The San Francisco call., 1913-08-18
BOND PROPONENT
GR|LLS CHAMBER
FOR OPPOSITION
President of Realty Com
pany Says Directors Stand
Does Not Reflect Mem
bership's Views
NEED STREETCAR
LINE EXTENSIONS
Declares He Favors Issue,
Even Though He Opposes
Municipal Ownership

Stating that he is not an advocate OF
municipal ownership. but that he is In
favor of the bond issue for the exten-
sion of the present municipal railway,
Joseph A. Leonard, president of the
Urban Realty company and a member
of the Chamber of Commerce. has
written to the chamber protesting
against the action of the directors in
opposing the bonds.
The board of directors have as
sumed, without having consulted the
membership at large, to make rec
ommendation, which not only reaches
the members themselves, but the gem
eral public" his letter reads. Mr..
LEONARD declares that imperative ne
cessities" dwelt on by the chamber di-
rectors surely cover street railway
transportation. and continues:
"a statement is contained in the ar
gument that 'S4 per cent of the author
ICED but unissued bonds are intended
to develop the Hetch Hetchy municipal
water supply. Now is it possible. that
the voting of the bonds for Hetch
Hetchy water supply should be so con-
narely tied up from all other necessi-
. ties that would advance its worth and
increase its population, while we, from
year to year, struggle to even get per-
mission TO commence the construction
of the water system for which the
bonds were voted? In our opinion,
certainly not.
A DIFFERENT OK
I'VE heard nothing from the same
@ar-1xr u-A Of ,xro
loading the city beyond It's bond limit
g when the 81, 200, 900 was to be voted for
the exposition. 1t seems 10 make a
difference as to whose OK Is being
gored.
1T is conceded by every one of any
experience or forethought that the
city can not and will not advance and
increase it's population unless there is
adequate street railway transporta-
tion. If the voters OF the city and
county of San Francisco had seen fit
a to amend our charter SO that private
capital represented by the United
Railroads or any other combination.
could and would have provided addi-
tional transportation facilities, then
the city would not be at the necessity
of going into the railroad business, but
since we have failed, by a large ma
1ortty, to carry the necessary charter
amendment No. "a as wisely recon-
we supported in every way possible,
there Is nothing left for us to do ex-
scept to have our municipality itself
supply these needed increased trans
portation facilities, or else suffer the
loss of increased population which
should justly be ours, and cause the
city irreparable injury. especially at
this time. when we should secure q
large increase in population.
@ ARGUMENTS ONE SIDEn
7 consider your arguments one
sided. and that they are calculated to
weaken our own power TO do good, and
do not do justice to large portion of
the members of the Chamber of Com
merce. and this act Of the board of
directors must be considered a step In
retrosression calculated to throw an
obstacle in the way OF progress and to
retard the growth and development of
our city which the Chamber OF Com
meroe ts organized and conducted to
promote