The San Francisco call., 1909-04-13
MUNICIPAL ROAD
TO BEACH ITS aim
Supervisors Take First Steps
for City Owned Line Over
Geary Street Route

The first step for municipal
owned railway over the route Of the
Geary street system was taken yester-
day by the board or supervisors. On
motion of Booth, after brief discus
sion and with the. sole opposition of
McAllister, the board passed to print
bin declaring that public interest
and necessity" demanded the construc
tion of such a road.
Rixford asked delay He wanted
to know. where the proposed road
would go.
get there" said Booth. straight out
Geary street, Point Lobos avenue and
Cliff avenue, the direct arterial line
from Market street to the = ocean
beach"
ORDERS PLANS PREPARED
Yesterdays ordinance directed, the
board of works to procure and file
plans and estimates of the original
cost" etc. for the construction of a
public utility, viz, municipal street
railway by the city and county Of
san Francisco, over, upon and along
Geary street, Point Lobos avenue, Cliff
avenue TO Sutro baths, and Tenth ave-
nue. to Golden Gate park
In the charter procedure necessary
for bond issue the above action is
the basis required, and having re-
ceived the city engineers report as to
cost and time estimates, the supervis-
ors will be in position to submit the
Beary street project once more to the
vote of the people at a bond issue
election.
Twice the majority of the people
have voted for the road" said Booth,
but the charter requires a two
thirds Affirmative. This is hard to get
Rule by a one-third minority. isn't
right; it's autocratic; and this is a dem
ocratic or republican form of govern
ment-. But we haven't time to change
the charter. That would require ac-
tion by the state legislature, two years
delay and all sorts of things. We
must let the people have chance to
decide this matter now.
WILL PAY FROM START
The road will pay from the start.
1t will be the main highway from
Market street TO the ocean, the direct
line. hardly a turn in ii from the ferry
to the beach"
On the rollcaH. McAllister alone an
swered no" Comte was absent. The
city engineer has the data already at
hand. McLersn explaining that in one
sense the boards action was a formal
ity and done only to comply with char
ter procedure and that the report
would shortly be received by the super
visors.
The engineers office stated, however,
that so rapid has been the development
OF street railway construction methods
that considerable work Will be neces-
sary before complete plans can be pre-
sented to the board.
Stockton Street Franchise
The form of franchise to be offered
for sale for a streetcar line over
stockton street was ordered printed
yesterday by the board of supervisors
1t Will be taken up formally at the
next meeting. An agreement has been
reached between the promoters and
members Of the public utilities COM
mittee of the board OF supervisors
The promaters have finally accepted the
conditions laid down by the committee
and will tender bid.
The franchise safeguards the rights
of the city, provides that municipal
or privately owned rival line may
use the line Of 10 blocks, the former
on condition that it pay half the cost
of construction and maintenance of
the 10 blocks, and the latter on the
additional condition that it divide its
fares with the Stockton street line.
The city is given the right to purchase
after Is years.
Supervisor Giannini described the
franchise as ideal" in that it protects
the public to a much greater degree
than any of the old franchises
A bond viii be required of the pro-
moters OF the Stockton street line, in
suring that they Will build. A bond
will be required from the successful
bidder as an assurance that the work
will be begun at once