The San Francisco call., 1899-07-06
AUCTION SALES.
SUCCESSIVE MONOPOLY DEFEATS,

THERE is sOcialistc use OF the conception OF
monopoly to which The Call can never sub
scribe. But for many years there has been IN
this State one monopoly, arrayed in various coors
and antagonizng the people in all the ordinary chan
nels OF business which has been ndeibly marked by
the selfish policy OF Coils P. Huntington. Whether
it was fastened upon the nation, the State the mt
nicipaIity OF San Francisco-and in turns or snul-
taneously has attached itself to all-that monopoly
has sucked the life blood OF trade, commerce and
manufacture OF all the sources OF prosperity, and IN
its methods, through its agents and by its influence,
has degraded politics and poured the virus OF cor
ruption into party management
The sinister efforts OF this monopoly to absorb the
wealth OF the State and escape from its Just share
OF the public burdens have been openly resisted by
The Call not exclusively, but in conspicuous sense.
They have never been more concentrated nor boldet
than during the past year, and especially during the
first hall OF 1900 1t is a OF sincere gratihca-
ton observe that during thirty years OF perpetual
controversy nearly all OF which literally forced
upon the people, Mr., Huntington has never within
few months met with an equal number OF defeats.
No what the future may have in store for us,
whether the degenerate obsequousness OF the eXeCu
tive may accomplish an act OF treachery by the OF
the appointing power by extraordinary legis-
atve session. the exclusion OF Dan Burns from the
Federal Senate through the deadlock in the Joint
.venton was disastrous break in the uniformity OF
the Huntington dictatorship 1t followed. more
over. by other monopolisc failures that establish
marked Improvement in municipal service, and
that are encouraging signs the time approaches for
the utilization OF the New Charter.
Such wholesale scheme of plunder the Market
Street Railway Company originated in March last
has rarely been concocted. 1t IS hardly much to
say that it amounted demand for the surrender
the street railway branch OF the Huntington combi-
nation OF all the valuable rights franchises and prvi
leges San Francisco still retained and that too at
period when atranscendently great future dawn
ing upon us The scheme. however planned with the
utmost and advocated with all the subtle in
genuity and disregard OF principle for which the rail
road monopoly is notorious was completely beaten
Even the surrender OF Mayor Phelan did not help
the supplementary robbery that attempted when
the corkscrew line had been conceded. Mr. Hunt
ington failed to hold the members OF the Board of
Supervisors as his chattes.
But this is not all. For once the involabity OF
pledge has been acknowledged, and advancing pub
lie sentiment has eXacted from all the municipal off
GERS rigid adherence the dollar limit an assumed
valuation OF $35o,ooo, 600 The Assessor, too. has
reached personal property values to the amount of
S34 267O78. or thereabOuts, which have heretofore
escaped taxation, and OF this large eighteen
millions or more are added to the valuations OF street
railway companies and other corporate monopolies
When such ndurated offenders as the Market-Street
Railway Company and the Spring Valley Water Com
pany find the valuation of their personal property
more than doubled, and have no chance to escape
their reasonable share OF taxation either by manpu
lating politicians by litigation without now dis
cussng the question of equalization it is at least
proper to record another defeat for the Huntington
combination, including its collateral relations and
some OF its intimate friends.
The intention of the Assessors throughout the
State under the advice OF the Attorney General to
include bonds of various descriptions in the personal
property valuation this year. is another step in the
right direction that is likely to produce some bene
fetal results 1t may lead to the full consideration
by the Supreme Court of the meaning of our const-
tuition when it provides in that in this State as
in other States all property OF every sort exempt
under Federal laws. shall be taxed
The outcome for just and equitable enforcement
of our system of taxation is promising When all
nrooertv is brought into the light OF day and
allowed to sktlk or conceal itself the primary basis
for lust assessment for equality before the law is
established The next element is fair equalization,
that the benefits may be equitably distributed This
branch of the subject is attracting general atten
ton and will bear further consideration. The Hunt
inqon monopoly will be again in evidence before the
tax levy is finally determined But IT now appears that
the DeoDle have some acknowledged rights that the
rnunicipal authorities are inclined to respect