The San Francisco call., 1907-01-26
ASK BOARD To ACT
ON SPUR TRACKS
Many Business Men Attend
Meeting of Supervisors
in Regard to Petitions
DELAY HARMS TRADE


penang our action on the ordinance
TO regulate the maintsnanee of spur
tracks. These applications should be
granted II they have any merit at
all, as this board has never objected
to granting such permits"
Ihe foregoing statement was maoe
by Supervisor Boxton at a meeting of
the Supervisors yesterday. The ses-
sion was held TO consider an amend
ment exempting spur tracks on pri-
yate property from the provisions Of
the ordinance regulating the same.
Boxton's remarks were in the nature
or 1ing at the street COMMITTEES,
which had failed to act on the appli-
cations IN question. His plea was sup
plemented by the Mayor, who said that
all applications should be reported
upon by the street committee at next
Mondays meeting and then be grant
ed under the old ordinance.
Chairman Rea wanted the matter
referred to the City Attorney, but
BoXton's motion that the committee
report on twenty-one applications at
next Mondays meeting was carried.
Rea gave notice that he was In favor
of only seventeen of the applications.
Supervisor Furey asked for leave to
examine the applications first, and the
street committee agreed to meet this
morning TO prepare its report
URGE PASSAGE OF BILL
large number of representatives
of various commercial and menufac-
turing concerns We're present to urge
the passage of the amended general
ordinance regulating spur tracks.
Rea explained that the amendment
provided for interchanged switching
of cars on spur tracks laid on private
property as well as on the public
streets and permitted railroad compa-
MES TO make a reasonable charge for
such switching on their own property.
Rea referred to the voluntary agree
ment recently entererd into by the
transportation companies for inter
changed switching, which he said
would open up a new era in the COM
mercial development of the city
l. Jacobs, president of the Potrero
Manufacturers Association, said that
under the existing ordinance the
Southern Pacific Company could re-
fuse to deliver merchandise TO houses
into which the spur tracks of other
companies ran unless the goods were
routed over the Southern Pacific Com
pany from Mojave. Jacobs said that i.
the intent of the ordinance was to
prevent a monopoly of the use of any
spur tracks by empowering the Su-
pervisors to dictate that interchanged
switching would have to be allowed
on spur tracks on private property.
He also urged that applications for
spur track permits be acted on at once,
as ii meant the employment of thou
sands OF men, and that many enter
prises were awaiting action on their
petitions for spur tracks. Jacobs said
the amendment would harmonize with
the third section of the interstate COM
merce law, which requires inter-
change switching.
w. r. Doble told of the necessity
for spur tracks and of the induce
ments being offered by Eastern cities
for local misunderstanding concerns to
remove from San Francisco. Doble
said his company would employ 1000
men and would handle 1000 tons of
freight monthly.
SAYS BOARD HAS POWER
L. NJ. King. secretary of the Mer-
chants Association, favored the
amendment, and also the granting of
spur track permits under certain re-
strictions as to obstruction of streets.
King said the board had the power to
impose conditions on tracks leading to
private property, and the ordinance
would be legalized by the amendment,
which eliminated all reference to pri-
vate property therein.
M. Owens said the common use of
spur tracks would attract capital to
this city and mean the investment OF
large amounts in local enterprises.
j. w. Scott of the Real Estate and
Development Company declared that
the spur track question should be set
tied Immediately or at least five con-
Germs that he knew of would be COM
PEELED to go elsewhere.
g. w. Hulme said the wool indus
try Of the State would be largely ben
Gifted by the proposed amendment
d. B. Macdonald urged the board
to grant him permit for spur track
on King street for lumber traffic.
The Mayor said he had always
doubted whether the board had power
to grant spur track permits, but that
the city should derive some revenue
from concerns enjoying such priv
ileges
Rea said the charter should be
amended so as to empower the board
to tax such privileges.
NO OBJECTION TO TAX
Doble said nobody would object to
paying an annual tax for spur track
permits. He pointed out that the city's
revenue would be increased as the
result of the increased assessment fol-
lowing the establishment of spur
tracks
F. W. Mcdonald of the Santa Fe
Company, which has six applications
pending for spur tracks, raised the
punt budI the permits SnOulQ DC grant
ed to railroad companies and not to
private concerns, as a protection to the
shipper
Supervisor Gallagher argued that the
granting of spur track privileges to
railroad companies was fraught with
danger, as it was equivalent to sur
render of privileges which might
thereafter become part of the appur-
tenances of their main lines and un-
doubtedly cause litigation.
The Mayor said all spur track per-
mits were revocable at the pleasure
of the board, as specifically provided
in the ordinances granting such per-
mits.
Gallagher said that Supreme Court
decision regarded such permits as a
contract which coHId not be legally
revoked, although the ordinance SO
provided.
Supervisor McGushin thought 1t
would be wise to take a chance on
future litigation rather than to re-
tard the growth of San Francisco.
The board then decided to postpone
action on the amended ordinance for
one week.
Before the meeting adjourned the
Ia ~ r.