The San Francisco call., 1899-05-08
THE STREET RAILWAY GRAB.


to the Board OF Supervisors Taken together in their
relation to the existing consolidation OF street railway
lines owned and handled by that corporation, they
constitute scheme for monopoizng the streets and
Nexcluding opposition that is hardly less than stu
pendous
For years it has been favorite theory OF c. ?.
Huntington that if all the railroads in the United
States were under one management 1t would be OF
great advantage to the people. He has carried the
doctrines OF socialism their ultimate results. merely
substituting himself for the Government paernal
ism incarnate The arguments which from time to
time he has put forward in support OF his views are
superfcally plausible. They may be summed up in
the proposition, which is the fundamental basis OF
obnoxious trusts so far avoWed, that the operation
OF railroads on this gigantic scale would be rendered
more economical and more effective than under the
competitive system and therefore, that freighs and
fares would be reduced to the minimum The most
obvious flaw in the argument is the corollary in
ference derived from the assumed premises. The diff
hcuty is that Mr. Huntington himself or his equva-
lent as factor is LETT out Expenses would be re-
duced possibly efficiency might be promoted, but the
receipts would not be diminished. On the contrary,
they would be increased The concentration OF trans
portation facilities under single head and imperial
ism have practically the same foundation.
What the grasping intellect OF Mr. Huntington has
suggested for the nation he has practiced a COM
paratvey small scale in this municipality. The Mar
e Street Railway Company already holds the greater
part OF San Francisco in the grip Of devil-hsh.
very few segregated facts will substantate this asser-
ton. It's control of thoroughfares south OF Market
street, which from the northeast the southwest is
the main artery OF the city, need not be here detailed
But It holds Market itself, together with parts
of Jackson and Washington streets, Clay street. Sac
ramento street Post street, Geary street Ellis street,
Z A II.
street Castro street and Valencia street over all or
nearly all OF which horoughfares, and possibly over
other omitted streets running from east to west the
present system extends Transversey the north OF
Market street it occupies part OF Sansome street,
Montgomery street, Kearny street Powell street and
other streets far and including Devsadero
street Tested by the rules OF military strategy, this
distribution OF power would almost if quite
to amount dominant occupancy OF the most thick
ly settled and valuable residence and business por-
tions OF the peninsula
Now add to these holdings the connecting link on
Taylor street between Geary and Post streets for
which franchise has been asked, the virtual posses
sion OF Geary street between Grant avenue and Tay-
or after the present franchise OF the Geary
street road expires the new projected line on Grant
avenue from Geary street to Bush street and down
Bush street to Sansome street and the whole OF
Montgomery and Sansome streets from Jackson
Market street, and the full measure OF the
demands which, during the brief period that will
elapse before the charter takes effect the Board
OF Supervisors is expected to raty, will be at least
partly appreciated.
AS The Call said yesterday the imperative wants OF
the neglected and valuable section OF this city ncosed
by Kearny street the west. by California street on
the south and by the bay the north and east can
not be disputed Nor should any mere prejudice
consideration OF the proposals of the Market Street
Railway Company But it is insisted that the Board
Of Supervisors cannot accede to the wholesale scheme
OF appropriation that has been exposed without
ecreancy to its trust and utter disregard OF the public
welfare
The laws passed by the Legislature in 1903 and 1897
the latter OF which have been necessarily invoked in
the orders and resolutions the gist Of which we have
published, were specially designed to insure actual
competition. This purpose is still more vigorously
expressed in the charter which has received both
popular and legislative ratification. To anticipate
the new charter and under the pretene OF conformity
with the present statutes, yield the dctation of
his arrogant monopoly, which is one OF Mr. Hunting
toms favorite instrumenalities would be fraud on
the people and disgrace to the board which might
bring the Supervisors who permitted themselves be
used for the attempted egazation of the plot within
the penalties OF the law.
The present Board OF Supervisors has been a CON
siderable improvement the last It contains gen
tlenen, such Supervisor Perrault who have ntell-
gently and manfdlly lived up to their pledges and
fused obedience to any improper influence The COM
mutity looks to them to check the wholesale cleanup
desQred by the Market Street Railway Company
which, it has been actually framed, is not indorsed
by the Merchants Association or by any other or
ganlzation OF solid tax-paying citizens It may be
advisable to postpone final action until after January
I, 1000. Under any conditions the application for the
franchise on Grant and Bush street should
be rejected, and permission to use electricity on
Geary street or in any way to obstruct that thorough
fare, should be granted And no opportunity under
airy disguise, to erect telegraph poles to change
the motive power specified in any OF the original
franchises should be furnished without at least having
the validity OF that method OF procedure sanctioned
by hc law department OF the, local government
@1@1z-EI@ssss1n~zH~Ez@s