The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-01-22

monopoly of permits to fight, to a
body OF promoters known as the Prize
Fight Trust These men paid Buer
well for the exclusive right to permits,
and Ruef, after duly holding out ample
fees" distributed the balance to the
board. Public sentiment against the
prize ring, and the unique disgrace of
San Francisco i'm being practically
alone among the big cities to tolerate
such brutality and to welcome the
camp followers of such a sport" en-.
abled Ruef to set a high price for his
services. .o
THE TROLLEY DEAL.
The trolley deal was entered into for
the purpose Of securing a change in
the motive power of the railroads be-
longing to the United Railroads of san
Francisco from cable to overhead cleo
trio trolley. These cable roads had
been so wonderfully profitable that
their franchise rights had been capt.
talized at a sum vastly in excess OF
the tangible values of the property.
They had had years of remarkable
prosperity, had paid big dividends, and
had demonstrated that the five-cent
fare was so much in excess of what
was needed to pay the comparatively
high operating costs for the cable, to-
gether with interest on borrowed
money, that the public was obviously
entitled either to vastly better service
or a decrease in fare, and probably
both. People had come to realize that
if this cable franchise had turned out
to be so immensely valuable, the in
stallation of the overhead trolley, with
it's cheaper operating expense, would
be an additional grant of enormous
value, for which the city or the ira
Yelling public should be entitled to re-
cognition. a a.
Negotiations for adjusting a bargain
whereby electricity might be substitu-
ted for a cable between the Commit
tee of Improvement and Adornment"
in behalf of the citizens and the rail-
way company through it's president,
had begun. At the outset there was
demand that on certain main arteries
of the city the underground electric
sysem should be used. The United
Railroads insisted on the universal
use of the overhead trolley, and made
no offer to share the great benefit Of
cheapened operation. Neither better
seating accommodations nor reduced
fares were to be had in exchange for
the valuable povileges. The only
offer as against a grant worth many
millions was that 100000 be given
the city to be expended on it's parks.
CALHOUN RETAINS RUFF.
After the manner of the 'prize-iight
trust and the French restaurant
keepers, the company reained Ruef as
one of its attorneys in the latter part
of 1905 after the election of the Ruet-
Schmitz Board of Supervisors. Ne
gotiations which the citizens were
broken off in March, 1906, when the
company boldly announced that hence
forth it would deal directly with the
Supervisors. Ruefs confession was
to the effect that the arrangement hIG
been made with him for the passage Oh
the ordinance for the overhead per
NIT in the latter part Of March or
early in Aphil, 1906, and before the
earthquake and fire. Shortly alter
ward the company announced it would
deal with the Supervisors"
CABLE LINES NOT DESTROYED.
The misfortune of April Is, 1906,
suspended transportation on the cable
lines. Investigation has shown that
there was a minimum of damage to
all the cable plans of the United Rail
roads, which could be converted to
electrict roads save the Suffer line.
The Market and Valencia street power
house could have been available the
morning after the catastrophe, and
three weeks would have restored the
cable slot on those streets Ihe
damage to the various cable lines by
the earthquake was not of a serious
character and there seems to be no
question that inside of month after
the fire all cables subsequently con-
verified to electricity operated lines,
save the Sutter-street system could
have been running. The Geary-stheet
road, an Independent line, actually
commenced running the morning OF
the earthquake. The width of tracks
on the lines operated by the Suffer-
street power house, was greater than
the standard guage for electric cars.
Hence these lines were not in any
event available for immediate CONVEX