The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-19
Company Officials to
Act To-day.
INVESTIGATION is DEFERRED
A REDUCTION TO 81 SO rs EX-
PECTED.
Moses A. Gunst, Commissioner of Po-
lice, Is Granted Six Months
Leave of Absence by the
Board.

The officials of the San Francisco Gas
and Electric Company have accepted the
| inevitable Conscious of the fact that
the Supervisors purposed reducing the
price of gas, the corporation has decided
10 take the initiative in the matter Its
| directorate will meet to-day and as a
mere matter of policy will name a rate
| Which it was intended should be forced
upon the company This was the infor-
nation impaired to the Supervisors at a
meeting yesterday.
The board after acting in a vacillating
manner for some weeks past on the ques-
ton OF gas rates, apparently decided upon
81 o0 per thousand feet as the price to be
charged hereafter The minority mem
bers of the board wanted that body to
stand by its action fixing 81 10 as the rate
put IN the face of solid majority this
seemed impossible. The valiant minority
! composed of Supervisors Perrault, Lack
mann, Byington, Deasy and Heyer) then
made brave stand for compromise
rate Of 81 80. This did not appeal to the
majority; hence the inclination of the
members to agree upon 81 90 became more
and more apparent. The officials of the
gas company must obviously meet that
hgure at their meeting to-day, or the
threatened investigation as to the cost of
production and delivery of gas will be
continued. The outcome of this will be
that the board will then arbitrarily fix
/ L
be necessary
The meeting which had adjourned from
the previous day was held in the assem-
bly, room Of the board. When Mayor
Phelan called the members to order there
We're but two abSenteeS-SuperYtsor At
| fridge and Collins. His Honor the Mayor
| announced that the proper procedure
would be for the board to resolve itself
into a committee of the whole and elect
/ a presiding officer. Upon motion, Super
visor Kalben, chairman of the Street
Light Committee, was called TO preside.
| The object of the meeting-that of inves-
tigating the gas question and fixing rates
for the city and for private consumers
was outlined briefly.
Thomas B. Bishop, chief of counsel for
the San Francisco Gas and Electric Com
pany, appeared for the first time before
the inqustorial body for the corporation
He stepped forward and in a converse
tional voice informed the Supervisors that
the directorate of the gas company would
meet to-day and would then discuss q
voluntary reduction Of rates. He init
mated that there was question as to the
power vested in the board TO arbitrarily
fix the rates to be charged for gas. The
board, he said, would oblige the people
he represents if it would adjourn until
Thursday and give them time to act IN
the premises He said such action would
tend TO save controversy, even should
the right of the board to act be finally
determined in its favor.
The request for postponement was
granted without further debate. There
was a difference of opinion as to when the
hearing should be resumed. Mayor Phe-
Ian suggested the sooner it was disposed
of the better for all parties interested.
The next meeting contemplates merely
the hearing of a report, and should take
but a short time This was volunteered
to offset an objection raised by Super
visor Aigeltinger that the Street Com
mittee would be in session all that day.
After brief discussion the committee
named tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock
as the time for continuing the hearing.
At the opening of the deliberations Su-
pervisor Perrault asked permission to in
troduce resolution granting Moses A:
Gunst, Commissioner of Police, leave OF
absence from the State for six months,
from the 23d inst. Supervisor Aigeltinger
protested against action by the board on
the ground that the matter should prop
erly be considered first by the Committee
on Health and Police. A majority of the
committee members was prVent. Super
visor Lackmann spoke in favor of grant
ing the request, his associates speaking in
the same strain Mayor Phelan, who
presided, suggested that this be received
as the report of the committee. This
course was pursued, and the board then
voted in favor of granting the desired
leave of absence.