Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-26
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1890.
A CANDIDATE WITH A RECORD.

James V. Coleman, Hon. William ID.
English, and other able gentlemen who
are willing to accept the Democratic
nomination for governor, and whose
friends are pushing them with the
warmth and zeal which their many at
tractive qualities fully warrant, it must
be said that the Hon. E. B. Pond the
present mayor of San Francisco, is in
the minds of multitudes of Democrats
the right man to head the gubernatorial
ticket this fall.
Mr.. Pond has record, and it is of the
kind that sinks deeply into mems minds.
The. administration of Governor Water
man has been signalized by an unex-
ampled profigacy in expenditures. 1t
costs almost as much to run the govern
ment of the state of California as it does
to run that of the great state OF New
York. There is no reason why this
should be so, and the people, irrespec-
tive OF party, are determined that it
shall be so no longer. Just the same
kind of a sentiment which has been
OF the city and county of Los Angeles
has taken possession of the minds of
the taxpayers of the state at large.
They demand prudent, economical and
statesmanlike administration of the al
fairs of this commonwealth.
There is an extensively ramifed feel
ing in. both the great national parties
that the finances of California require
painstaking and intelligent attention.
In this line Mayor Pond has history,
and it is of particularly luminous char
aeter. From 1879 to 1883, at which lat
ter date Bartlett became mayor, and Mr..
Pond became chairman of the finance
committee of the board of supervisors,
the rate of taxation upon all the taxable
property of San Francisco for municipal
purposes had ranged from $1.20 to 81. so
on the 500 valuation. These gentle
men, on assuming office in 1888,
found that their Republican prede-
cessors had wrecked the treasury,
and had left as legacy a float
ing debt of $500,000, in open defiance of
the law. So hopeless appeared the con-
dition of the finances of San Francisco
that the supervisors passed an ordinance
submitting to vote of the people the
question of issuing bonds to the amount
of $500, 900 to pay off this indebtedness.
Mayor Bartlett vetoed the ordinance,
and Supervisor Pond supported the veto.
The finance committee then opened ne
gotiations with the Spring Valley Water
works and the Gas Company, which cor
porations owed the city for a large
amount of back taxes which they had
refused to pay and for which suits were
pending. The committee succeeded in
arranging settlement whereby the
debt of $500, 900 was paid, and the city
came out ahead at the end of the fiscal
year. The citizens, without distinction
of party, looked upon this achievement
as triumph OF financial ability, and
were grateful for relief from a heavy
bonded debt.
In 1884, which was the first year when
Chairman Ponds finance committee had
an opportunity to control the tax levy,
it was reduced to $1.121a on the 500.
Since then the tax for ordinary expenses
has been steadily reduced III San Fran
cisco during Ponds four-yesrs term as
head of the finance committee and three
and half years as mayor, as fellows:
in 1885 it was $1.05 on the $780,
In 1886 it was $l.041a on the 800.
In 1887 it was $0.S915 on the 500.
Under special acts of the legislature
an extra tax, ranging from II = cents in
1887 to 1414 cents in 1890, was levied for
the completion of the new city hall,
upon which work had been for years
suspended, and for the improvement of
the park, leaving the tax for ordinary
expenses $1.02 in 1888, $O.93 in 1889 and
$0.S5M in 1890, the latter the lowest
tax levied in San Francisco for twenty
years.
During ali this steady reduction Mayor
Pond was admittedly the controlling
stinate resistance from interested
parties, but was ably backed by some of
the other officials.
During this period of municipal re-
trenchment seven fine new school
houses were built and all the old ones
were repaired additions were made to
the aims house and the hospital; new
fire engines were bought; miles of
streets and sewers were constructed or
repaired; numerous judgments against
the city were paid off; more than half
the city's bonded debt was paid Or pro-
vided for; the new city hall was nearly
completed, the park immensely i'm
proved and beautifed; and, greatest
financial triumph OF all, there was a
handsome surplus at the end of every
fiscal year.
Such facts make the present mayor of