The San Francisco call., 1906-09-09
JOIN IN OPPOSING
{. H. HARTMAN.
Gould and Ripley Trying to
Prevent Rival From Get
ting Spur to the Preside

The local representatives of the San
are preparing to fight the petition of
the Southern Pacific Company for a
spur track on Beach street from Van
Ness avenue to the entrance of the Pre-
sidio on Lyon street In the effort of
E. H. Hartman to secure private ex-
tension of the belt road from its west
ern terminus to the Government res
ervation the heads of the rival roads
foresee, an attempt of the Southen Pa
ci1c nagnate to gain monopoly of
the Government business at the Pre-
sidio. 1t is charged that the Hartman
petition is so worded that hfs lines will
have an exclusive use of the spur. and
they propose to oppose it at the next
meeting Of the Supervisors.
FIGHTS NEW ORDINANCE.
There is at present before the Su-
pervisors an ordinance for the regula-
ton OF spur tracks within the citys
limits, and in this ordinance is a clause
that specifically provides that all spur
tracks within the county shall be free
for the use of all railroad companies
provided they are willing to share the
expense of maintaining them. Since
this measure was introduced before
the Board of Supervisors it has been
strongly opposed by the representa-
tives of the Southern Pacific, which is
anxious to defeat clause s, referring
to the use Of spur tracks by other
companies. For several weeks 49, or
dinance has been practically shelved
Meanwhile the Southern Pacific has in
troduced its petition for spur track,
hoping to have it granted and the con-
struction work upon 1t started before
the Supervisors are called upon to
again consider the general ordinance
regarding spur tracks.
The Santa Fe and Western Pacific
companies in opposing the petition of
the rival road and supporting as they
are, the ordinance take the broad view
that San Francisco's future depends
greatly upon the facilities the differ
ent railroads are afforded in handling
freight, and they contend that in Civ
ing the Southern Pacific, or any other
company, exclusive privileges, such as
the Southern Pacific will enjoy in the
event of the defeat of the ordinance
now before the Supervisors, the board
will irreparably damage the city.
S. p. PLAN APPARENT,
The Hartman people have been
planning to build the proposed exten-
sion from the end of the belt road to
the Preside grounds so as to enable
them TO transfer cars from the South
ern Pacific's Oakland yards or from
this side of the bay by boat to the rails
OF the belt road spur which runs on to
its slip on the northern end of the CITY
front and then move the cars west.
ward over the belt line and Southern
Pacific rails direct to the Government
reservation.
There has been considerable agita-
tion over the project, and the result
has been that the various business or
ganizations have indorsed the plan to
give all railroads equal use of all spur
tracks along the city front A move
ment toward that end is now on foot.
1t is proposed to have the Legislature
authorize the Harbor Commissioners to
build spur tracks along the city front
at every available point and operate
them in conjunction with the belt road
for the convenience of all freight car
rying companies.