatened transfer of funds fror
the street light fund to the general flinc
Such a transfer can be made only at tn
end of the fiscal year and could not b
made at a meeting held to-day If tn
street light fund in which lies the none
for gas bills is thus depleted the gas con
pany may whistle long for its money. ]
such transfer of funds were propose
after the passage of the bills by the ma
jority and their veto by the Mayor, tn
company would be in position to as