The San Francisco call., 1899-05-26
Market-Street Company Given
Everything 1t Asks.
Street Committee of the Supervisors
Takes Action on Petitions Present
ed to the Board.

at its secret meeting Monday afternoon,
by which the Market Street Railway
Company and its allied corporation, the
Gcary Street Park and Ocean Railroad
Company, were granted all they petiuoned
for The petition of the Southern Pacific
Company for a franchise for double
track railroad over certain streets Of the
city to replace the single track road which
is now being operated between San Fran
cisco and San Jose was also acted upon
fay orably. The resolutions making these
wholesale grants of franchises VIII come
up before the board on Monday next. ana
unless the unexpected happens VIII be
passed 20 print
A delegation Of Mission property owners
appeared before the committee and plead
ed for delay in the matter Of the petition
of the Southern Pacific Company. Ihey
asked that the hearing be postponed for
one week TO enable them To marshal their
forces and prepare petition protesting
against the granting Of the franchise.
They were finally given grudging assur-
ance that they would be heard next week
but they had scarcely left the building
before the Southern Pacific petition was
formally indorsed and the franchise rec
commended Tor passage.
The franchises which received the in
doTsement Of the committee include the
franchise for an electric road to replace
Y
Market street to the park; the cork
screw franchise for an electric line con-
meeting the wholesale district with the
Mission by a tortuous route which has
been under consideration for some time
past, and franchise for the construction
of odds and ends of track, as Super
visor Holland aptly said. in various sec
tions of the city. The latter franchise in
Cludes nine sections, the majority Of
1Rsbi for brrt Of
new track to connect the various branches
Of the M4rket-street system. Section
providing for the construction and opera
tiOn of an electric line from the inter
section of California street and Thirty
second avenue, along Thirty second ave
nue. to Point Lobos road, and section 4
granting a franchise for a line from the
intersection of Point Lobos road and
Forty-eighth avenue, along Forty eighth
avenue TO an unnamed street between a
and Z streets, thence to Forty-sixth ave
nue., thence to 3 street, thence to Forty
seventh avenue, thence to c street. thence
to Forty-ninth avenue, We're objected to
by representatives OF the Sutro Railroad
which they are intended to parallel. This
franchise takes in the present steam rail-
road TO the Cliff House. which the Mar
ket-Street system desires to convert into
an electric road. The committee also
recommended that the motive power be
on the following named streets: Bran
nan street. from First TO Third; Pacific
street, from Aearny TO stockton; BUSH
street, from Sansome to Battery; Meal
lister street, from Devisadero to Central
avenue, and along Central avenue To Full
ton. and along Fulton to Seventh avenue;
Hayes street. from Devisadero to Stan
yam; California street from Central ave-
nue. TO First avenue.
Supervisors Byington. Deasy and
Lackmann, the select COMMITTEES appoint
ed by the board Monday were present at
the meeting and raised their voices in
protest against the granting of the fran
chises, but as they could not vote their
protests availed naught. Supervisor Col
Inns was the only member of the Street
Committee who did not vote for every
thing asked by the Market street system.
He excused himself on the plea of urg-
ent business and departed before the
franchises were ready to be acted upon.
All the resolutions were first read by
Clerk Russell and then each one was
taken up separately. The opinion of City
and County Attorney Lane advising the
Board OF Supervisors that 1t has the
legal power to permit the Market Street
Railway Company to use electricity on its
Post street lines and other lines included
in the proposed corkscreW road was also
read in order 10 forestall any possibility
of the question of the power Of the Super
Visors to grant the franchise. The Geary
street franchise was first taken up.
Supervisor Byington, urged that it be
rejected on the ground that as the COM
pany's present franchise does not expire
until 1903 there is no necessity for action
at tnlS time. he t0OuRnt the city would
be benefited if action were postponed un-
til the new charter becomes operative
He was supported by Supervisors Deasy
and Lackmann. The former expressed the
opinion that the offer Of the company to
surrender its present franchise had a
string TO il. This remark brought At
TO his feet
THAT is not So" said Mr.. Foulds "The
Geary-street Company has made a writ
ten offer to the board to surrender it's
franchise. and the only condition attached
is that the board shall offer new fran
chise for an electric road over the same
route, to be disposed of to the highest
bidder
'Do you mean to say that you are pre-
pared to forfeit your franchise and take
your chances. on securing new one?'
asked Supervisor Byington.
Il mean that If the board will offer
new franchise we will step down and out
if any other corporation should outbid
US was the response. FouldS then went
on to state that the Geary-street Com
pany was losing business because of Its
Old-fashiOned rolling stock and the fact
that it was paralleIed by electric roads.
I'VE want to equip the road with all
the appliances of modern science, ne
said, 'and we cannot afford to do that
with but three years remaining before
our franchise expires
Il have been riding on Geary street cars
for ten years. and have seen no evidence
Of falling-of in traffic" said Supervisor
THE books Of the company show such
to be the fact, nevertheless" retorted the
attorney.
The question of compensation was
brought up and the three voteless Super
visors wanted a section inserted providing
that the road be required to pay into the
city treasury certain percentage of its !
receipts from the date Of the completion
of the road, instead Of being absolved
from all such payments for a period Of
five years; also that the amount to be so
paid be at least 3 per cent the figure
named in the new charter. The commit |
tee listened to the arguments and then
recommended the passage of the franchise
resolution.
The "corkscrew' franchise was then
taken up and Edgar Painter. represent
ing the North Central Improvement Club. |
addressed the committee in advocacy of
its passage. He declared that his organ
ization represented 800 900 of property
in the business section of the city which |
was sorely in need Of rapid transit facili-.l
ties. He quoted figures to show that the |
value of property on Montgomery. San |
some and other streets in that section |
had greatly deprecated because of poor
streets and the absence of an adequate |
street car system Mr.. Painter was fol- |
lowed by Mr.. Shotwell Of the California |
Safe Deposit Company building, DIR. |
Moore Of the Pacific Mutual Life build
ing. Mr. Taylor of the Mills building. Mr. |
KEYS Of the Keys e. Hastings estate |
Mr. Bradford representing G.. M. JoSSlyn: |