The San Francisco call., 1910-06-13

/ throughout the whole North beach
district viii run into the millions.
Our merchants have been urging
their employees to live in the city in
stead OF going TO outlying districts
but have met with the answer that
rents in the city proper are 50 high
they can't afford to live here on their
present salaries. With the opening up
of the North beach section through the
Stockton street tunnel vast area of
/ territory Will be available where the
rents are low. A vast army of office
and store employees can find good
homes in walking distance of their
places Of business. Fifty to hundred
| thousand people now going across the
bay can then live just over the hill.
ROOM FOR THOUSANDS
Beyond Van Ness avenue on the
old Fair estate there are so acres of
city lots on which there do not live so
persons. With this tunnel improve
ment and the streetcar connections
that will naturally follow this terri
tory will fill up with thousands All
this population will be tributary to the
North beach mercantile district. The
people who live over there will natu-
rally patronize the local grocer and
/ butcher and to a great extent the gem
eral merchandise stores.
After the Stockton street tunnel
! has been started and it is seen how
easy it is TO carry on such improve
ments the proposed Russian hill. Twin
peaks and Pierce hill tunnels will
probably be speedily built. This may
be done either on the assessment plan
proposed for the Stockton street tun-
mel or on the 10 year district bond plan
which will be voted on next November
Amadeo p. Giannini. vice president Of
I q nF T+oTx
Vidual interests in the North beach dis
/ trict, as well as looking after the inter
ests of many of the banks in that part
of the city, expressed himself as en-
tirely favorable to the Stockton street
tunnel
4 feel that it will be a good thing
and viii fill up the North beach section
with residents" he said. Il also think
/ it viii bring the ferries from Marin
county to the water front somewhere in
the vicinity of the foot Of Stockton
street. We naturally think there will
be new streetcar line through the
tunnel which will be the principal
crosstown line of the city.
The hill district bordering on North
beach viii be filed up when streetcar
facilities are provided through the tun-
! mel. At present it can be reached ONLY
/ by roundabout way.
BEAUTIFUL HOME SITE
Russian hill is naturally one of the
most beautiful and desirable residence
parts Of the city. All of this hill will
feed the Stockton street tunnel line.
! Doubtless large part OF the working
people now living across the bay will be
glad TO come and live in this vicinity
when they can walk TO and from thei1.
work in seven to ten minutes. This will
cause great increase in values all over
/ the district
I represent a good many interests in
that district, and the assessment will
/ fall as heavily upon me and nv friends
q upon anybody, but we are perfectly
willing to stand it,
Chevalier Bacigaiupi outlined his
position on the subject as follows.
Il think that the best way of doing,
/ this is for the city and county of san
! Francisco 10 finance the tunnel. he
cause the entire city will be benefited
/ by such an Improvement, but if that is
not practicable at present and would
/ indefinitely postpone the project I
would approve the assessment plan. If
! it is provided that the franchise which
will be given TO q streetcar line later
shall call for the paying back to the
property owners the money advanced
/ for the tunnel on a percentage basis
/ from the gross earnings of the com
pany. 1t is time that streetcar compa-
nies should pay something for their
franchises. ] think it is important to
dig a Broadway tunnel as soon as nos
sible after the Stockton street tunnel
/ is started"