The morning call., 1893-01-05
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.

The essential portions of the message Of
the Mayor are those which refer to the
streets, sewers and water supply. 1t is a
satisfactory document throughout. and the
paragraphs concerning the police, the small
poX hospital, the s.reet-railway percentage,
the dives. the election canvass. ETC., are all
worthy of attention, not only by the Super
visoTs. but by the people at large. But tie
immediate evils Of our system are mainly in
the Street Department
No explanation is required to demonstrate
the necessity Of a uniform system Of sewer
age. Public opinion on that subject took
shape when the present board Of engineeIs
was appointed to recommend plan. Mayor
Ebert now suggests that this board should
be made permanent body. like the boards
of works which are in Office in other cities,
and that it should have supervision of all
city improvements. It would have ample
guidance in the example of New York and
other large Eastern cities, which have CRAP
pied with city problems and solved them
more or less satisfactorily. Experience has
determ ned every factor in the cases. There
can arise 10 question ia city engineering
which can be said to be new. All that is
necessary is to ascertain thoroughly what
the expenditure so that it viii not be so
heavy in any one year as to rouse opposi-
ton 10 the Improvement.
The Mayor denounees the act of 1889. by
which Board of Supervisors, led by its
Committee on Streets, may order street
openings or other public improvements
which are not needed, but are undertaken
for the benefit Of individual property
owners and contractors in want Of job.
The cost of these openings and improve
ments is often thrown upon property remote
from the district that is benefited. They
are frequently mere lodges by which a.
who owns outside lands. makes i improve
them, though 3 has no interest in them, OF
by which C, ID and Z are compelled to fur
nish work 10 contractors and their men who
have NO claim on them for support.
Mr.. Ebert might have gone further. The
working of the Vrooman act places prop-
erty-owners at the mercy of the contractors,
who have hitherto run the Street Depart
ment. When a contractor finds work slack
be picks out block on the outskirts of the
city which. being little travelled, is but par
TALLY improved, and does not need improve
ments until that portion of the city settles
up. He submits to the Street Department
that this block ought TO be paved with Bel
gian blocks or poultiee severed and curbed
The department always agrees for reasons
: which may be imagined, and the Street
Committee follow suit. An announcement
that the order has passed to print brings tC
the front the property who have to
pay the cost of the improvement and they
file their protest. This stops work for six
months. But at the end Of six months the
protest dies and the work begins whether
the prOperiy-owners like it or not. Then
the unf0rtuBates who have been so rash a:
to buy lots in the city lind themselves. as
the law is construed, bound to support q
raft OF contractors and favorites with those
who diyyy with them. But this is matter
Of influence. 1t has not been finally decided
that the Supervisors have acquired juris.
diction after the term Of the first protest
has expired. Safety requires that thai
proposition be made clear by an amendment
to the law.