The San Francisco call., 1899-04-29
a BUG in THE CHARTER.

HE Freeholders, by whom the new charter was
framed, were carefully selected. AS body they
were intelligent and respectable citizens They
included some lawyers of more than ordinary ability
and learning. However much the theory the de,
tails OF the municipal government for which they pro-
vided may have been criticized their zeal and good
faith have not heretofore been questioned.
But there is doubt that, in some mysterious way
that has not been explained, these gentlemen were
literally bunkoed by the Pacific Telephone and Tele-
graph Company which is oppressive, exacting and
od1ous monopoly. That corporation within the
limits of this city and county has charged and col
eced exorbitant for very ordinary service. 1t
is invested with extensive franchises and privileges
exercised for years, for which just equivalent has
been rendered and its practice has uniformly been
take everything it could get and treat the public
cnly with Indifference, but with ostentatous con-
tempt
One of the principal objects before the Freeholders
in the production of the new charter was to bring
every corporation that owed its existence and its op-
porunities for profit to the municipality within the
control Of the Board of Supervisors and especially
in the matter of rates and charges. The principle
that they within the power of municipal regula-
ton was accepted as fundamental, and, except to
the telephone company it firmly applied. brief
examination OF the charter will prove that this
particular exemption was not the result OF acci-
dent Telephone companies the subject of specific
provisions. Among the grants of power to the Su-
pervsors enumerated in article H. chapter q section
by the thirteenth subdivision the right to control
the location and quality of appliances for teephonic
and teegraphc service to the city and county is in
Guided By article VI, chapter l. section O. the
ton of poles and the laying of underground wires are
placed under the supervision of the Board of Public
Works. Telephone and teegraphic service is desig-
a1S Of
cipality is ultimately to acquire
But this is all 1t is sufficient to demonstrate that
the attention of the Freeholders was especially d-
rected to the telephone monopoly and therefore, that
the plain discrimination in its favor was deliberately
planned This proposition is also fortified by other
provisions OF the new charter. Subdivision ii Of
section OF article H. chapter the very to the
subdivision already mentioned gives the Supervisors
the ampest authority to determine rates or compen-
sation for the of water, heat, light or power
Subdivision 27 of section confers the right as re-
spects street railways, to fix establish and reduce"
not TO increase 'the fares and charges" Section 6
of the chapter emphasizes this function of the
Board of Supervisors by enactng that it Shall at all
times have the power to regulate the rates of fare"
and the section carefully applies the same rule
to franchises privileges for transmitting electric
power or for lighting purposes
1t quite natural for the Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company to support the charter
When that instrument adopted its unexpected at
titude may have been attributed to a lofty motive
But it really prompted by the most arrant self
iskness. Like Mr.. Huntington, the telephone mon
opoy went for everything in sight, knew good thing
when it had it. and not in business for its health
In the rush OF work toward the end OF their labors the
Freehoders certainly hoodwinked, for it is in
conceivable that any of their number used their posi-
ton as Trojan horse
1t would be interesting to trace the responsibility
for this betrayal of the public interests in the midst
OF achievement that expected to cothe the
municipality with the spotless robes of immaculate
purity
The more important practical consideration how
ever, is the remedy There are many citizens nclud-
ing lawyers, who believe that under the present State
constitution the of telephone companies can be
regulated. That is matter for the prompt considera-
ton OF the Board of Supervisors with the aid of the
City and County Attorney But the public, which
looks positive and Ineligible law free from legal
bubbles, demands that the necessary steps be taken
to amend the charter and Illustrate the deep-laid
scheme of the telephone monopoly without mo-
ments unnecessary delay. The process is slow at
best but it should be speedily and effectively invoked