The San Francisco call., 1908-08-06
MAYOR TAYLOR'S LETTER
The letter Of the mayor follows:


san Francisco, August 3, 1903.
Editor San Francisco Call-Sir: AS
the street railroad situation on the
lower part of Market street has eX-
cited much discussion, and numerous
commercial and other associations nave
persistently petitiOned the city authorl-
Ties to grant what the United Railroads
desire, and as the facts or the case are
not accurate understood, i am salts
fed that statement of these facts VIII
De performing a useful public duty.
Those facts are as follows:
on the 18th day OF September,
1879. the board of supervisors granted
10 the Market street railway company,
its successors and assigns. the right 10
construct. lay down. maintain and op-
crate Tor the term of so years a single
or double track street railroad, com
mencing at the city front on Market
street. thence along Market street TO
other streets therein named. This right
was granted with the option in the
railroad company TO prOpel cars by
the uses or horses or mules. or Wire
running under the street and moved by
stationary steam engines. there being
an express prOviso TO the effect that:
CITN's RIGHTS RESERVED
1T shall be lawful for the board of
supervisors Of the city and county OF
san Francisco TO grant to one other
corporation, and no more, the right to
use either of the aforesaid streets for
Il distance of FIVE blocks, and no more
upon the terms and conditions specified
in the 499th section of the civil code
OF the state. This section shall apply
10 persons and companies as well as
corporations.
on the Sd day Of November. 1879.
the Sutter street railroad company, its
successors and assigns, was granted the
right TO construct. lay down, maintain
ana operate Tor the term OF % years
single or double track street railroad
with all the necessary switches, etc,
commencing at the city front on Mar
lr,rac A.2rs1 1rGT cfv-
20 Sutter street; thence along Sutter
street TO Central avenue" TO propel
cars over said railways by the uses of
horses or mules or wire ropes running
under said streets moved by stationary
steam engines.
This franchise was granted upon the
following condition among others:
1t shall be lawful for the board of
supervisors of the city and county of
San Francisco TO grant to one other
corporation, and no more, the right to
use either Of the aforesaid streets for
distance Of five blocks, and no more
upon the terms and conditions specified
in the ~49Sth section Of the civil code
Of this state. This section shall apply
TO persons and companies as well as
corporations"
UNITED RAILROADS HISTORY
subsequently. as is familiar history
the United Railroads Of San Francisco"
secured the properties and franchises of
nearly all the street railroads of the
city, including those of the Sutter
street company, the latter. however.
only transferring their street railroad
franchise as far as Sansome street
This was obviously done in order that
technically at least, there should be
two street railroads operating on Mar
ket street, thus deSignedly (if legaD
shutting out any other street railroad
from operating on Market street from
Sansome street to the city front.
On May 2S. 1906, the board of super
Visors passed an ordinance authorizing
and directing the United Railroads ito
operate all Of its several cable railway
lines and franchises, so far as grades
viii permit, by electricity, by means
OF the so called overhead trolley sys-
tenn" OF course, the overhead trolley
could not legally be used by the Sutter
street road between Sansome and the
been given the right so to do, and the
United Railroads could not as its sue
cessor DO SO; by reason OF the fact
that they had. in the interest of their
own monopoly, designedly taken over
the street franchise of the Sutter street
company TO Sansome street only.
SHALL WRONG PREVAILf
Yet, nevertheless, without any
shadow Of right and directly against
what they themselves had done in the
matter Of taking over the Sutter street
properties, they strung overhead wires
and operated by means of them the
Sutter street cars from Sansome to
the city front. When they were brought
10 halt in this procedure, they Sc
cured temporary permit from the
board OF supervisors pending q per
manent arrangement. That arrange
ment not having been reached, the
United Railroads, masquerading under
the name of the Sutter street COM
pany, thereupOn set up the old horse
cars which they are now operating.
The sole question is. Shall the United
Railroads be permitted to take adj
vantage OF their own wrong and h,
trick and device be permitted TO main
tain for a number of years the street
railroad monopoly on the lower mart
Of Market street,
EDWARD robson TAYLOR.
FAIRS