The San Francisco call., 1899-05-31
STREET
DEFEAT OF STREET
RAILWAY ROBBERY.

from apparently unmerited oboquy, which under the
circumstances was inevitable.
Supervisors PeLrault Deasy, Byington, Lacknann
and Heyer who fought manfully and so intell1-
gently for the community at the last meeting OF the
board, with this accession to their number pre-
vent an affirmative vote in favor Of any one OF the
franchises or privileges demanded by the Market
Street Railway Company and avert the necessity of
further resort to parliamentary tactics or to legal
echnicates order defeat the atrocious fraud Tor
which there is no precedent in municipal history
There is no believe that the monopoly, with
all its resources through its available strategy, can
produce any break in the ranks of these six municipal
representatives who thus stand committed to the
compromising ful6llment of their duties under their
official oaths
The revised list of the railway salamanders, who are
impenetrable to any possible appeal to their integrity
includes Supervisors Aigetnger, Attridge, Black,
Collins Holland and Phelps These men are inca
pable OF comprehendng the controlling power OF an
honest motive in public officer Elected by the bal
lots OF their fellow citizens with pledges OF upright
ness on their lips but with corruption and reachery
in their hearts they will go down posterity dis
graced bevond REDEEM ption and leaving heritage OF
which their descendants will be ashamed And while
they live if the people OF San Francisco are true to
themselves and earnestly bent a faithful admins
t1ation of their local affairs. these will be Stunned
and despsed, and, though the application OF this
drastic treatment may wound their scared and
calous personalities the example will not be lost upon
the ambitious politicians OF the future
Supervisor Kalben evidently agrees with The Call
in the proposition that the only way to meet public
expectation in the matter of the franchises which the
Market Street Railway Company has intrusted to its
agents in the board is to postpone their consideration
until after the new charter goes into effect 1t may be
II +I,o
strument the principle OF the referendum has been
practically applied and that the people OF San Fran
CISCO with the Endorsement OF the State Legislature
have determined that no such franchise shall be
granted for more than twenty five years without
the immediate payment OF percentages on gross re
ccips be increased after the lapse of five years and
that all the other restrictions that have been adopted
for the future protection of their municipality shall be
enforced As Supervisor Kalben pertnently says: The
city can acquire greater benefits through the laws on
franchises in the charter than it under
isting laws" To defeat the deliberate expression OF
the public will even these applications which might
ultimately be granted by premature action under
railroad dictation would be transparent fraud and
glaring outrage.
Supervisor Kalben also concurs with The Call and
his reputable colleagues in the board in holding that
the street railway facilities essential to the revival OF
the northeast part of San Francisco from its present
stagnation and favored by the Merchants Association
and by the North End Improvement Club should be
granted, but that under of this necessary
Improvement. the Geary street franchise should be
surrendered and renewed or the abandoned franchise
on Geary street between Taylor street and Grant
avenue recognized. 1t also follows that at no time
should the franchise along Grant and
down Bush street to Sansome street be awarded The
full measure OF the relief desired by the Merchants
Association and by the North End Improvement
Club will be attained by the new franchise for one
block on Taylor street between Geary and Post
Streets and by the OF electricity the Post street
system, for which as the City and County Attorney
has stated, no additional municipal legislation is re-
quired
Unless all signs fail, therefore, and apparently
impossible extension of railroad corruption occurs,
it may be assumed that the attempted robbery of San
Francisco by the street railway monopoly is checked
Even without the satisfactory revelation OF the fact
that the railway only had six available tools in the
Board of Supervisors the parliamentary action of the
minority OF the board Monday last fearlessly sus
tained by Mayor Phelan, had greatly mnimized the
danger that had excited threatening an outburs of
civic indignation Not only has the right OF the Mayor
to veto any rascally donation OF public easements and
Of the Of public streets been successfully estab
shed but the soundness of Mr.. Phelan's contention
IL
read together provide that the use of any street
alley or highway within any incorporated city or town
can only be awarded to street railway corporation
By two-thrd vote applies to the scheme of the Mar
ket Street Railway Company, has been plausibly
disputed. Unquesonably the of 1893, which pro-
hibits the granting OF franchises within ninety days
before seventy days after general election is in
full operation and therefore, the proposed surrender
ci the streets north OF Market would necessar
lily have to be consummated by August s.
Mayor Phelan and the minority OF the Board of
Supervisors at the last session OF the board uncon
scious OF the reinforcement they have now fortu-
nately received, unless there is some law or opera
tive rule to which attention has not been directed
effectually blocked the railway game by bold and
decisive movement which, Mr.. Phelan observed,
dictated by honest public policy In order to
attend to the muarious demands OF public business
the board has been in the habit of adjournng from
week week, from one day to another so that all