The San Francisco call., 1909-12-27
Favors Municipal Ownership

Charles A. Nelson, supervisor elect
and business agent of the building
trades council, made an effective talk,
as follows:
1 am pleased TO see the citizen
ship which produces meeting of
this kind in discussion of civic mat
ters. have always been a strong
advocate of municipal ownership of
public utilities, and I take advantage
OF this opportunity of stating my
views and coming out forcibly for
such stand
/ was asked by the president and
secretary of the San Bruno i'm
pFOyement association to notify this
meeting, and San Francisco in gem
eral that that association is not
opposed to the Geary street rail
road as stated in last Fridays is
sue of the Post.
James G. Mcguire was greeted with
applause. He said:
I am satisfied that the people of
san Francisco are in favor of own
ing the Geary street railroad. Every
man who believes in municipal
ownership should vote. and vote
early. Every public utility left in
private hands is a monopoly. The
talk about this time being inap
propriate for gaining the Geary
street road is rubbish. No time
could be better. Private monopoly
is at all times contrary to popular
government. Under a democratic
system of government we are main
tanning an imperial government of
private monopoly. Make the change
and your graft Will cease. 1t will
be a long step toward the pnrifica-
tion of municipal government.
When the people have properly
established the Geary street road
then Will be built the crosstown
lines and feeders. There is no dan
ger on that score, Public regulation
OF private monopoly has been and
always will be .deiusion. Fhe REM
edy lies alone in complete extirpa-
tion of these monopolies. We have
the right. the road and no danger
from Injunction. All is in our
hands; therefore let us grasp our
opportunity. We are not fighting
the United Railroads, but the prin-
ciple of private monopoly-the
creates enemy to popular govern
ment The challenge is presented
to us now to battle these enemies.
Let us accept it and Yindicate our
principles.
At this point Gallagher announced
that no circulars antagonistic to the
permitted to be distributed at the meet
ings
Urges Passage of Bonds
William A. Cole then spoke as fol-
lows:
If the people OF San Francisco
realized the interest which the rest
the state takes in this issue I feel
certain that the vote on it next
Thursday would be equal to that
which elected that Representatives
of plain citizenship, P. II. Nc
Carthy
It is shameful that women are
than those under which animals are
transported. j am talking plainly;
] am talking to those of you who
have daughters and / am going to
ask you TO vote next Thursday and
take the first step to stop this q
sort of thing.
If, the arguments pasted on the
dead walls of San Francisco are
true. 1t means that there is no
good in democratic governments
O. A. Tveitmoe, secretary of the
state building trades council, made an
earnest plea for municipal ownership
of the Geary street road. He said:
The people Of San Francisco on
two or three occasions have de-
cided by oyerwh Ginning ma jorities
on municipal ownership. but the
charter provides for two-thirds
vote. That has not been given
heretofore because the people
stayed away from the polls owing
to overconfidence.
The hearts of the bloodless mo-
nopolists are bleeding for the peo-
ple. They have a great sympathy
for the great COMMON people when
their own interests are at stake.
Did they have that sympathy
when the men struck for So and
an eight hour day?
San Francisco has suffered. But
to get TO the source OF the corrup-
ton we must go to the corpora
tions. We must get down and cut
out the cancer, and you will do
that If you get down and vote for
municipal ownership of the Geary
street line.
Urges Bonds Passage
J.. A. Weyand. orga nizer of the in
ternational boiler makers union OF
Cleveland. Ohio, said:
want to congratulate you on
the fact that your charter gives
you the opportunity of owning
your own streefcar system