The San Francisco call., 1905-05-11
CLUB OPPOSES
The TROLLEY
Men of Affairs Take Stand
Favoring Conduit System
for Sutter Street Cars
A LIVELY CONFERENCE
Tirey L. Ford. for United
Railroads. Makes a Strong
Plea for Overhead Wires

Lively arguments were presented be-
fore the Street Committee Of the Board
Of Supervisors yesterday as to whether
the Sutter street cars should be run Dy
cable. by trolley or the underground
conduit electric System.
In support OF the conduit system
there was an influential array OF cltl-
zens representing the Sutter Street In
provement Club, including ex-Mayor
James D. Phelan. DR.. Julius Rosen-
stirn, Houghton Sawyer. Dr. George
". Merritt. Rudolph Spreckels and. Sig
Stern.
For the United Railroads there were
present Patrick Calhoun and Attorney
TREY L. Ford and Arthur Holland
Supervisor Braunhart brought the
opposing parties to q position where
they could meet the subject in tangible
form and practically caused Ford TO
make a formal application to operate
the Sutter street cars by an overhead
trolley system.
General Ford then addressed the
committee as follows:
FORD SPEAKS FOR COMPANY
While Fye have not sought this hearing
and indeed could scarcely have asked this
committee 10 sit in this matter in the alb
esnce OF some formal petition asking for
ofhcisl action BY the Board OF Supervisors,
yet ] am Tree 70 say that We welcome II and
are grateful for this opportunity TO make
clear 10 this committee and through them 10
The hcncrsbie body Of which they are part.
the 'atutuee and intentions OF the United
Complaint Is made that the street car ser
vice on the so-csiied sGtter street system
should be improved This We conceoe. IN
deed the United Railroads goes further and
eays that the entire system should be re-
ccastructed and II is the intention OF the
United Railroads 10 do that very thing. Three
modes Of reconstruction have been suggested.
The overhead electric plan the underground
- nj and he
This matter has for more than year had
The most careful and psinstaking attention Of
exhaustive careful and painstaking examina-
tion OF the several modes OF construction they
have at last reached their Ansl and definite
conclusion in the premises.
The conditions which they find prevailing
here. the short time which their franchise
has TO run. the complexity Of operation which
would be introduced and the fundamental need
for uniformity. are among the reasons that
have impeileo the United Railroads TO finally
and definitely abandon the further considera-
tion Of the underground electric plan
The concl lusiors reached by the company
concretely stated. are First that the Suffer
street system must be reconstructed. which
means SUBSTANTIALLY the building OF q new
road. second that when reconstructed IL must
Tor the reasons which l have just stated. be
operated either a cable or an overhead
trolley system
ISSUE Is CLEAR.
The question then before this committee
a. this time is very plain and simple one
shall the Sutter street system be cable or
Let me add at this point that the con
clusions reached by the United Railroads were
neither arbitrary nor capricious- They were
the result OF honest careful painstaklng ex
animation OF problem whose solution meant
much for the future. not only of the United
Railroads hut Of the city OF San Fra nelsco.
Indeed. the interests OF the company and
Of the municipality Identical Municipal
growth demands the development Of outlying
districts IN this important work you will
md the United Railroads faithful and in
terested ely You want relief for your con-
Eested centers. You want this for sanitary
reasons. You want Il Tor moral reasons. and
IN this you need not be told the United Rail
ROADS viii actively support YOU. You want
from one part OF the city to another and
this the United Railroads is anxious to pro-
vioe- You want facilities for reaching the
remoter parts OF the city. where homes may
be easily and cheaply obtained. and b. this
means put stop 10 trans-bay immigration
This last is matter OF more consequence
than is ordinarily supposed. Any who
has watched the recent development of sub
urban towns and the rapidly multiplying
means az reaching them must be struck with
the thought that San Francisco is not getting
Berkeley and Oakland recently inaugurated.
Is increasing its service from a twenty-ulinuts
q q dftcen-Tninute service The Southern Pa
.ciHc boats plying between here and Oakland
half hour TO a twenty minute service. The
boats Sausalito and Tiburon are laden
with an increasing number of passengers.
CITY'S UPBCILDING INVOLVED.
During al this time the Richmond District
the Sunset District the large districts in the
and where homes he built FOR reasonable
SUN. lying unoccupied and awaiting ce-
velnpTaert. The United Railroads would be
glad to go hand IN hand with this city. under
proper conditions in working out these prob
lens ef deveioornent that now confront San
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