The San Francisco call., 1899-05-27
VERBAL RAILROAD INSPIRATION.

/
guage such as it is are inspired directly by the Mills
that grind increasingly in the yellow building at the
intersection of Market Montgomery and Post streets
On Thursday it transmitted to an incredulous pub
lie few of the latest railroad alsehoods. The Mar
ket Street Railway Company has asked the Super
visors for so much of the earth with two three
rifnp reservations as lies on the northern side OF
the CITY, between Market street, the bay and the
ocean, and large proportion OF the territory on the
southern side between Market street. the bay and
the dvi.lIng line between San Francisco and San
Mateo County 1t has peced out and adjusted its
existing franchises so as exclude all possible
petition 1t proposes to connect the Post street and
the Gsary street systems by new franchise for
block on Taylor street, which also unites with an old
and unused franchise that ought long since to have
been forfeited 1t has also directed its agents in the
board to confer upon it franchise along Grant
avenue from Geary street to Bush street and down
Bush street to Sansome street 1t has further ex-
acted possession of Montgomery street, OF Sansome
street and of Battery street.
These are only portions of the intricate network OF
franchises and privileges OF which the present clean
up OF the Market Street Railway Companyis composed
but they sufficient for present object, and the
omitted parts of the gigantic scheme have been
than once recapitulated in The Call Surrounded and
entrenched by all the other franchises and privileges
on Geary street in return for franchise to
for fifty years but for the inatory FIVE without any
contribution TO the municipal treasury. On this
street between Grant avenue and Taylor street, it
also claims another old and unused franchise
so that on so much OF the route it assumes that in
addition to possession it has double grip. The
Geary Street Railway is substantially part of the
Market Street Railway system, but it has a segre-
gated liability to bondholders of $67I 900 that will
mature until 1921, about eighteen years after the
present franchise will expire. This deliberate fraud
is to be ratified by the franchise, and it has been
already pointed out by The Call that with this
QUESTION for fifty years and expenditure OF
$3ooooo interest at per cent per annum on at least
two millions could be secured
The railroad, through the Post, on Thursday last
segregated the Geary street application from the
mainder OF the swinde in which it is an important
element and treating as standing by.itsel inquiries
why il it is so valuable, the proprietors OF three
morning newspapers that oppose the projected fraud
cannot singly or collectively outbid the Market
Street Railway Company and thus reap the large
profit they anticipate from the steal Does any
believe says the railroad or Mr. Huntington the
Post-or all three-'that il this franchise had
tenth OF the value that it is asserted to have by
Messrs Spreckels, Hearst and De Young any OF
these worthless would hesitate for moment to
ii over the Market street company, which it is
claimed will not think OF bidding anything like what
the franchise is worth? Here are three mlionaires-
men who are looking for business Investments
loudly camoring that a valuable franchise of the city
is being given away, when any OF them could secure
it by making fair bid therefor
/ And, to cnch the proposition attention is called
to the fact that immediate payment OF money is
required, but that the responsible bidders offering
the largest percentage OF gross receipts will take the
franchise
! There are numerous answers to this correlation OF
impudent mendacity. The Market Street Railway
Company which evidently has not examined its own
charter in connection with the Illinois decision
against the Pullman Car Company, considers adver-
tisng legitimate part OF the railroad business 1t
does not follow that the owners of newspapers should
include the purchase OF street railway franchises as
a natural accompaniment OF that kind OF investment
But the truth that when the Geary street franchise
is offered the Market Street Railway Company will be
necessarily the only bidder OF incaculable value to
itself the purchase would be worthless to any other
individual corporation The monopoly with its
duplicated claim on four blocks OF Geary street and
with its entire line fanked by and connected with
the other branches OF its grdironed system, could
afford to corrupt dozen Boards OF Supervisors. at
the highest known rates, in order to consummate its
wholesale robbery. But it laugh at competition
OF at the gulIblty OF any citizen who would believe
one of its false and bold assertions.
There are only two real questions in this business
First, has bare majority OF the Board OF Super
visors under the lead OF majority of the Street
Committee absolutely agreed in advance to adopt
| the legislation dictated by the monopoly? To this
question an affirmative has already been twice
given. But second can bare majority control the
situation, IS 1t necessary to override the vetoes OF
the Mayor The Mayors opinion seems to be that
section 68 OF the consolidation act is not inconsistent
with the statutes OF 1903 and 1907 and so far there
IS no evidence that two votes are in the market
i 1t cannot be too thoroughly drilled into the public
mind that this shameless attack upon the municipal
! ity CANNOT be successful without palpable corrup-
ton Supervisor who would confer franchise for
fifty years, when his constituents have voted to
restrict it to twenty FIVE and when the latest expires
sion OF their will ratified by the Legislature will be
operative in seven months is as CERTAINLY dis
honest as it is certain that two and two make four