The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-04-18

). ing But Costly Litigation
;; -.
:. Common scolds and obstructionists
.are :the curse of San Francisco. Hold
Ting these views, feel that it would
be 9 waste of time for me to address
you April 1e. or at any time" says
!: Mayor James Rolph Jr. in an open
%letter addressed to the Public Owner
ship' association.
:. Thee association had invited the
mayor to speak for 80 minutes on the
'1ower Market street agreement" !"
declining to address the body, the
mayor sets forth his position in the
:. following communication:
. 'I have your communication OF April
sig inviting me to speak for the fixed
i, period of 30 minutes in presenting my
: views upon the matter of the Tower
!. Market street agreement at meeting
: under your control next Saturday
night
@Y0UR TAX; OUR RECORDS.
s: 'T suppose that the remainder OF the
: evening is TO be devoted to the usual
:;TI MISREPRESENTATION Of the terms and
and facts of the proposed agreement
:: which has hitherto characterized the
:: arguments of the active opponents Of
1.-the compromise.
=: 1.-The proposed agreement was drafted
:: with the advice and assistance OF eiti-
zens whose zeal for municipal owner
]. ship and operation. and whose probity.
.:iRtelligence and public spirit are GER
:. tsfnlV not less than those of the con-
. spicuous opponents of the agreement,
affrd. ft is recommended by an admins
: .traTion which in 16 months has done
more to bring about municipal opera
5.tion than was ever done before in San
Francisco. We have actually set the
municipal railway in operation. Against
your fruitless talk we balance our rec
: ord' of results
:. CHARGES UNFAIR TACTICS
''aSnd now, when this administration
" proposes a practical and intelligent So
luton of the lower Market street diff
Guilty, you are endeavoring. by most
. unfair arguments. to misguide the pub
Lie and prevent the city from making
:, what I do not hesitate to call most
favorable bargain for the municipal
railway
:. Without any desire to show dis
:: courtesy to your association. consider
1t wise to decline your invitation.
'I believe that I .can better employ
this time in addressing the citizens at
:, large. who wish to study the subject
matter from the standpoint of benefits
,f+ hao 70 xufo
opiniSns are set and whose sole aim
.being done. am not interested in
controversy.
MEANS PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
"A ratification of the lower Market
:. street agreement means actual public
ownership of a municipal railroad to
Allie ferry at once. This you are oppos-
Ing. and ]. doubt your good faith.
:: The people OF San Francisco have
fought for years to establish the Geary
street municipal road as a fact.
Before the men who are backing
your association, financially and other
wise, thought enough OF this city to
register and vote, patriotic citizens
were champfoning the Geary street
road as a municipal highway; and now
when the opportunity exists to estab-
fish that municipal railroad down the
main thordughfare Of the city. these
men, who did not think enough OF San
Francisco to vote, have turned them
selves into professional agitators to
: prevent this road being used and op-
Grated by the people.
PROFESSIONAL AGITATORS
.The professional agitators who are
backing your association. financially
and otherwise, never built any roads,
and never will build any; never built
oany water works, and never will build
any. Not only do they accomplish
nothing themselves, but their sole aim
and object seems to be to acquire no
foriety by preventing anything being
done that will make San Francisco
modern, wholesome and comfortable
city. furnishing every civic convenience
to its Inhabitants.
.The time has come. in the life of this
(4tv. when there must be a division be-
tween the three classes of people: those
who do something for the public good;
those whos talk about doing things for
the public good, and those who prevent
others doing things for the public
good.
eY0UR SUBSTITUTE AGITATION
s"The proposition now before the peo-
plS TO extend the Geary street munici-
pal railway to the ferry and the ocean
means actual. immediate public owner
ship and operation.
.sThe substitute you offer is years Of
litigation, coupled with agitation and
speech making You can not ride on a
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