Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-28
THE PRESENT ISSUE IN SAN FRAN.
CISCO.

There is very strange condition of af-
fairs IN San Francisco regarding the sewer
system of that city. On its face it stands
thus; An official in charge of the system
reports to the ruling body of the munich
pality that the sewers in all the low-Iying
districts are in frightful condition. A
health officer, presumably competent, con-
firms the report, and declares that the
public health is menaced, as do numerous
physicians. Estimates are made. and the
result is that there are opinions held that
from sum of from $4,000 to $4,000 is
needed to cleanse the sewers and put them
IN proper and safe condition; the larger
sum Is most urgently pressed. But at this
Juncture it is discovered that there are no
available means with which to defray the
expense. A proposition is at once made
to go into debt; practically to pledge the
credit of the city and put her bonds upon
the market, for that must be the result of
any exhaustion of the annual revenue.
Another party, however, desires to take
the needed money out of the street-clean-
ing fund. The first party proposes the
suspension Of the one-twelfth restriction,
which is equivalent to going into debt, for
that provision of the municipal law pro-
hibits the expenditure of more than one
twelfth of the annual revenue in any one
month of the year, except by unanimous
consent of the Supervisors. While the
means are under discussion in the city
legislature an official Of the Health Depart
ment examines the sewers and reports that
their foul condition has been greatly ex-
aggerated, and that the expenditure of
$1,000 or $4,000 month is all that is
needed ami that matters are no worse than
they have been all along. At the same
time 1t develops that the report that gave
rise to the agitation was made six months
ago, but has only recently been brought to
Light. Contemporaneous with this revela-
ton it comes to the surface that there are
a number of parties moving in the
matter who have patent appliances
for cleansing and keeping the sewers
IN good condition. The press take sides at
once IN these issues, and while one part of
that public influence "vhoops up " the sag
ony " with suspicious energy and does its
pest 70 brighten the people into immediate
action and large expenditure, another sec
ton declares that there is no need for
plunging into debt, and that for whatever
work is needed on the sewer system there
are ample means. We the other day re-
marked that if $4,000 are needed to pre-
serve the public health in San Francisco
there ought to be no difficulty in RAISING
the sum in such city, even if it Is found
necessary to pledge the public credit
This journal has always favored and
urged sanitary reforms when the
need for them is established. Ru.
as the debate has progressed the suspicion
has attached that the scheme to recon.
struct the sewers is an attempt to open the
city credit to the tax-eaters, who have
been shut off by the tax limit to which
the Board of Supervisors is pledged, from
the pap that attaches to unlimited expend- /
iture of public funds, in six cases ont Of
ten. 1t is somewhat remarkable that the
late Superintendent of Streets was able to