The San Francisco call., 1908-10-04

Supervisors Will Pass Ordi-
nance Restoring Former
Streetcar Service
Draft Is Made in Accordance
With System in Effect
Last Month
Measure Will Prevent Recruiting
Carlines Without Boards
Consent
United Railroads Company Is
Expected to Oppose city's
Intervention

(. The white slip system of street
Car transfers, with its many changes
and restrictions, foisted on the public
during the past week by General Man
uager Black of the United Railroads,
may not hold out long. The board of
supervisors will tomorrow consider
and pass to print the general ordi-
nance regulating streetcar traffic,
which has been under discussion for
nearly year. In the draft of that the
public utilities committee yesterday in
corporated provisions establishing and
legalizing the transfer systems in
vogue upon all the streetcar lines in
San Francisco upon September /. The
bill upon final passage viii obligate
the United Railroads to grant its pas.
sengers any and all transfer privileges
enjoyed upon that rate.
The rerouting of car lines at the viii
OF the company management is another
thing forbidden by the terms Of the
ordinance. Such abandonments OF
tracks as the conversion OF the cable
lines in the city everywhere show
and such corkscrewing OF routes as
has been practiced will be debarred by
provisions requiring the boards con-
sent before changes can be introduced.
The enactment of the bill Will make
impossible such gaps in busy street
lines as that left on Devisadero by
Blacks Richmond and Sunset split. It
viii prevent the company also from
enforcing the new restriction recurring
transfers at the first instead of the last
transfer point. reinstaling the system
to which the people have grown accuS-
tomed-a and which worked satisfactorily
in most cases. Provision is made for
changes in the system OF transfers as
improvements suggest themselves. but
all changes are TO be with the consent
of the board, TO see that traffic privi-
leges are not curtailed.
The clerical force will be busy
throughout today, as it was yester-
day afternoon. in drawing up the
schedules of transfers for incorporation
in the ordinance. The United Rail
roads, at the committees request.
fers in use September I as a basis for
the individual provisions OF the special
clause in the ordinance.
Blacks October system was prepared
by him with the full knowledge that
the board proposed legislation prohibit
ing changes in the transfer system
without the boards consent: and he in
timated at a recent hearing before the
public utilities committee that tinker
ing with transfers was no part of the
supervisors business and that the road
would attend to the matter itself. The
company will probably refuse to obey
the ordinance, forcing the supervisors
to take steps for its enforcement. The
charter gives the board ample powers
not only to regulate the streetcar
traffic but to FIX the rate of fare.
One of the regulations of the United
Railroads. set forth on the new trans
fers, has been the source OF much
amusement and ironicaI comment 1t
is. that in the event OF the conductors
refusal to accept the transfer the pas
senger shall pay the fare and shall ap-
ply to the general Office of the COM
pany for redress.
II is pointed out that whereas some
passengers with such protest to make
may find themselves conveniently near
the general Office, the spectacle OF many
others, similarly afflicted but less ad-
vantageously situated, obliged to pay a
fare, and perhaps two. in order to reach
the private audience chamber of the
autocratic management In hope OF re-
trfeying nickel, borders upon the
Iudicrous