The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-09

office to discuss the differences at pres
ent complicating the lighting problem
in this city The conference was agreed
upon yesterday as the result of a sug-
gestion from the gas company agents.
who had called on the May that IL
| might be possible to effect some ad-
justment of the matters in dispute.
1t was agreed on all sides that the
present state of affairs was unsatis-
factory all around and that some
means should be taken to end it. The
! Pacific Gas Improvement Company and
the San Francisco Gas and Electric
Company are dissatisfied that, by rea-
son of the differences, they cannot col
lect moneys due them from the city;
citizens are disgruntled because they
are being forced to pay the 81 10 rate,
with an Endorsement on their receipts
that they will get rebate If the courts
decide that the 81 10 rate recently
| adopted by the Supervisors is declared
legal the Mayor, the minority and the
majority of the Supervisors are, re-
! spectively, disappointed by the uncer-
tainty that has attended the promulga-
/ ton of that rate. The gas company,
it is said, is willing to come down to
fiat rate of 81 60 TO private consum-
! ers; some members of the minority are
| said to view a 81 IS rate with favor and
some members of the majority, it is re-
ported, would be willing to compromise
on a 81 90 rate. AS matters stand,
however, with the present differences
| between the minority and majority
/ wings of the Supervisors, 1t is impOSSl-
| bic to arrive at any rate or hit upon
| any plan before the end of the fiscal
year for the payment to the gas COM
pany of any bills at any rate at all.
'lpa an DC
pinch just at present more than any
other interest concerned. In COM
munication addressed to the Mayor
and the Supervisors the Pacific Gas
Improvement Company states the case
clearly and makes a covert threat to
communication dealing with these mat
tiers reads:
The company once before was unable to
collect the bills for gas furnished the pub
lie buildings of San Francisco and lost its
bills for the months of March; April, May
and June 1898, amounting TO S7757 rs. The
| company would be willing to continue TO
supply with gas public buildings now
| lighted by ii and wait a reasonable time
for the payment of its bills II 1t were
not that it knows that long before a legal
decision. can be rendered as to the va va
liditY OF its bills the general fund. from
4 which these bills must be paid, Will nave
been exhausted.
The city now owes the company for gas
/ furnished from December l. 1898. TO May
II. 1899. S975a Is. and the bill for June will
probably amount to more than $1,000. The
( company respectfully represents that al
though there exists difference between
this honorable board and this company
as to what is the proper rate to charge
private consumers for gas supplied, it is
nevertheless entitled to payment for the
gas which it has furnished the city for
It's public buildings a the rate fixed by
your honorable board on April H. 1899, and
which is the same rate contained in the
contract that was ratified and approved
on the Sd day of June, 1898, by his Honor
the Mayor.
Your honorable body must certainly adj
| NIT that no gas company can serve gas
Indefinitely without compensation. There
fore this company respectfully requests
/ that without delay you authorize the pay
ment of its bills that are due and that
you assure it that its bills becoming due
for gas supplied by it to the public build
ings will be paid. as it does not wish to
continue furnishing gas under existing
circumstances.
In another portion of its communica-
| ton the gas company calls attention to
the fact that the Supervisors adopted
resolutions and the Mayor approved
them authorizing both gas companies
to- furnish gas for certain public build
ings at the rate of 81 80 per thousand,
for the period of two years from June,
1898; and that in the face of this APP
prevail, although advised by the City
and County Attorney that the SuperVis-
ors had the power to authorize the pay
ment of the gas cGmpany's bills, neither
the Mayor nor Supervisors have taken
any steps to arrange for their payment.
On the heels of this communication
came the visit yesterday to the Mayor
of the gas company representatives
and the result will be the conference
this afternoon, from which both sides,
or as many sides as there are expect
much good. AS the matter stands, it is
asserted that the Mayor is determined
that, unless some compromise can be
effected, he will refuse TO call together
the Board of SuperVis UrS next Monday
1t is certain, toe, that the majority of
the Board of Supervisors, now satisfied
that the resolution under which they
held their meeting last Monday is legal
will meet again next Monday. pursuant
10 adjournment, ready to transact
whatever business may come before
them.
Providing the stand they take is the
legal one, it will make little difference
to the majority whether or not the
Mayor calls meeting of the board for
next Monday There are seven of them
quorum for the transaction of bust
ness. 1t does, however, make a great
deal OF difference to the Mayor and the
QlnOr1ty. If, as stated before the reso-
luton dug up last Monday is of legal
force. meetings held under it and bust
ness transacted at such meetings are
binding. AS a consequence. if the
Mayor and the minority remain away,
their absence will be taken as willful
and they must take the consequences
These consequences, as has been
pointed out to the Mayor by more than
one member Of the minority will be ap-
parent, if by his absence and the alb
sence of the minority it is made posi-
bic for the majority to transact with
out protest. business which may be
preJudicial to the public interest. 1t
is pretty generally understood that the
majority of the Supervisors are in favor
of arriving at some settlement with
the gas companies. Their action in vot-
ing for 81 so gas rate shows that their
views as to recompense very nearly
meet those of the gas companies. Their
public utterances since that time ind1-
cate that they are ready the moment
the way is clear to put their views into
r resolutions which will become binding
on the city and it's rate payers.
If there is no opposition manifested
at the meeting next Monday, 1t will
be held against the Mayor and the
minority that, had they been present
their protest might have been effective
in securing lower rate than was put
through The Mayor and the minority
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