The morning call., 1894-08-04
IMPROVED OUT OF THEIR PROP.
ERTY.

The Street Department is resolved that
whoever else may endure poverty from
the hard times the contractors and
hangers-on of that department shall not
suffer this fall. The Board of Supervisors
has announced its intention of ordering
street work enough to keep all of them
busy. The resolution provides for the
grading OF five streets, comprising an In
definite number of blocks; for the laying
of granite curbs and block gutter
ways on sixty-eight blocks. and for the
laying Of artificial stone sidewalks on
ifty-four. The blocks are scattered all
over the city. The law permits majority
of the lot-owners on the blocks to be im-
proved TO arrest the Improvement for six
months by filing a protest. At the end Of
the six months the work must 60 on or
the battle be fought over again. Some
friends of contractors pretend that the
work must 60 or anyway.
A number of the blocks which are thus
TO be improved have lately been put in
fair shape with new wooden pavsments
and cutters. Many of them are so iDfre-
q uently travelled that these pavements and
cutters would last for ten or fifteen years,
perhaps longer. Not over or 10 per cent
of the blocks really require attention.
But the Street Department is determined
TO provide work for its people. and the fat
has gone forth that citizens who are so
unfortunate as to own lots on these blocks
must put their hands in their pockets TO
pay for improvements which are not now
needed in order that the contractors and
the department bangers-on shall be sure of
work this fall. 1t is an old story.
A San Franciscan who has managed
to save money and to buy himself a home
must reckon not only that he will have to
pay taxes, but that it will devoIve on him
TO support horde Of contra ctOrs and pa
viOrs. In Germany and France the hard
working and thrittycitizsn has TO set aside
from his savings so much every year to
support armies. In San Francisco the
citizen must do the same to falten street
contractors. 1t comes to the same thing
in the end.
If these were flush times. when every
one was making money and people felt
that they could afford to lay out something
to beautify the city, the action of the city
government would not appear so unreaS-
TEN Of premature city Improvements at
time when every one is strained to make
both ends meet, and each householder is
casting about to discover way of saving
a dollar here and a dollar there. seems
outrageous. Wnen these acts in relation
to street improvement were passed by the
Legislature it was supposed that the Board
of Supervisors would exercise wise dis
cretion in not ordering improvements at
time when tie collection of assessments
would involve hardship. The calculation
seems to have been erroneous. The point
of view OF the Street Department is not
what people can afford 10 pay, but how
much the street contractors and the de-
peDden's of the department will require to
live and enjoy the comforts of life. The
citizen is helpless in the departments
hands. If he does not pay the cost of the
Improvement becomes a mortgage on his
property, and sooner or later he runs
fair risk of being improved out of it.
A case is pointed out as illustrating
the working of the System. A widow was
left with no means of support except
house which her husband had bought Just
before his death. Ii is on an unfreousnted
street and happens to be on coraer, with
125 feet fronting on the side street The
Street Department has notified her that
the side street, which was macadamized by
order of the department only two years
ago and is in fair condition, must be paved
with Belgian blocks or the poultice pave
ment. She cannot possibly pay Tor the
improvement. 1t will become a charge on
her house, secured by mortgage. and the
odds are, as SO often happens in such
cases, that the mortgage will be foreclosed
at some period when the real estate mar
ket is dull and there happens to be no buy
ers for such property as hers. She will be
improved out of her property by the
Street Department
Every citizen would like TO sec San
Francisco beautified and endowed with all
the modern improvements. But there
should be discretion in ordering improve
ments which are not necessary. A
judicious Board Of Supervisors will not
choose a season of hard times to impose on
householders taxes which might just as
well be postponed for year or two. The
power TO impose taxes on one class of
citizens for the benefit of another class
would never have been conferred upon the
Supervisors if it had not been supposed
that it would be exercised with judgment
and fOrbearance.