The San Francisco call., 1906-10-11

MS objections. Burke did not appear,
but the Supervisors talked to him over
the telephone and resolved on further
delay.
INFLUENCE OF RAILROAD.
On the day of the meeting in the fol-
lowing week a member of the Board of
supervisors was closeted with Ruef for
Two hours during which time the spur
track ordinance was under discussion.
This member went direct from Ruefs
office to the Supervisors meeting,
called up the spur track ordinance
and proposed the Objectionable amend
ment exempting spur tracks crossing
private property from the provision
requiring that spur tracks be open for
use by all roads This amendment
was adopted with no debate and the
ordinance passed. In its amended
form the ordinance gives the Southern
racine a general monopoly wherever
1t has spur tracks
Why was the ordinance thus amend
ed against the protests of the business
men! inquire the merchants Upon
whose suggestion did Ruef aid In
amending the ordinance2 Why did
Jere Burke never appear before the
Board OF Supervisors to make his pro-
test? What method of argument was
used on Ruef?"
AHSoc olc questions the merchants
nave been trying to solve. 1t was
pointed out in this connection that the
southern Pacific has steadfastiy re-
FUSED to allow competing railroad
lines to use it's spur tracks The re-
suit is that If wholesalers desire their
goods delivered direct to their estab-
ltshments they must route them over
the Southern Pacific line. Moreover, in
distributing. they must again route
over the Southern Pacific
HARRIMAN,s THREAT.
The Southern Pacific carries Its rule
even further. 1t will not deliver a
Santa Fe car over the Hartman spur
tracks in San Francisco unless II Is
given the full haul from Mojave to San
francisco. This procedure is directly
contrary to the methods in Eastern
cities, where all lines interchange traf-
fic over their spurs
Many Of the wholesalers who have
established themselves in the Potrero
since the fire are on land leased from
the Western Pacific or Santa Fe. To
those wholesalers on Santa Fe land the
Southern Pacific recently addressed let
ters stating that no Southern Pacific
cars would be sent over Santa Fe
spur tracks. The object of this was
to force the merchants to locate else
where. The replies OF the wholesalers
were to the effect that they had hoped
to divide their business between the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe, but in
view of the attitude of the Southern
Pacific 1t would be necessary to give
all the business to the Santa Fe. The
Hartman line then Withdrew its OBJ
jections and stated that it would use
the Santa Fe spurs where possible.
The new franchises sought by Harri-
man, If granted by the Supervisors, it
is stated, will place the wholesalers at
the mercy of the Southern Pacific de-
spite the construction of new trans
continental lines.
This state of affairs is laid at the
door of Abe Ruef, and with it's deter
mination to suppress iawlessness the
business community has resolved to in
woke the aid of the public to suppress
Ruef and to force the Southern Pacific
to give back to the city that which it
has taken away.
twenty-five men have been selected
as speakers for Saturdays mass meet
ing. Speeches will be limited to five
minutes each. Among the, speakers
will be Franklin j. Heney. Rev Will
liam RAIDER, Rev. Bradford Leavitt and
w. d. McGillvray.