The San Francisco call., 1905-02-28

There is something other than water
in the conduit that is worrying the
officials of the United Railroads Of
San Francisco; it is water in the stock.
While it may be true that the cor
poration is endeavoring in general
way to better street railway systems in
this city, is painting up old coaches
and adding a recent date to otherwise
uninteresting motor cars of ancient
manufacture, 1t has mace no particu-
lar effort to overcome the mysteries of
time and space and, seemingly prefers
to leave the problem to the scientists
who may be able to produce in the
good days to come some method Of
producing rapid transit at modicum
Of expense.
When the city Of San Francisco
handed over certain franchises to what
was then known as the Market Street
Railroad Company the people were to
a certain extent repaid, for In those
days the cable car was up to date and
the electric motor was in it's infancy.
To-day the city is confronted with the
problem, Shall the travelling public be
satisfied with methods that were in
vogue twelve years ago, or will the
people rise in protest against paying
interest on fifty millions OF dollars ON
legitimate interest drawing valua-
tion of about twenty millions?
As already said, water in the conduit
Is not half so serious a detriment to
good service on the Sutter street rail-
road as is water on the stock. The
100000 necessary to pay for the drain
ing OF the line mentioned, were 1t to
be converted into a conduit system
road, would somewhat interfere with
the paying Of dividends on an exagger-
ated capitalization. This, perhaps, is
the reason why the United Railroads
Is threatening the public with a con-
tinuation of the hook-and-eye service
OF the almost defunct Sutter street
combination of lines.
RAILROAD CONUNDRUMS.
The contention that an underground
service-or one that will do away with
the overhead wire nuisance-is imprac-
t1cable on Sutter and Polk streets and
Pacific avenue because of the hills
would not prevent the conversion of
the Market street system as far as Va
lencla. Market street is level enough
to afford encouragement. to an under
ground electric system and broad
enough to carry away in it's cutters
vast amount of water. But the Unit
ed Railroads is not fighting the con-
duit roads from the standpoint of their
lack of utility, but because 1t is i'm
possible to pay dividends on $50, 600, 900
In stock and bonds when its gross
property valuation is estimated at s21. -
600, 900.
Among the prominent men Of the
city who have invested heavily in res
idence property on the lines of the Pa
cific avenue section of the antiquated
Sutter street system are Charles Page
of the law firm of Page, McCutchen
& Knight; Captain Henry Mayer of
the shipping and commission firm of
Mayer, Wilson & Co., and Judge w.
c. Van Fleet. Judge Van Fleet is at
present visiting in the East, but he is
expected home in a few days. Prior
to his departure he authorized il to be
said that he had made a study of
street railroads and he was of the be-
lief that overhead trolley systems
should be done away with altogether.
He is one of the large property owners
in the Western Addition who is op-
posed to allowing any more unsightly
wires to mar the beauty of the home
district of the city and favors putting
all wires underground.
MIR. PAGES IDEAS.
Charles Page said yesterday that he
was unalterably opposed to overhead
wires and to allowing the United Rail-
roads to put in a trolley system on Sut-
ter street. The people of Pacific
Heights and vicinity, he says, have en-
deavored to make that section a pretty
district of homes to which any San
Franciscan who has interest in his
municipality can point with pride San
Francisco has been criticized to a GER
tain extent by Eastern visitors for it's
lack of attractive home districts and