The San Francisco call. [volume], June 17, 1909, Page 8, Image 8

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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The San Francisco Call
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compliance -with their request.
THE Merchants' association, perhaps unconsciously, advocates
complete surrender and submission to the orders of the United
Railroads. The street railway corporation Avill not exchange
transfers, and if the people should vote for a
municipal road on Geary street the same cor
poration would tie up the affair in litigation
for years. Therefore, the people must submit.
They are bound hand and foot by the street
railway monopoly, and the Merchants' asso-
Monopoly s
Bogus
Threats
ciation declares that the town must obey the orders issued from the
office of the United Railroads.
We may fully acquit the association of a clear sense of the
meaning and implication of the words used in its "special bulletin"
on the Geary street railroad bond issue. The association does not
appear to realize the significance of a degrading surrender, made
under threats, nor does it appear to understand that this threat is
impossible of fulfillment and is merely thrown out for effects How
effective this spurious threat has proved appears from its easy and
unquestioning acceptance at its face value by the Merchants'
association.
The association declares its opposition to the proposed bond
issue because "the United Railroads has positively stated that under
no conditions would it exchange transfers with any municipally
operated road.*' Therefore, the town must submit, and surrender its
purpose, so that the monopoly of urban transit may be maintained.
It is a strange attitude to commend responsible support, so strange
that we are compelled to believe that the association does not realize
the sense of its conclusions.
»•» Again, the association in its bulletin says: "If the people should
vote for municipal ownership and operation of the Geary street line
it would mean that this important road would be tied up in litigation
for a number of years."
In a word, the city must take no step for delivery from the
vicious domination of the public service corporations because they
can and will make dishonest use of the courts to delay and obstruct
the purposes of the people. The' same argument would apply with
equal force to any move looking to the installation of a municipal
water supply. Clear! v the association did not understand tfie force
and meaning of its argument.
Yield to trvery form of exaction? Tolerate poor service?
Perpetuate monopoly and submit? Humbly obey the orders issued
from corporation offices because they threaten to obstruct, to delay
and to refuse concessions? Is this what the Merchants' association
advises? - >
We have said that the threat to refuse transfers is spurious and
meant only for effect. That conclusion should be plain enough to be
understood by the wayfaring man. The United Railroads must do
business under San Francisco laws and regulations. The corpora
tion will come asking favors because it must. Its present irrecon
cilable attitude of hostility to public interests and advancement is
impossible as a business proposition. .That question will solve itself
as the years go by.
The Geary street railway will be extended to the ferry and
will run to the ocean. The existing monopolj* of the main thorough
fare can.be broken in a legal way, and it will be broken. If exten
sions are needed they can be created by the city when they arc
needed. The' oppressive and intolerable monopoly which seeks to
restrain progress by making threats impossible of fulfillment will be
broken.
Taken as a whole, the argument of the Merchants' association
unconsciously supplies the strongest posible reasons in' favor of
voting the bonds. The 'bulletin draws a picture of an oppressive and
tyrannical monopoly, dictating under threat what course the people
shall pursue. It is a policy of abject and unconditional surrender,
inspired by fear of a pumpkin ghost.
IT is a public duty for every man, rich or poor, to/pay his poll
tax, subject to certain limited exemptions authorized by the
statutes. The money collected on this account, is applied on an
; excellent purpose, namely, the support , of * the
publft schools. ,It is not burdensome to -the
poor man, because our laws extend special con
sideration to people of limited means by ex
empting $100 worth of property -from taxa
tion. In fine, the poll tax is the only form of
impost by wbich people in moderate circumstances; do their- part
in supporting the. state and municipal governments.
Assessor Dodge, with the -help of a special appropriation of
$5,000, made for this purpose by the board of supervisors,. is making
a strong effort to collect these taxes. We hope -that his deputies
will be received "with consideration ans be made welcome, in their
fulfillment of this important public duty^ The schools need V.the
money, and no'man should, grudge his small contribution imposed
by" law. In fact, the payment 'of poll tax should --inspire '-* a :serise- of
exhilaration due to public duty well performed. $ >
Pay Your
Poll Tax,
Mr. Citizen
EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE CALL
What The Chronicle Said About the Geary
Street Railway and Its Stand Now
JT n>ill be good for the voters of San- Francisco to consider the antics of the Chronicle over the proposed
V In- 1902, on the eve of an election whereat a somewhaV 'similar proposition jailedj 'ailed [of the) necessary too
thirds majority, the Chronicle declared itself unequivocally for the bonds and for municipal ownership and opera
tion of ,s, s the Geary street line. .
Now, on the eve of another such election, the Chronicle back tracks on every argument -it advanced in
1902. The Voters can figure out for themselves what has happened to the Chronicle since 1902. A Iso they
can figure out for dhemselves who, fears the Geary street road, and why. . /-i/ -i
Below are the utterances of the Chronicle in 1902 and 1909: \u25a0 ,
(From the San Francisco Chronicle, Nor. 27,1902) (From thcSan Fraacisco Chronicle, Jane 10,1909)
THE GEARY STREET RAILROAD MUNICIPAL CORRUPTION
This is not a matter of sentiment, but of business,,
and shduld be quietly and . carcfullj' considered as
such. There is something to be' said on both sides
of the question, and the valid arguments on one side
should be as carefully weighed as those on the other.
To begin with, the alternative of municipal ownership
will be to advertise for bids for a new franchise. Any
real competition would be very unlikely, ami the road
would ultimately pass to- the United Railroads, with
very little profit to the city. /The question is whether
any profit can be got by municipal ownership and
operation. There is doubtless a large possible profit
in operating a street railroad over the proposed route
at a 5 cent fare. The supervisors estimate, upon the
figures' submitted -by the city engineer, that besides
taking care of interest and depreciation, the net
receipts during the "40 years which will elapse before
the last bond is paid will repay the outlay three times
over. This seems to correspond with the estimate of
the United Railroads company, which has capitalized
its road at fully three times the cost of construction,
with franchises running far less than 40 years.
Aside from a possible profit by operatidn°,v either
by contribution,to the .treasury or a reduction of fares,
there is one unquestioned advantage of which we are
certain— we shall get a modern road. The unsightly
poles and dangerous wires will disappear. The power
will be applied through a conduit in the street, as is
done elsewhere in cities which are resolutely gov
erned. In place of the wheel wrenching rails which
now deface our streets we shall have the modern
grooved rail, over which Wheels can pass with ease
and safety. We shall doubtless, have the most ap
proved patterns of cars, and generally an "up to date"
road and equipment. This object lessson in our city
can not but have a most powerful effect in securing
similar improvements from the United Railroads,
either from voluntary effort or by supplying the neces
sary evidence that; requirements which may be
by the city authorities are "reasonable", in the eye
of the law.
ANOTHER UNQUESTIONED ADVANTAGE
WILL BE THE REMOVAL OF THE MOTIVE
FOR THE CORRUPTION OF PUBLIC OFFI
CIALS. It is the popular belief that these valuable
franchises are usually obtained by corrupt means. It
is known that no safeguards of the law can prevent
corruption when both parties are willing. The dis
graceful disclosures at St.- Louis, recalling similar
revelations in other eastern cities, show plainly enough
that neither wealth, standing in the community nor
appearance of respectability is any guarantee' against
the foulest practices by men possessing such attributes.
Possibly the strongest argument for municipal owner
ship of public utilities is the removal of the motive
and the opportunity for bribery on a great scale. The
possible minor peculations connected with mere opera
tion are less dangerous and do not saddle the com
munity with permanent obligations. There are, there
fore, three advantages of which we are certain— the
object lesson of a modern road, the removal of one
motive for corruption, and the benefit of any incre
ment arising from the growth of the city.
We are of the opinion that we had better try the
experiment. Graver . responsibilities may call forth
•stronger effort. A management intrusted with the
lives of our citizens can not be so indifferent as where
mere property is involved. The people have solemnly
declared their' intention to. acquire these utilities. It
would show -great instability of character to shrink
from the first opportunity to carry out our expressed
intent. This particular experiment is quite within our
means. We ' do not sec how there can be loss in
the investment, and if there proves to be losss in
operation the charter provides a .way out through
leasing.* It is one . step toward a better control of
our streets and street service by making possible the
expiration of all franchises, at the same time, which
is of the. utmost importance. There is a strong
feeling in favor of municipal ownership which will
never cease to exert itself until an experiment has
been, tried. :
VOTE BONDS FOR THE
POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL
'Editor Call: The Polytechnic high
school is our only public day school '
where mechanical branches are taught, ,
therefore the city may increase its ca
pacity with time as circumstances and
conditions require; Schools of quasi
public character, like the Lick, }Vil
merdlng and Cogswell, are limited as
to location and in their ability to pro- *
vide increased accommodation. We;
can not therefore depend upon them for
the future development of this kind of :
training. 'The evolution of the times,
: the progress t of 'the ; world in .
mechanical-/ "and .'• \ industrial ; lines,.,
the Introduction of new inventions and
the keen competition of different' na
tions are such , that a theoretical and
practical knowledge !of our industries
has become one of the p great needs of.
a progressive people." '
The early pioneers'. \u25a0were. directly in
terested in mining pursuits. AVith the
growth of. the state the second step" was;
the' development of-- farming -and .gen- r
eral agriculture. As ..'the state still
further developed much attention wa s
paid. to commercial training."; On .'.'• ac-';.'
count- of . the.sparsely . settled '-condl-T:
tion of the coast the 'demand for. an'
industrialeducation for ; a long time did
*not;make": ltself felt. the; coast has
'nowjgrown toward 'commercial: and in-
L 'dustrial its great -cities: send- j
The attempt to make it appear that a reformation !
'of,'- the -municipal, government can lie - effected by ,<
acquiring and operating what are called public'utilities <
will not "'prove successful, because long . familiarity, !
with the shortcomings'of those who; serve ; the city <
for a consideration has made us acquainted" with the J
fact, that they are not so honest or/ industrious 'as ;'" an I
equal number of men engaged in private 'pursuits., j
Any one* making an assertion ,to the contrary may be . J
plainly set-down as a. demagogue willing, to shut his <
cyts to the facts in order to secure support for the J
carrying out of schemes that, if once- inaugurated, J
would produce greater trouble and more waste than <
•the city has yet experienced.
The claim is made that if the Geary street road ;
is built at the public expense and operated by the
municipality it will at once cease to be a source of
corruption. It is preposterous to assume anything
of the kind.' Nothing is more certain than an out- !
come exactly the opposite' of that predicted by those.. <
who advocate municipal ownership. From the day ;
that the issuance of bonds is authorized, should the !
proposition^carry, we may look forward t t6 intrigue,' !
fraud and waste. Unless all previous experience is ;
reversed, there will be uneconomical construction, and J
when the road is^mt.in operatioiv the probabilities are \\
that two dollars v will be expended for service where ;
one should suffice. ;
If anyone believes' that .this is an exaggerated -\u25a0!
view of the case, let him make inquiry concerning '
the method of doing things in those departments of ;
the _city government where, the necessity for the !
careiul exercise of business economies exists. If he '<
does so he will find that work is never done at a ' \u25a0 ;
cost approximating that which the careful' business- !
man deems proper; In the clerical positions, he will '
discover that instead of devices to reduce the labor ;
of. the accountant, and to insure the' accuracy' of |
accounts, there is a" constant effort to increase the !
number of employes and a decided tendency to so '
obscure matters that the tax payer can riot form a" <
judgment as to whether his contributions are squan- ;
dered or properly expended. If- the .work; is .'manual !
and the possibility of'using two men to do one man's '<
work offers itself, it is never resisted. 'I« purchasing ;
supplies, despite closely drawn specifications, there are i
constant violations of the spirit and letter,of contracts '<
in which "the city gets the worst of the bargain and ;
officials profit by turpitude. As for civility and atten- \
tion, the, lack of it in public servants is notorious, !
and the increased security which strained construe- '
tions of the tenure provisions of bur civil service laws ;
•give to municipal employes will still further accentu- !
the evil. . - . : [
Under the circumstances it is; preposterous to !
assume that public ownership of a street railroad '
wo.uld effect a reform of any kind whatever. Nor ;
would it, 'as: is sometimes urged, save us- from the \
evil of strike's. On the contrary, it would increase '
the chances of their occurring. The experience of '•
England and France conclusively demonstrates that ;
high organization of the civil service results in placing !
the government at the mercy of its' employes. The <
utmort vigilance is required in Great Britain to pre- ;
vent coalitions of employes in the postoffice depart- ;
ment for the purpose of compelling compliance with ;
their demands by threatening to paralyze the business ;
ofthe country, and only recently in France something ;
in the nature of military intervention was required to' !
stop, public servants "from achieving their purposes !
by'the same methods. „ \u0084 -'\u25a0;\u25a0\u25a0' - !
No argument that has as yet been brought forward '
will satisfy -any reasonable San Franciscan that it '
would be good public policy for thecity to build and. '
operate the Geary street railroad. To do so we would '
have to add a couple of millions to an already heavy ;
burden of taxation, deprive the city of the opportunity
of having the line made part of a system enjoying the |
valuable privilege of transferring to all parts' of SaA i
Francisco, and, what is worse; than, all, -'we shoultf |!
place a premium on inefficiency by giving the United^ !
Railroads an excuse for bad service, which it would !
certainly have if no more : was required of it than !
to do as well as a municipally conducted line. J
ing out .their produce to the east and
west, north and south, t he \ growing
demand for industrial and mechanical
lines of training and. the cry , of our
mothers, "What shall. we do with our
boys?" have become the great ques
tions that' confront us today. ••\u25a0-';'\u25a0
\The;.questlon immediately before the
electors of San Francisco and to "be
voted upon on the 22d; of \u25a0 this month
is . the " erection and : equipment "of ' a
Polytechnic high school In San Fran
cisco. The amount provided for. in the
bond issue is sufficient to v furnish suit
able buildings, and equipment, .enlarge
thcscope of- the present school and
enable its- students to receive such
training in \u25a0 Industrial and mechanical
work -as to enable- them to compete
with the young men and \u25a0 women .of
other', lands, arid' what is of .the highest
Importance, become self-supporting at
an; early age. 'This'' is .the crying need
of ; the time: .
.\u25a0\u25a0ilt.'.is therefore necessary^ that every
voter of the city and county"' of San
Francisco; should, consider, the \u25a0 estab
lishment ;i of a .: new Polytechnic high"
school as; one- of the ; paramount issues
of our. city and should cast -his vote
on'^the"; 22d ; of June; for? : , proposition
No. ; - 2; , paul Jbarbieri* • •\u25a0•- -\
••v. ; ;;;:.i:;^l626jHalght3streets^
San Francisco,: June fls,' k 1909. 1 .:. .. :
Answers to Queries
LOTTERY-0. S.. f FruitraK Cal. I* '«, w
an ordinance In San \u25a0 Franclseb: that prohibits
the printing; of lottPrrdrawingg? ' .
-Ordinance- No. 286, approved ApriP 1.
1901. says:
;; "Section. 1. \u25a0•/\u25a0lt \u25a0' snail be unlawful for
any person to publish/prlnt, pass, give
or deliver >: to another, or /circulate or
distribute any newspaper; magazine,
writings, prints, bills/handbills, cards
instruments^ or devices /which purport
to be., or represent tobe, or which con
tain copies, statements or memoranda
of a lottery, drawing, or which purport
to be. or r represents to"- be, or contain
statements,, -declarations," : copies or
memoranda, or. lists of .the. luck or win
ning characters; numbers or figures in
or of a; lottery, or in or of ;a lottery
drawing. . \u25a0;•\u25a0.• :.,-; ' .> ,\u25a0:\u25a0\u25a0.-.,
<\u25a0 ."Seen 2. \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 Any person violating any
of the provisions of this ordinance shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor."
\u25a0 \u25a0 \u25a0 \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0;' ."' • '\u25a0 •\u25a0 • \u25a0 • \u25a0 -
K ILLEGITIMATE-Q.. City. ; Does an lUeglti
mate v child' inherit the \u25a0.= property -of -father -or
mother under j. the: lairs "^of California? ' *
Such a, child 'inherits if ." ; the father
recognizes^the child. ,: The child is
an heir of the mother's property.
/THE BAR— TV. G.R., Citx". Is there any \es
fipr_aflc<at:that can: not,\ because of its* draft'
cross , the bar . &f. - the ; entranco of San Francisco
bay? ;7: ' ...... '. .:< f i : . \u25a0.\u25a0 . \u25a0 .. _. ;-,.,-.
There; is not. The, greatest depth" at
the .bar.: is 63 . fathoms,: or 378 • feet.
FI.ATHEAD— W. i J. R., - McCJoaii. Cal. What
department 1 can '- 1 urn I eh ; information .? about - the
opening of . the Flathead . reservation In Montana ?
.' The ' general; land" ; offipe. : "Washing
ton,^r>.?c. v : r -i '\u25a0\u25a0 : - : :r- '-:-'."- ; -' - \u25a0 :.i
PORTOLA : STICKER— M. . H. - V.. City. -Who
posed J f or -\u25a0 the « picture :' on *\u25a0 the '• Portola festival
sticker?'-', /;';_,\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0. \u25a0" ; , ..' "'V-;,'-. -\-- ; *;j
Ernie ;fikyward: of the< Princess" the
ater company. ~ " \u25a0"_ • \ '\u25a0',-.
'. ''. '\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0• \u25a0'.\u25a0 "\u25a0. *\u25a0*'\u25a0'.\u25a0:+'- ,'r »^-"'--': ':* ---•"-;'
<> BLOCK -MATCHES— Vr.'>A.V M.i-; Camino, : Cal.
Where i were >. the' bloctt matches^ or,? as : they /are
sometimes " : called, v; '.'Chinese n r matches," \u25a0 first
As They Used To Look
VICTOR HOWARD METCALF, lawyer, con
gressman, first secretary of commerce and labor,
secretary , of the navy under President Roose
velt and banker— From a photograph taken 27 years
ago when Mr. Metcalf was 28 years old and was prac
ticing law in Oakland :\u25a0'":. :-: :-:
The Insider
Tells how force of habit led Captain Bruguiere, the new
state bar pilot, to forget he was no longer commander in
the army transport service
Pilot Forgot His
Role on Transport
force of habit. . Before his appointment as pilot Bruguiere was for more
than ten years a commander in the army transport service. The first ship
that he was detailed to. take to sea as a pilot was the army transport Logan.
The Logan passed out over the bar and slowed down tVawait the approaching
pilot schooner Pathfinder that was to take Bruguiere off. The transport
stopped. A yawl was launched from the Pathfinder and two. hardy Norse
men propelled it toward the troopship. Under the lee of the Logan's lofty
sides the oarsmen rested on their oars and looked up expectantly at the
steamer's bridge. Bruguiere looked down at them, waved a friendly greet
ing, rolled a cigarette and leaned against a stanchion at ease. A Jacob's
ladder rattled over the ship's side. Bruguiere leaned over the bridge rail,
and, with languid interest, gazed from the ladder to the drifting yawl. Sud
denly he turned around:
. "Where the dickens," he asked, "is that pilot?"
. When Captain Stimson, master of the Logan, " realized that Bruguiere
imagined himself still in the transport service, he laughed a cruel chuckle, and
Bruguiere, woke with a jump and made record time from bridge to
yawl, promised to buy Stimson a hundred of the biggest, .greasiest Havana
cigars on the market if he would forget.
Long Lives Prove
City Is Healthful
in awhile. It was called to my attention most forcibly the other day when
I scanned the death notices in the morning paper. Out of 24 dead persons
the ages of 21 were given. Of these 21, six were over 80 years of age, the
figures being: 83, 81,, 88, 83, 86 and 89. Five more were over 70 years of
age, as follows: 78, 75, 79, 75 and 7S. Itseems to me that for 11 out of.
21 to have attained and passed the prophet's three score year* and ten is
a splendid evidence that our climate and habits of life conduce to longevity.
It may prove interesting, for purposes of comparison, to give the ages of
the other men and women in this obituary list of a single unexceptional day.
They are as follows: 66, 65, 55, 54. 4 S, 44, 34, 30, 27 and 27. For the bene
fit of the ladies, let me call attention to the fact that only two in this list
were of their gentle sex, and both died at a ripe old age.
Versifier Known as
an Oyster Salesman
San Francisco versifier, whose contributions to several magazines are distinct
and apart fronv the greater mass of "stuff" published today, in that they
contain some idea. As an afterthought, he added: "I sell them."
*v> Which is a fact. He is about the only man in the world who has success
fully sold oysters and woped the muse to financial gain. His poetical ambi- » 1
tions, on .leaving: the university, were tempered by the . fact that he had to -*
make a living, and he accordingly went into the oyster business. Why he
chose the soulless and prosaic oyster, neither' he nor anybody else know 3.
HEALTH ORDINANCES AND
THE DIRTY STREETCARS
San Francisco, June 23, 1909.
Editor Call: Ordinance No. 3064 of
the health laws (approved .March. 15,
1897) prohibiting expectoration in
street railway cars, section 2, reads as
follows: '
• "All street railway companies shall
keep posted <in a conspicuous place in
their- cars a sufficient number of no«
t'ices calling attention to the provisions
of this; order." "•;
Most of- the cars are thus . equipped,
but' the sighs in some cases can not be
read"o"n accouat of the . dirt that has
covered them.. In inspecting these
signs your eyes would naturally turn
to • the whole car, with a result far
from pleasant. The cars are all dirty,
with the leather medal in favor, of
those on; the : Fillmore street car line,
which have not; been cleaned in months.
An inspection of the_Jiealth laws shows
no .ordinance- covering this .point. —
Plas the public. or our board of super
visors'; ever stopped to" consider the
saying to the United Railroads by
reason of the ;trollev franchise? < Prob-"
JUISE 17; 1909
THEY are telling this story on Captain
Bruguiere, the newly appointed state
bar pilot. Incidentally it illustrates the
Is San Francisco a healthful city? Of course,
we all know that it is, but it does no harm to
have the fact called to our attention- once
"I am the only poet who can afford to eat
oysters."
Thus spoke' Thomas Springer, a youns
ably 175 cars less per day are on our
public- streets now than formerly. The
speed of the electric over that of tha
cable accounts for most this, but
the re3ult is the same— a savins of not
less than $500,000 per annum. Would
it not he possible for an aroused pub
lic demand or a waking up on the
part .of our supervisors in this connec
tion, compel the railroad company to
put some of this gain into a cleaner
and. more sanitary condition of their
cars.
But: to return to the original Idea of
this communication. After a careful
study for the last six months I have
coma to the conclusion that 75 per
cent of _ the conductors wet their fingers
and pass you a dirty transfer. Seem
ingly this does not come under the
above mentioned ordinance. I refer the
matter to "~ your "consideration, hoping;
that your familiarity with city laws tjir
else -an" appeal: in the right direction
will stop, what to my mind, is as
dangerous a menace .to the general
health/ as expectorating on the floor of
a, car.-' Yours. truly. A. 3L GRAVES.