The San Francisco call., 1908-10-11
TRANSFER BILL
Up MONDAY FOR
FINAL PASSAGE
United Railroads Bitterly OPP
poses Law to Do Away With
white Slip" System
Black Spends Week Beseeching
Supervisors Not Finally to
Enact Ordinance
Decision Rendered by Illinois
Supreme Court Establishes
Legality OF Measure

The so called Sullivan" streeetcar
ordinance, which, among other pro-
visions, does away with the October
white slip" transfer system invented
by General Manager Black of. the
United Railroads and requires Cal
houn's lines, as well as all others, to
return to the transfer system in vogue
on September /. comes up for final
passage at tomorrow's session of the
board of supervisors.
Last Monday, before the board
cials of the United Railroads put in
two hours decrying its provisions.
Since it's passage General Manager
Black has spent most of the week
ordering. cajoling and beseeching the
board members not finally to enact the
ordinance.
Foolish" illegal "confscatory"
have been the terms which Black has
constantly used in attacking the meas
ure, which incorporates a years study
both of the present public utilities
committee the committee Of the board
appointed by the mayor, and the judi
ciaI bodies of the board. In spite of
the measures much heralded 'illegali-
ty'' the United Railroads has been
/ straining every nerve during the last
five days to overthrow it, Black has
personally visited almost all of the
supervisors in private and argued the
'sfoolishnessv Of the board trying to
regulate how the city's main channels
of communication shall rum
BITTERLY ATTACKS BILL
Almost every day has seen him at the
board chambers. where he has by turns
denounced and ridiculed the measure.
While with Thornwell Mutually and At
/ torney William Abbott he attacked al
most every feature of the bill, his en-
phasis. as theirs, has been placed upon
the bills requirement that the company
/ recede from the October transfer sys
tenn and reinstate the old method. The
| practical working of the two systems
/ has been before the eyes of every one.
but Black has insisted in all his inter
course with the supervisors that the
people and the board were wrong-that
/ the white slip" was vast improve
ment for the suffering public.
The boards power in the matter OF
regulating transfers also has been con-
stantly attacked On this point the char
! ter speaks as follows in one of the
clauses defining the general powers Of
the board of supervisors:
To regulate street railroads. tracks
1 and cars; to fix, establish
and reduce the fares and charges for
| transporting passengers and goods
! thereon; to regulate rates OF speed, and
| to pass ordinances to protect the pup
lie from danger or inconvenience in
/ the operation OF such roads.
The fact that the power to regulate
transfers was purely an incident to the
power to regulate fares was definitely
established, as brought out at last Mon
days board hearing, in an action re-
Gently brought by the Union traction
| company of Chicago. The supreme court
of Illinois decided against the company
on precisely the claim now advanced
by the United Railroads.
ABBOTT Is NONPLUSSED
Attorney Abbott of the railroad had
no answer when this decision was called
to his attention in the open board meet
ing and took refuge in the excuse that
he could not discdss decision which
he had never heard of before.
Following is an excerpt from an
opinion handed down by the supreme
court of Illinois in the case in question:
If the common council had the power
to fix the maximum rate or fare for
any distance at 5 cents, as was done
by said section 1923, 1t also had the
mower to provide for transfer tickets
in the manner and at the places and
I723. The requirement as to transfer
tickets transferring the passengers
from one line to another of the same
company, is a mere incident to the
? power to fix the maximum rate of fare.
The charter of the city gives it's
common council power to prescribe the
compensation of persons, pursuing the
occupation Of operating street rail-
ways The compensation referred to
can be none other than the fare to be
charged for carrying passengers. The
mower to fix the rate of fare must
necessarily include the power to fix
two lines operated by one company, as
| well as the power to fix the rate for
carrying passenger over one line OPP
Grated by such company, the question
being not as to the reasonableness OF
the charge, but as to the power to
regulate or fix the charge.
A warm contest in the board is ex-
, pected when the measure comes up to-
: morrow. Last Mondays vote stood as
T follows.
Ayes-Bancrort Booth, Connolly
D'Ancona. Giannini. Hooks. Johnston
McLeran, Murphy and Payot-lo.
Noes-Jennings McAllister and Muir.
! docks.
Excused from voting-Pollok ant
Rixford-2.
Absent-Broeerick. Center and Cont,
: EXPECT LITTLE AID
None of the absentees are expected
to swell the column of the ayes fol
: the measure. Broderick, Center anc
j Compte have usually opposed ordi.
nances interfering with corporation
privilege although each at times SUI:
iciently departs from the rule to show