The San Francisco call., 1903-09-12
ADVISES ROPE
FOR TRUSTEES
Fiery Alamedan Lets His
Anger Override His
Judgment.
Board of Trade Protests at
Threatened Granting
of Franchises.

ALAMEDA Sept 11.-"Let US find out
the price of tar; let us find out the price
of feathers; let US find out the price Of
rope. Give these City Trustees the tar;
give them the feathers, and then. if they
do not come to time and save the city
from the Southern Pacific monopoly. give
them the rope"
Such was the course advised by c. H
Bassett in an impassioned address dehv-
cred at a meeting Of the Board Of Trade
held tonight for the purpose of discuss
ing the matter of the two local railroad
franchises Bassett's words were re-
ceived with applause by many OF those
present, but later in the meeting +. w.
Voogt said that he believed the remarks
were not temperate and were mace IN d
moment of excitement.
Resolutions denOuncing the attltuoe OF
the City Trustees with respect to the 10
cal referendum ordinance were introduced
by F. w. Voogt and unanimously passed.
They were as follows:
Resolved That the Board OF Trustees OF
the city Of Alameda is directly responsible IQr
continuing the ceaseless agitation on thls SUI,
ject by refusing to grant the petition applied
for: and be IT further
Resolved, That We citizens Of Alameda. IT
mass meeting assembled. do hereby lndeliDly
set stamp of intense disapproval and un-
qualified condemnation upon Alameda s Board
OF Clty trustees. ana We un0eSlldlAASAy SA4e.4 3
that no self-respecting body Of pubic men
acting in the interests Of the whole people
would dare to assume their present positlon
and effrOntery; and be II further
Resolved That this meeting Is more than
ever convinced Of the crying and unavoidable
necessity Of the referendum method OF set
Ting and dsposing Of this matter OF pubic
interest; and be II further
Resolved, That none Of the censure herein
contained is intended for Joseph Z. Forderer,
chairman of the City Trustees he having con-
sistently and persistently stood OF the law
and the referendum at all times.
Henry Rosenthal, president of the Board
of Trade, was chairman Of the meeting,
which was attended Dy about seventy
five citizens, comprising members of the
Board of Trade, of the local Social Demo-
cratic party and others. After calling the
assemblage to order the chairman said:
We have met here for the purpose Of CON
demning the action of four OF our hve City
Trustees One week ago I could not be induced
to believe that four elected by the people
Of Alameda to serve them would submit to such
budoZing tactics as have been employed by
the Southern Pacific in the matter Of the fran
chises l am appalled, and 1 feel that the citi-
zens of this city have been humiliated by their
servants. But tell you. gentlemen, that
there are men IN this city who Will not be bull
dozed; who Will stand for their rights, and. II
needs be, who will fight for their rights
DR.. w. H. Robinson, another speaker,
said:
We may not understand our City Trustees.
I don't see why they should give these valuable
franchises away. I did believe that the
City Trustees would offer these privileges to
the Southern Pacific for nothing. No sensible
man believes that the company intends to tear
up any Of its tracks here. Mr.. Kruttschnitt is
no fool. He understands his business or he
would not be where he is do not think that
the injunction proceedings we have begun will
prove effective. 1 cannot satisfy myself that
the City Trustees will grant these franchises
for fifty years Under the circumstances feel
that 1t Is more honorable to make straight
stand-up American fight and get licked than to
lie down.
other speakers were Jacob Hoeck, Ben
j. Smith and z. H. Lancet