The San Francisco call., 1908-07-18
UNITED RAILROADS
MUSTPAYFOR TRACK
Supervisors Do Not Intend to
Cede Lower Market Street
Rights Gratis
Majority Viii Insist on Just
Terms for Use of the
Trolley

That the city will not cede away its
rights in lower Market street to the
United Railroads without compensation
when the question Of granting permit
10 use the trolley on the outer tracks
TO the ferry comes before the board OF
supervisors Monday, may be believed
certain. The situation is that the
United Railroads owns all four tracks
holding the title TO the outer ones
through the phantom device of the
''Sutter street railway company" and
maintaining its existence for the sole
purpose OF debarring the city from
using the street itself or granting the
use TO any competing company. The
city, however, owns the trolley priVi-
lege overhead the outer tracks, which
IS just as necessary for the operation
OF modern cars as the rails underneath.
This right the majority of the super
Visors are determined TO keep, unless
the company agrees TO an even ex-
change.
DEMAND USE OF TRACKS
The city fathers stand ready TO give
the United Railroads the right TO use
the trolley upon the single stipulation
that a municipality owned, not neees-
sarily municipality operated, road may
use the tracks. That the company viii
agree TO the exchange there is no pres
ent likelihood
Supervisors McAllister, Comte, Pol
lOk and Broderick, it is believed, viii
favor granting the road the trolley
privilege Not more than three and in
all probability only one other super
visor viii support their contention
Eleven and in all probability 13 super
VisOrs viii safeguard the city's posi-
tion. number of them yesterday set
forth the reasons why the city should
not surrender its rights.
MONOPOLY WORTH MILLIONS
The monopoly of lower Market
street is the claim made by the United
Railroads, said Supervisor Giannini
They want US TO confirm this monopoly
absolutely for the next % years by
granting the trolley privilege. This
monopoly is worth $1,000 600 or $4,000
600 or $4,000, 600 10 the company when
II comes TO the sale Of bonds and stocks.
No one can tell what viii be the value
OF the control Of the passenger service
on Market street % years from now
Yet the company refuses to pay any
thing for The trolley privilege on two
Of the four tracks.
There is no merit either in the plea
that the inner tracks can not be used
FOR the Suffer street cars. One would
imagine that all of the 30 cars on that
line were TO be constantly jammed in
The five blocks in Market street. The
Sutter cars have a headway of two
minutes. The Market street cars have
a headway OF half a minute Only
four Sutter cars would be on the Mar
ket street tracks at one time, two out
bound and two inbound. That isn't
going to blockade the whole system
The cost of installing the switch TO
turn the Sutter street cars upon the
inner tracks at Sansome was roughly
estimated by Thornwell Mullally at
$1,000 10 $4,000. The supervisors yes
terday suggested that the switch was
IN important safeguard of continuous
traffic, whatever the status Of the outer
trolley, and that the commercial bodies
might aid the road in installing the
Improvement to show their desire to
help out. McLeran thought it would
be a good idea for the board members
TO start the subscription themselves.