The San Francisco call., 1903-12-17
THE GEARY-STREET ROAD.


Il fed with trials at public ownership of the
n Geary-sNeet road, but frequently and fran
ticaly to that subject Other cities have had the pre-
imnary experience of San Francisco In 1893 Detroit
voted for public ownership of electric lighting and o2
per cent of the vote cast for the plan The present
year, with the experience of Detroit admonish them
the citizens of Cleveland voted the proposition
and it was beaten by an actual majority of 6ooo
This refusal embark in municipal socialism was
due the campaign made by the Citizens Association
against mortgagng the city pay for public utility
which only part of the taxpayers could 1t in
Cleveland that if the city going into bust
the business should pay for and support itself with
falling back the taxpayers make up its deficits.
1t will be observed that between the propositions
the difference between socialism and business The
Cleveland campaign expostory of the whole issue,
and every furnished with the straight bus
ness argument which developed the principle involved.
At the last election the State OF New York voted
proposition bond the State for $IoI
large the Erie canal going into the pocket of
payer for money put into business project of doubt
full utility, since is for the benefit of canal hoatmen
during that of the year when crops but little
moved The canal is frozen and dormant during the
months but the debt drawing interest every
day The situation very different from that existing
when the canal built No other means OF transpor
taton existed then except by water, and on common
highways Now the vast majority of the commerce is
carried by railways at the cheapest rates in the world
and they open the winter when the great
crops of the West going forward to market. The
project was carried by the of Buffalo and New
York City, and it significant that the farmers of the
State against it. their being overridden by the
cities.
In San Francisco the people have twice rejected the
proposition build railway which only part of
the people and pay for it of the pockets of
all the people The Call insisted that the business in
which the city proposed engage should be established
and administered the income derived from its
The Examiner IS trying physic of figures the
case 1t finds that the gross income of the present
Gearystree road is $4,000 per year, and that the
income is $2oooo equal interest $57oooo This
being So is there the shadow of for taxing
the whole city acquire the property? According
figures and admissions of the advocates OF the scheme
it support Itself
The Call has tried to carry on the same campaign of
education on the subject that was so successful when
by the Citizens Association of Cleveland The
principle applies every form of municipal trad
ing. Let each kind of business support itself Oakland
and San Francisco greatly concerned in demanding
that this principle be insisted upon The citizens of both
cities going to have ample time to instruct them
selves for intelligent action. The decision of the
Supreme Court upon the ownership and of ground
waters has put out of focus the proposition imme-
dately resort the ground waters of Santa Clara
County for the of the vast orchards of that
county, dependent those waters for irrigation have
taken steps prevent the destruction of their property
by diversion Of the water which it depends make
potable supply for cities that have other upon
which TO draw.
The people will have abundant opportunity to
anime the enthusiastic prejudiced statements of
theorists and when they conclude to seek public sup
ply they will take good that its permanence and
suffciency shall make it valuable that it pay the
of its acquisition and administration without bur
denng the general fund and deprving them of
needed for the proper purposes of government.
Events in the East Notwithstanding the New York
canal matter indicate that in respect municipal social
ism deliberate examination is turning the tide away
from that policy and that hereafter if cities go into
business it will be by exactly the methods that
followed by private individuals.
An Indiana physician submitted himself the other day
c