The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-06
RAID on THE WESTERN ADDITION

Mr.. Gilleran. Superintendent of Streets,
states that he does not object to having his
office investigated; in fact the more it IS in
vestigaJed, the better he will be pleased.
He will therefore be grateful TO THE CALL
for afNrding him an opportunity of ex-
planning how it comes that people in the
Western Addition who have no complaint
60 make Of the pavement in front of their
houses or lots are being served with notices
To have them Tepaved with bituminouS
pavement at their own expense.
The law Oh the subject permits the Super
intendent Of Streets TO recommend tie re-
paving Of any street which in his opinion
requires that Improvement. But in practice
he never does so until some, at least, of the
residents who will have to foot the paving
bill petition that the work shall be done
The recommendation OF the Superintendent
goes to the Committee on Streets, and parties
interested then have an opportunity to pro-
test, If there be no protest or if any pro-
test that has been filed is overruled by the
committee, a resolution is passed directing
the work to be begun. This resolution goes
before the Board of Supervisors, which in
d0TSeS orreiects it; their action is final. That
is the course which such matters take.
1t will be readily understood that parties
or other paving material for sale are per-
pelualy in quest of paving contracts, and
that they bring pressure TO bear on the
Superintendent 10 get him to recommend
ilbs by which they shall be enabled to sell
their goods They are backed by whole
army OF contractors who live by paving
streets, whether the people who have to pay
Tor the pavements like it or not. And they
derive further aid from the corrupt political
clique which is affiliated with the little even
ilg paper which enjoys a monopoly of ad-
vertiSing paving contracts in defiance of
law. All these parties continually cry aloud
for more pavements.
Under AshwOrth's administration a show
Of deferriug to common deceney prevailed.
Ashw0rth made many unnecessary recon-
mendations, but he generally insisted that
some Of the people who had to pay the paw
ing bills should assent 10 the work before
he recommended it. Gilieran is not so con-
sderate. lie has been recommending the
laying Of bituminous pavements in streets
which viii not need such pavementS fer
years. and without consulting the wishes Of
any ofthose who will have to foot The bills.
A his Office his deputies declare, when in
teTTOgated, that the payementS have been
asked for by residents Of the streets con-
cerned, but in Instances where inquiry has
been instituted it proves that not single
lot-owner has asked for the Improvement,
but that on the contrary they are all pre-
pared to protest against it as needless, pre-
mature and beyond their means. The Com
mittee on Streets. however, which seems to
have no other purpose bu. to indorse the
Gilleran DEGREES, almost invariably approves
his recommendations.
no &c soil 70 1.o
an open secret that unless the game is
blocked it is the intention to pave every
block in the Western Addition as far west
as the cemeteries and as far north as Union
street with bituminous rock during the life
time of the present administration. That
will be grand thing for the paving com
pany, for the patentee of their kettle ami for
the swarm of contractors who are in the
business of pavOrs. Every body connected
with the job, down to the owners of the lit
tie advertising sheet, ought to make a fine
stake out OF it. In view of such unquestion-
able benefits it is perhaps unreasonable to
point out that 1t will lay upon lot-Owners a
tax which some of them are unable to pay
and which will pile mortgage on their lot
in defiance Of their needs and their wishes.
There was a widow in that part of the
city whose husband had left her at his
death half dozen lots. She imagined she
could bring up her family out OF the pro-
eeeds of this property. But the husband
was hardly in his grave before the Street
Department graded the street on which she
lived. and it cost her one lot to pay the cost
OF grading the others. Then the department
severed the S>=eet and another lot went.
Then bill came in for granite curbs and a
Third lot had to be sacrificed. Finally con-
tractor aud dealer in paving material
thought that would be good street to pave,
and the bill for paving, with the bill of the
little advertising sheet, absorbed all the
money she could get for the remainder of
her property. The public improvements
were fine thing for the city, and the paw
iag company made money, but the opera
ton was little rough on the widow.