San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-17
WANTED--A MAYOR.

WANTED--A MAYOR.
San Antonio needs several things,
and some of them very badly, but al l
needs dwindle into insignificance COM
pared with the imperative need tina t
now exists for head to this munich
pality who will command the respect
and confidence of the business of
this city, lead in the march of inn
provement and reflect credit upon the
management of the public business.
Next to this and in fact part and
parcel of it is the necessity for live,
wide-awake, progressive city council,
who will not be any mayors tools on
the one hand nor mere stumbling
blocks in the way Of progress on the
other. San Antonio is suffering in
reputation, suffering in prestige sat
home and abroad, suffering in
pocket and suffering in comfort
aud in several other ways be-
cause the city council as a body is
not competent to administer the
affairs of this city as its growing inn
portance and increasing population
demand. The facts in the case are
too notorious to need proofs. Our
streets are standing testimony of an
incompetent city administration.
The order for work was Issued long
since and ten days was spoken of as
the time required to do certain paw
ing; for a year prior to that order the
60
lied and issued and yet not square
yard of paving done. The principal
plaza of the city, historically, and one
of the great show attractions for WISH
tors, is under water for hours and
sometimes days after every rain
storm. The street crossings on the
principal thoroughfares are left to
care for themselves and no systematic
effort made to keep them in fit condi-
ton for pedestrians. The ordinances
with reference to stated financial re-
ports are Systematically violated; the
street commissioner has his
power taken away and there
seems to be no responsible
head to the street department;
the sidewalk ordinances are not en-
forced in certain quarters where ia
vorites live, and are arbitrarily en-
forced in others where it is deemed
eXpedient to put on the screws; the
council is so inattentive to business
that frequent meetings pass because
there is no quorum, and the fines inn
posed by ordinance for absence are
not collected. These are but part of
the evils so patent to every one and
which form the subject of general
complaint.
The time approaches for new char
ter election, and it is high time that a
systematic, concerted effort was made
on the part of our best citizens regard
less of nationality, religion, or politics,
to place in nomination mayor and
board of aldermen who will do city
business in way to benefit the city
and reflect credit upon it, in way to
commend the city TO the favorable
verdict of strangers and ensure the
comfort and safety of the taxpayers.
A mayor is wanted and will be want
ed for two years more unless the bust
ness men of this city stir themselves
and take matters into their
own hands. Let the effort to
rescue the city from the hands
of the present incompetents who
mismanage it's business fail, and for
years to come this municipality will
be by-word and reproach in this
state, visitors from abroad will post
us all over the union as an unkempt,
slovenly, dirty, comfortless people
and the tide of population that should
set this way will be turned in other
channels. The LIGHT will have
much more to say on this subject be-
tween now and next charter election.