The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-04
Supervisors Adopt Schedule by
Vote of Twelve to Six at
Heated Session
Bunch of StipuIatiOns and 95
Cent Proposition Are Voted
Down by Board
Questions of Depreciation, Ex-
tension and Invested Capt.
80
tai Discussed


F6r as cent gas; Ayes-Supervisors
%'roderick. Center. Comte. D'AncOna,
aurdOck. Pollock. RIxfOrd-7.
NOes-SupervisorS Bancroft. Booth.
Connolly. GianninI. Hooks. Jenning,
Johnston. MeAIIister. McLeran. Murphy.
PavOt-II.
For - cent gas: AyeS-Supervisors
Bancroft. Booth, Center. Connolly,
GIsnninI. Hooks. Jennings, Johnston,
McAiIister. McLeran. Murphy. PayOt
IL.
Noes-SuPerviSOrs Broderick. COmte,
D'Aneona. Murdoch, Pollok, RiKfOrd-s.
~ IGHTY-FINE cents per 1000 feet
l. was fixed yesterday by the board
Of supervisors as the gas rate for
the coming nscaI year The eX-
isting light schedule was readopted- An
attempt TO pass a % cent gas ordinance
faiIed. Eleven supervisors stood solid
for s. cents all the way through. Cen
ter joined the majority on the final vote.
IT, was give and take through the en-
tire discussion. The first skirmish cen
tered about a proposal for s5 cent gas
with list or conditions attached.
Supervisor D'Ancona led the fight for
the higher schedule Supervisors John
sron and Murphy attacked the stipula-
tions as worthless
These stipulations are Of very little
vslue declared Johnston Their chief
value is that they furnish an excuse for
voting for s5 cent gas
They mean" said Murphy. that we
give away 10 cents Of our clients
money for the chance Of getting 5 cents
1 ek
Murphy said that he had heard that
the Standard oil company had pur-
chased the gas company. but this was
Denied by the officials Of the corpora
o.
Ninety-five Cent Report
The subject was introduced before
the board yesterday by the presentation
OF the committees majority report.
signed by D'Anoona and Broderick- 1t
urged the s5 cent rate, with the pro-
fiso that the gas company file 8 stipu
lation on four points; first. that II sue
cessful in the pending suit it would col
Ject merely 10 cents OF the impounded
= cent excess: second. that th' com
panys books be open for the inspec-
tion OF the city officials: third. that the
city be furnished with copies Of all
complaints filed against the company.
and fourth. that the company make
reasonable extensions of its mains at
its own expense.
D'Ancoua moved that his report be
adopted stating that il would not bind
the city TO 95 cent rate. but would
give the gas company an opportunity
10 agree to the stipuIations whereupon
the s5 cent rate could be legally put
into effect Johnston and Murphy de-
luurred 10 this proceeding but were
overruled by the chair.
While The company might make such
stipuIstious IS are enumerated and
gree not to use the s5 ceH rate as
an argument in the pending litigation"
said Murphy. the circuit court is
merely human and would certainly take
coCnEzsnce Of our action As 10 the
stipulation that we be given the right
a. Inspect the cOmpsny's books, we
n. re that already. There is nothing
in these stipulations. They do not give
Us any greater rights than we now
have. We simrly give away 10 cents
% our clients money for the chance of
getting cents back"
IF I thought that the United States
circuit court could act under such mo-
tives as has been intimsted," declared
D'Ancons, 4 would have nothing but
contempt Tor it. I have more respect
for the court than the lawyers seem to
have. There is no law under which
we can force the company TO make
extensions. In the outlying sections
the people have had TO pay so per cent
OF the cost OF these improvements. 1t
is for the purpose Of extending the
service that have proposed the s5
cent rate We failed 10 allow last year
for depreciation and this the supreme
court now says must be done"
That Depreciation Item
Murphy replied that il an allowance
be made for depreciation, a percentage
must be deducted each year from the
value OF the plant.
These stipulations amount to very
little" said Johnston Their chief
value is that they furnish an excuse
for voting for s5 cent gas. On the
question OF rates I want 70 call the
attention Of the board to a few perth
nent facts. a board of supervisors was
voted into ONCE in 1905 under pledge
v IS cent rate. The mer who now
own the company purchased the plant
II that time when IT was known shat
IS cent rate was TO be enacted.