The San Francisco call., 1905-02-27

This is an age of progress. not Of
retrogressiOn. Electricity has begun
to supplant steam, and the under
ground electric car system is replacing
the antiquated trolley.
This the argument, in a nutshell. of
the Sutter Street Improvement Club.
The club wants the underground road,
the United Railroads wants the cheap
er but rapidly degenerating trolley
line. The Supervisors have the fate of
the trolley in the balance and If they
weigh the question well they will find
the system wanting. The passing of
the trolley is sure to come in the near
future, and it viii not be more essen
tial to the maintenance of an electric
line than a stretch of copper wire is
necessary to the good work of Mar
coni'S system.
The United Railroads proposes to
convert the Sutter street cable-car
system into an overhead trolley road.
The engineers of the company profess
to have made close study of the mat
ter and have come to the conclusion
that the corporation would have to
spend 100000 in constructing drains
for the conduits, should the under
ground wire idea be carried out. Their
proposal is now in the hands of the
Street Committee of the Board of Su-
pervisors and as an offset to 1t is a
long protest from the Sutter Street I'm
provement Club which sets forth that
in New York and Chicago and certain
cities of Europe the underground sys-
tenn has been operated not only to the
advantage to the public. but to the
financial benefit of the promoters.
SOME REASONS WHY.
Several reasons are given by the i'm
provement club for desiring the con-
duit system, VIZ:
Trolley wire systems must be done away
with IN all lsrge cities in the future. as
the wires are dangerous in event of fires.
Electricians constantly improving under
ground systems for placing of all manner of
wires. Poles of all descriptions will soon be
eliminated from public streets
In the sections traversed by the Sutter- street
line there many homes that property own
ers have endeayored TO beautify at large
outlay OF time and money. The Polk-street
section of the Sutter-street line is the main
line traversing the beautiful Pacific Heights
district and the Presidio-avenue section. Cross
ing these streets many thoroughfares
where have been erected homes, small and
large, that in the aggregate form one of the
prettiest parts of San Francisco. The sections
mentioned are already encountered with un-
slightly wires and poles The erection of troll
ley wire poles and the homely feeders and
main wires would add to the ugliness of the
bots on what weud otherwise be beautiful
avenues.
That in Eastern cities the underground sys-
tenn of electric wires has been a success
The same protest made in New York by
the railroad people against putting their wires
underground is now beis:g made by the
United Railroads In San Francisco. When the
city officers Of Gotham investigated the cor
poration protests they found that the only
valid reason that the corporation could give
for favorng the overhead wires was that the
UNDERGROUND system cost a great deal of mon
ey. Under crosse examnation it was admitted
that when once built the line would be more
substantial, easier to maintain and conse-
quenty less expensive
Chicago's underground system proved sue
from the start, and in Washington the
roads have been a great relief from the un-
calmly overhead wires
QUESTION OF EXPENSE.
The United Railroads has matter
of 5000, 900 of expense for drainage of
conduits standing between a decision in
favor of the underground system. In
the corporations answer to the prop
erty owners along the lines of the
Sutter-street system it also offers other
reasons for not wanting to construct a
conduit road, but the 100000 is really
the somber figure in the case.
The railroad somewhat involves it
self when it says: "The inferiority of
the cable is noticeable What is wanted
is a faster service and the railroad
leans toward electricity
The railroad officials admit that they
are not giving the people Of the West
ern Addition a proper service. They
admit that the cars are overcrowded,
out of date, uncomfortable and slow,
yet they practically say that IL they
cannot have their own way in dealing
with the public they won't do anything
in the matter and the public can get
along the best it can.
In an inspired circular the United
Railroads idea is advanced as follows:
1t is to be hoped that no unreasoning pref
continue the obsolete cable traction plant on
Sutter street and its car branches. Should 1t
be there will be no new through line from
down town to the beach without change of
cars, interchange of with those Of the
electric lines of the city, increase in the
tricts, no benefit to property along the route
through which the run. Passengers will
be forced to continue to transfer at Polk and
Sutter streets. at Preside avenue and other
points. and will have to rest content with
crowded cars. and subnit to slow service.
On the other hand the adoption Of the troll
ley system would increase the speed and
double the service Of the cars, would enable
passengers to continue In one car from Pacific
avenue and Polk street to Market street, to
lines. and TO ride from town to the park and
the beach without change When one reflects
on the disadvantages Of the cable system. the
impracticabiiity of the electric conduit and the
benefits which the electric trolley plant holds
out there should be only sentiment in this
community and In the Board Of Supervisors
and that the reconstruction of the Suffer-
street lines an overhead electric system.
A QUEER ARGUMENT.