The San Francisco call., 1905-06-06
HEWITT TAKEN
TO TASK AGAIN
Supervisors Criticize City
Electrician Because He
Has OverdraWn Allowance
MAN COMING
Merchants Association En-
cages William Parsons to
Investigate the Car Lines

The Supervisors Finance Committee
again took City Electrician Hewitt to
task yesterday for overdrawing his ap-
preparation and for not consulting with
the committee before doing underground
work Hewitt had asked to be reim-
bursed in the sum of Sill IA for work on
Fourth street and s495 for removing dec
GRATED uoles on Market street.
The committee was much incensed at
Hewitt for not making correct estimates
Of work. His competency was questioned
by the committee, which threatened to
take away from him the underground
construction work
You first make an estimate of $780,
said D'Ancona to Hewitt, for work on
two blocks of Fourth street; then you
raise it to S2100 and now you want Sill "a
more. There seems to be no end to the
matter and the deficit in the fund keeps
growing"
The committee allowed the s4s5 asked
for. but took no action on the request
for s711 "A, saying it desires to stop Hew-
lit from overdrawing his appropriation In
the future.
The Merchants Association notified the
board that it has engaged William Bar
clay Parsons of New York to make a
thorough investigation of the street rail-
way situation here and furnish a report
and plan for the best system of rapid
transit in this city for the future. The
association suggests that no definite ac-
ton be taken in regard to the recon-
struction of the Geary-street road until
Parsons arrives here in August.
Louis H. Brownstone and Milton A. Ma
than submitted an offer to enter into q
contract to recover certain sums of money
due the city for the support of aged
persons in INDECENT circumstances. The
petitioners say they will pay all expenses
incidental to the prosecution of the claim
and charge 25 per cent on all moneys col
lected thereon.
Joseph Worcester, on behalf of prop
erty owners on Vallejo street. between
Taylor and Jones, submitted a plan for
the change of grade and the approach
from Jones street as suggested by Archi-
tect Burnham TO save for the block its
commanding view. The plan is similar
to the one for the approach to Francisco
street from Leavenworth as suggested by
the Street Department. Worcester says
the Jones-street side will be architectur-
ally treated so that it will be an orna-
ment to the hill and the Taylor-street
face of the hill will be treated similarly.
though the plan is not yet ready. The
committee said it is favorable to the plan,
which the Board of Works will probably
carry out.
The ordinance ordering the paving with
asphalt Of Mission street southerly from
Porter avenue at an expense to the city
of $4,000 was passed to print.
The Finance Committee reported that
negotiations are pending for the purchase
of land for the opening of Brannan street.
between Ninth and Tenth, owned by the
Pacific Improvement Company. The COM
pany claims ownership of 1855 square feet,
which it offers to sell for S4355 if the city
will pave and sidewalk its frontage at
the corner of Brannan and Potrero av-
enue. The City Attorney was requested
for an opinion as to the rights of the
city in the matter.
The Merchants Association has re-
quested the Board of Public Works to
provide that the repaving of Mission
street, between Fourth and Fifth, shall
be with basalt blocks laid on a con-
crete foundation The association
points out that the wholesale section
will extend out Mission street as far
as Ninth and Mission will be one of the
principal thoroughfares for hauling
from downtown. 1t is also recommend
ed by the association that all streets
south of Market, from East to Ninth,
with the exception of some of the
alleys, shall be paved with basalt
blocks. The laying of a pavement on
Mission street, below Ninth, as slippery
as either asphalt or bituminous rock
is declared to promise a serious OBJ
stacle to the easy hauling of freight
and other merchandise.