The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-02-22
BOARD TAKES
STEPS TOWARD
BUILDING ROAD
Supervisors Action Will Bring
Geary Street Situation to
Early Issue
City Attorney Confident of Over
coming CaIhoun's Expected
Legal Opposition

"RcsoINed, that the board of public
furnish the board OF supervisors with
an estimate of the cost of preparation
az plans and specifications for the con-
strHctiOn of the Geary street railroad"
This resolution. introduced yesterday
by Supervisor Bancroft and passed by
the board by unanimous vote. viii bring
the Geary street railway situation to an
early climax. It will furnish basis
for aBtagonistic proceedings by the
United Railroads. It has been generally
understood that the issue would be
raised by the Calhoun interests upon
opportunity is presented, however. 20
Ike the matter TO the courts in an en-
deavor to restrain the supervisors from
proceeding in the matter at all
BOND BUYERS MAKE INQUIRIES
The bond buyers have already made
inquiries as TO the probable date Of
sale. but no time has yet been fixed.
The public utilities committee will
meet on Wednesday, and it is the plan
Of Supervisor Pugh TO bring up the
question at that time.
OuA AD4llAA4AAACC AAdc Lldut AlU LCNUlu-
mendationS as to the sale OF the Geary
street bonds" said Pugh yesterday,
but I viii suggest that we consider
that at our wednesday meeting. I may
then propose that the supervisors offer
the bonds for sale at once. II. A. Ma
son, the city's expert on such things,
will be in attendance at our Wednes-
day meeting. and with his cooperation
We expect TO be able TO fix upon a
proper course"
NOW UP To TAXPAYER"
For the present the litigation waits
upon the mysterious client of Attorney
". I. Brobeck. This brand of individual
is kept on tap for just such emergen-
cies. It was Taxpayer" who fought
the Hetch Hetchy bonds, 1t was Tax
payer" who opposed the Lincoln lot
lease and now it is to be Taxpayer
who viii endeavor TO prevent the build
ing of the municipal street railway
OF course, the opposition springs pri-
marily from the United Railroads On
the face it may appear to have some
other inspiration, but the Calhoun CO.
terie is the real party in interest
City Attorney Long has practically
mapped out his case and he feels very
confident of the result At this time
he viii not disclose the method he pro-
poses to pursue.
one OF the points made by Patrick
Calhoun in his address to the improve
ment clubs was that neither the city
charter nor the state constitution gave
TO San Francisco the right to operate
a streetcar system. a perusal of the
charter disclosses that this right is eX-
pressly and definitely conferred.
Calhoun raised the further conten-
tion that in granting the temporary
permit on the outer Market street
tracks the city recognized the Suffer
street company's claims to certain
rights in Market street. This is refuted
by the terms of that permit itself This
permit was granted in December. 1907,
and later rescinded.
CITYsS RIGHTS INTACT
The original permit contained the fol-
lowing qualifying clause:
1T being distinctly understood. how
ever. that IN granting this permission
the board Of supervisors in no manner
4nizes the right of either the
Railroads Of San Francisco or
te utter street railway company TO
ruct or maintain permanent over
trolley wires over any railroad
on Market street. The permits
hereby granted shall be without
dice TO the rights of the city and
" Of San Francisco to claim at any
hereafter that said United Rail-
of San Francisco or said Suffer
( railway company has no right
never had any right to operate
on Market street between said
5 or any place on Market street by
means of electricity