The San Francisco call., 1910-03-29
Mayor Will Refuse to Sign the
Ordinance Compelling Use
of Inside Tracks
MCCARTHY PLEADS SAFETY
OF GEARY ROAD AT STAKE
Bill introduced to Force United
Railroads to Give Through
Suffer Street Service
STAR CHAMBER SESSION
KILLS MEASURES CHANCES


A Ii hope for any immediate re-
.AmOval of the antiquate horses
cars from lower Market street.
or the establishment of a through
service on the inner tracks in Market
street to the ferry was doomed yes
terday afternoon, when Mayor Nc,
Carthy, in executive conference with
eight union labor members of the
board of supervisors, announced that
he would not sign any ordinance or
resolution directing the United Rails
roads to establish a through service
OF Sutter street cars.
Ordinance Is introduced
The conference, which was held i'm
the finance committee room of the
supervisors headquarters, followed a
meeting of the board, at which Super.
visor Bancroft introduced and had re-
ferred to the public utilities commit.
tee the draft of an ordinance reauir-
ing the United Railroads to install a
switch connecting the Sutter street
tracks with the inner tracks IN Marker
street and to begin the operation OF
all Sutter street cars through to the
ferry by May Is The ordinance is to
be given formal hearing before the
committee at 2 o'clock Wednesday
afternoon, but despite the fact thar
three out of the FIVE members of the
committee have already given it in
formal sanction, its fate is decided
adversely.
Star Chamber Session
The conference following the board
meeting was unannounced. The word
was quietly passed around and Super
visors Pugh, Herget, Lougbery and
Walsh of the public utilities commit
tee, together with Supervisors Kelly.
Deasy, Mclaughlin and Nelson, Joined
the mayor in caucus. Following the
conference those who had been present
loudly disclaimed any intention to have
kpt the star chamber session secret.
but at the same time refused to discuss
the reason for the meeting or what had
occurred. 1t was only through a round
about channel that the facts came ont
Mayor Mccarthy gave as the reason
for his ultimatum the same explana-
tion which Supervisor Kelly had ad-
vanced during the board meeting when
he served notice that he would not
support the Bancroft resolution. This
statement was to the effect that. d.
spite the city attorneys opinion that the
board had power to require the United
Railroads to operate its Sutter street
cars through to the ferry. to do so
might "endanger the city's legal
rights in connection with the Gearv
street road.
kelly's Explanation
As explained by Kelly after the
board meeting and prior to the confer
ence. he feared that such an order
might be construed as a sanction OF
two independent roads in lower Market
street. and thus cut off the possibility
E
the ferry. He did not go into detail
while addressing the board. but after
ward explained more fully
The question of the legal status Of
this Sutter street company. as distinct
from the United Railroads, is now up
TO the courts for decision he said. IT
do not think it's claim as a separate
company amounts to anything. but
still our great object is to protect the
rights of the Geary street road and L
am not going TO vote to order the
United Railroads TO do anything that
might endanger the possibility Of put
ting that road through TO the ferry If
we should pass this ordinance and the
court should decide that the Sutter
street road was a separate proposition
we wsuld have two roads operating in
Market street. That is all the law al
lows. and that is the very thing We
must prevent until we are ready to put
through the Geary street road. / won't
vote 10 give the United Railroads an
outer track permit without their recog-
milton OF the Geary street roads right
70 use the TRACKS NOT VIII vote 20 III
rect them to operate cars on the inner
track until the legal proposition is set
tied"
Horsecars to Remain
Then that means an indefinite con-
tinuance of the horsecars?" he was
asked.
II guess il does" he answered.
This was the attitude taken by the