The San Francisco call., 1908-10-17
Suspicious Ordinance Would
Give Away 200 Miles of
Streets of the City
Mysterious John ]. Egan Could
Sell Grant to the United
Railroads
Supervisors Are POwerIess to
Prevent Submission of Mat
ter TO Voters

what the supervisors regard as a
street railway franchise grab of the
post audacious and mysterious char
koter-a proposition through which a
certain John ]. Egan could secure un-
disputed rights to zoo miles of the
streets of San Francisco-is to be SUBJ
nitted to the voters for their accept
anoe or rejection at the coming gen.
ersl election, November 8 next.
If, through the apathy of the voters
or the energies of the promoters of
the scheme, the ordinance is passed
this John ]. Egan, a man apparently
Of no Office and no address, will hold
franchise right over every consider
able street in the city save those upon
which the United Railroads has laid
its fun complement Of tracks. On
streets like Eddy and Ellis. where the
United Railroads has but single
track. the Egan franchise would par
allel il with another track.
There is nothing in the submitted
ordinance that would prevent the mys-
terious Egan from selling or assigning
his franchises to the United Railroads
or any other aggregation OF capital
Not until yesterday, when the sample
ballots for the coming election were
distributed. cid the members of the
beard Of supervisors realize that nlu-
nicipal rights OF incalculabie value
were at stake. When that was discov-
cred il was decided to make an ener-
Eetic campaign Of education to bring
about the defeat Of the Egan ordi-
nance.
a kSERIOUs PROPOSITION
While some members Of the board
contend that the Egan ordinance would
not hold in the courts. the supervisors
feel that the proposition is too serious
10 trust 10 late adjudication and have
decided vigorously to combat the move
ment The financial and public utili-
ties committees OF the board will meet
next week and take up the question.
Supervisor Henry Payot spoke ear
nestly on the subject last evening. He
said:
This Egan proposition looks like an
attempt TO perpetuate the street car
line monopoly in this city. II is a
very important question, and the min
slider the Importance Of the issue they
viii stand together to defeat the meas
ure. It ought not TO be treated light
Is, for II II should pass, the city would
have given away rights TO practically
every street in the city--to more than
200 miles of roadway
The Egan ordinance is submitted 70
the people under the charter provision
that provides for Initiative legislation
- l 2 ,f "a
voters On the ballot the proposition Is
in an obscure place, but the full text
OF the ordinance is comprehensive, ask
ing that the people Of San Francisco
turn over to him the hundreds of
streets he has enumerated Rights TO
lay 200 miles Of single and double
tracks Egan asks the voters of San
ancisco to turn over to himself. his
successors. heirs or assigns for 25
years.
TITLE OF ORDINANCE
Here is the proposition by title as it
will face the electors on the ballot:
ORDINANCE
An ordinance granting 70 John J. Egan Of
the city and county Of San Francisco iran
chise for the right OF way and the rlgat 70
construct. msintain ard operate single OF
double tracked railroad. together with all
the necessary branches sidetrscks. turnonts'
-.i,si sT-acls and the facilities along. over
iT-der snd across certain streets in the city
and county Of San Francisco
4 No-
4 AZ the end of 25 years the franchises
would revert TO the city The. holder
OF the franchise has to expend $4,000
a month IN construction work, ana
when the roads would be in operation
the city would receive the small per
centaze OF receipts provided for in the
charter.
Registrar zemansky explained yes
terdav that the Egan ordinance. fol-
lowing the reception OF the Egan pc
fition a year ago. was on March 4. of
this wear. declared filed with the board
OF election commissioners upon the mo-
ton Of Commissioners G L. Apperson-
and the al7irmstive votes Of each of his
fellow members. Noorsanger. Mcguire.
Gator and King. Zemansky explained
that the fling was perfunctory, the or
dinance not being read or considered,
but passed by title, the commission
holding itself given no discretion in
the matter by the charter provision
granting the initiative.
This view was controVerted by some
Of the supervisors yesterday, who
pointed out that the franchise granting
power was special grant to the board.
guarded about with restrictions, such
as the 80 day recall power Of the peo-
pie. the 90 day notice. etc 1t was
further pointed out that vested rights"
would accrue the moment such an ordi-
nance as that of Egan was approved
hv the people. and that neither the peo-
rie nor their representative the super
1isors. would be free to extinguish
those rights by repeating the ordinance
Of grant. Holding for these reasons
that the whole proceeding might be
invalid. the supervisors were concerned
at the danger should the apathy Of the
general public allow the ordinance to
Slip through on November 3. and they
4 lesoIved TO appeal TO the people to kill
tie grab measure
EGAN PERSISTENT
For two years Egan has been system
attic and persistent in his endeavors to