The San Francisco call., 1899-04-11
Public May Pay $I.5O
Per Thousand.
BILLS SETTLED AT OLD RATE
QUESTION OF PARK EXTENSION
GOES OVER ONE WEEK.
Improvement Clubs Want the EIec-
tion to Include Bonds for Other
Matters When Submitted
to the People.

After a weeks consideration the seven
members Of the Board of Supervisors
who have been identified with the ma
-.-.I lave arrived at the conclusion that
their ion in reducing the price of gas
ID s I'D ner thousand feet was ill-advised.
I'D the face of argument presented by
tre minority which indicated that that
r-.ce would give a reasonable profit, ii
"as decided at the meeting yesterday to
-eseiud the action of the previous week
following upon this an attempt was
made 10 Tx the rate for consumers at
d %. This was finally referred to the
Street Light Committee for consideration.
il was decided TO pay The bills of the
san Francisco Gas and Electric Company
and the Pacific Gas Improvement Com
Iauy for lighting the streets and public
buildings during December and January
at the rates specified in the contract.
This IS the document pronounced invalid
b- Judge Seaweu recently. The action Of
The majority was bitterly contested by
the minority throughout the heated de-
The seven members who voted for re-
sClnling the action taken at the last
meeting We're: Supervisors Holland, Kali
ben, Black, Phelps, Collins, Attridge and
AIEelunger. The Steadfast minority was
made Up of Supervisors Perrault, Lack
mann, By1ugton, Heyer and DeaSy. Near
the close Of the debate, when the vote
on every question stood to 3, Supervisor
Byington, who had fought vaiantly with
the majority, seeing the hopelessness of
81. quoted from ShakeSpeare's Merchant
of Venice:
> You may as .wen go stand beside the :
g. sea and bid the tide abate its usual 8
go height; you may as we'll do anything o
% that IS most hard g
TO this he added-"as reach the mind of
those who viii not be convinced"
fElL opened the Question of a
Is=oluuon presented by Supervisor Kali
ben. He wanted the question of a reduc-
ri.n in price for street lamps referred to
tle Street Light Committee, of which he
is chairman. His resolution read:
Whereas This board did on April 3, 1899,
refer 10 the Committee on Street Lights a
resolution in words and figures follows;
Resolved, The compensation to be allowed
% the san Francisco Gas and Electric
toIore furnished and unpaid, and which
may hereafter be furnished, until a
per lamp Per night, in lieu OF II cents per
lamp per night as heretofore; and whereas,
the Committee on Street Lights, IN order to
intelligently report on said resolution, deem
IL necessary to first obtain Information from
the Gas Inspector in relation TO the subject
matter of said resolution before reporting
thereon 20 this board therefore,
Resolved. That the subject matter Of
said resolution be and is hereby referred to
the Gas Inspector FOR his examination and
report to the Committee on Street Lights as
e. the consumption Of gas IN each lamp Per
night and as 10 whether or not the rate
proposed In this resolution Of S cents In
lieu oi II cents per lamp per night is a pro
Specified in the contract in connection with
the other service rendered, as compared
with the price or rate set forth in resOlu-
ti-n No. l6Zl lfourth sertes) adopted at the
last meeting of the board April 3, 1899.
Supervisor Lackmann objected to the
matter being referred to the committee,
lie said the board had all the information
it could hope to receive IN the matter. He
said the city IS paying two and sometimes
n Tnh lG of HOY cir Ia
llsJanced New York and Boston, saying
they paid S12 for service for which this
city IS charged $36.
supervisor Byington thought the board
could act on the fixing Of rates at once,
as there was no possibility Of change In
lcir view OF the matter They had Just
as much light on the matter then as they
would ever have. The motion to recall
tle matter from the committee was lost
lv the usual vote to 8.
When this matter had been disposed Of
Supervisor Ageltnger presented a short
r-solution resembling the previous action
ot the board fixing the price of gas at
!Igt0n wanted to know the reason Of this
remarkable change Of heart in one week.
I'm explanation Supervisor Aigeitinger said
be did not think 81 10 fair rate to any
corporation. When asked why it was not
fair when the reports showed &c was paid
ia other cities, he said he was entitled to
his own opinion IN the matteri that no
business man would want the price Of gas
cut s. cents on the 1000 feet He did not
think the company could pay its laborers
or its interest at that price.
Supervisor Byington said a reason
should be given for the change Of heart.
Seven men had voted for the reduced rate
and II they wanted TO change their vote
low they should give their reason calmly
and spassionately. The public he said
VIII think the board acts hastily and
without due dellberation If II changes ito
vote so readily. He held the board should
not allow compensation on a eapltaliza-
L.n 0f the gas company for sir 900 900.
This debt should not be saddled on the
people
Supervisor Holland said the board must
e tlLmidate capital That gas, water
banking corporations should be
Leaf4d impartially and induced to spend
i.e.r money here. He voted under mis-
dppfeae.= ion last week, he said. He
SA9eT5teo4 Mr.. Lackmann to say that
q 80 gate was 80 per cent more than It
shoulq be- He found this was not true,
ana hence wanted to change his vote.
pon vote being taken the resolution
passed at rhe last meeting was rescinded.
eupeEFisor Phelps resolution providing
l'T tAe payment Of the December