The San Francisco call., 1899-07-15
D|SCR|M|NATOR
KRUTTSCHN|TT'S
DOUBLE DEALING
How He Keeps Prom
ises to Petitioners.
WOULD STRADDLE THE FENCE
MAKES A COMPLETE FAILURE
OF THE ATTEMPT.
He Tried to Please Every One in the
Liquor Order Matter, With the
Result That He Is in
Trouble.
WOULD STRADDLE THE FENCE
MAKES A COMPLETE FAILURE
OF THE ATTEMPT.

When the Southern Pacific directors, IN
compliance with the wishes of c. P.
Huntington, passed the order prohibiting
the sale of liquor at the stations along the
lines of their road they raised a hornets
nest about their ears. Through the efforts
of the Commercial Travellers Protective
Association, every large liquor house in
the city was prevailed upon to take the
matter up and protest against the action.
These protests carried enough weight to
compel the directors to reconsider their
action. They could not openly rescind the
order In its entirety nor could they allow
1t to remain in force without bringing
upon themselves a responsibility which
they were not prepared to face.
They therefore passed the burden to
General Manager Kruttschnitt, placing
him between themselves and the people.
At the. same time they gave him a neat
rundown by adding a kitetail to the
order, which provides him with full dis
cretion in the matter, that says liquor
shall not be abolished at those stations
where meals are regularly served to the
travelling public
Had Kruttschnitt been a real wise man
he might have overcome the difficulty by
taking a firm stand either on one side
or the other, but he tried to carry water
on both shoulders and got thoroughly
soused for his pains AS the matter was
discriminate and his discrimination has
| in every instance been founded on selfish
ness, not on justice. Those men who had
influence with the company or who, for
reasons of policy, the company did not
care to antagonize, were allowed to run
| on In the old way, while others who were
doing legitimate business based on moth
ing but their industry and integrity were
given notice to shut up.
Thus Ben Steinman, who for twenty
| eight years ran the eating place at Sac
ramento, was obliged to step out to give
Lewis Hanchett an opportunity to step
Hanchett is a brother-in-law to one of the
directors. The travelling men had to be
placaled. Mr.. Kruttschnitt wrote to their
president telling him that the order had
been reScinded and, to use KruttSchnitts s
own words, that In the future the travel
ing public will be able to enjoy the same
facility in purchasing liquor at the eat
ing stations that has been enjoyed here
tofore.''
The following interview obtained from
Owen Rooney, who conducts the eating
house at the Oakland pier, and who is
one of those without pull, tells the story
of the double cross that Kruttschnitt has
elers Protective Association:
II have ,.r received letter EFT. + from Manager
one 1 on June 25. 1t informs me that the
order forbidding the sale of liquor need not be
obeyed by me until September 1. After that
date l sell nothing but wines in bottles to
guests at tables The first order weeks
ago and named July 1 as the date L to
cease selling liquor 1 wrote June 25, tell
ing the general manager that 1t would ruin
the business, and received reply till yester-
day. On July l 1 closed down all liquor SELL
ing. 1 then had three barrels of wine which
1 had bought from the California Wine Asso-
citation, but having for it l sent it
back
Il have now received letter from Mr..
Kruttschnitt telling me that they have recon
sidered the order and that 1 keep open
till September ], but after that date L shall
sell only wine by the bottle to guests when
they are actually seated at table. This is all
nonsense and will. of course. mean that no
business be done at the pier. That is all
there is in the letter."
After comparing the treatment he has
received from the company with the in
dulgence it metes out to Sacramento
Redding, Castroville, Los Angeles and
San Jose it is not strange that Mr.. Rooney
should imagine he has a grievance. When
the public read this article they also can
get some idea of the Kruttschnitt idea of
justice and the faith with which he keeps
his implied promises to the merchants
who got up the petition. The manner in
which Mr.. Kruttschnitt has carried out
the discretion allowed him by the direct
ors it is expected will cause those gentle
men at their next meeting to give their
shifty general manager a bigger bump
than he could get on one of his own
teacher specials