The morning call., 1892-07-26
A STRONG INDICTMENT.
Protest Against the Assessments f.
Street Extensions.

street Extensions.
Reference was made in THE CALL Of
Saturday last TO the fact that protests we're
In circulation against the report of the
Commissioners for extending and widening
Nineteenth street and for extending Twen-
tleth, Twenty-frst, Twenty-second and
Twenty-third streets.
John r. Roche, 1904 Dolores street, has
also sent written protest to the Board Of
Supervisors against the cOnsummati0n of
this monstrous outrage on the grounds of
fraud, injustice, Illegally aud the parti-
Rlity shown some interested to the disad-
vantage Of Others" He expresses the hope
that they will not be deceived by the at
tempt Of this commission to make you an
accessory thereto by asking you to accept
tie report of a Job beside which the most
gigantic steal Of the Infamous Tweed ring
Of New York sinks into utter insignih-
cance." He asserts that the alleged i'm
prOvement was never wanted by the
property-oWners interested. but was
ha;ched by land-sharks to force poor
people, unable 10 pay the eXoTbltant
assessments, to dispose OF their humble
possessions. The original petition was not
signed by bona-fde owners, except in rare
Instances, where genuine signatures we're
obtained by Misrepresentation, fraud and
deceit. But the biggest piece Of assurance
on the part OF the commission is the at
tempt TO fOrcibly take go per cent from them
for c0ndemning 100000 worth or property
valued at about 30 per cent more than it is
worth. HecOntendS the commission should
not be allowed any expenses beyond the six
months extension granted them. He de-
MES the commissions statement that
they had in no case allowed speculative
damages, and asserts that ia nearly every
instance it has allowed more than 90 per
cent for land condemned than it could be
sold for at the present time. If the work
was honest, why should the commission
anticipate ''prolOnged litigation? All the
other Jobs were as nothing compared to this
one, as about 90 per cent Of those affected
were poor people, who could not pay the
contribution. Although five streets are in
cIuded in the work CT the commission, some
of them are only two blocks ID length, and
none more than three blocks. He charges
them with utiering another falseboOd
in saving that the streets can all be ex-
tended with a minimum expense 10 the
pToperty-Owners. Nineteenth. Twentieth
and Twenty-frst streets can only be placed
On a feasible grade at an expense that viii
certainly contiscate the property of those
who are unfortunate enough TO De affected
by II, while Twenty and Twenty
third street owners will be fortunate to get
of with 30 per cent of the actual value of
tLeir property. He concludes his protest as
follows: 1T IS most Infamous scheme,
conceived In lnlquity, matured in fraud and
corruption, the offspring of two of the most
disre putable bodies that ever disgraced a
patient people-the Legislature of 1889, who
made the law, and the Solid Mig who
appointed the commission. My assessment
for benefits is S204 on a little piece of
property. assessed in the Assessors books
Tor $500, and ask you, if you do not reject
the report for the reasons stated that you
Will reduce my share 10 at most S25, which,
benefited"