The morning call., 1894-02-17

The Supervisors ara about to let an I'M
p0rtant franchise-that of erecting and
maintaining kiosks along the streets. as
they determine, the kiosks may be NUS
anee and an eyesoIe, garish with hideous
advertisements and obstructive to people
on the sidewalks, or they may be useful
and ornamental. There Is no urgent need
OF them TO sell any small wares. Stores
enough exist for that purpose. paying
taxes, too. As receptacles or store sweep
lngS or dust fIom the Sidewalks, tney
would positively become menace To
health. No trust could be placed In any
contract TO keep the sidewalks clean. AS
soon as the work became expensive or
troublesome it would be shlrked, as has
happened in so many other cases. In
Paris the kiosks are used to sell news
papers. and they are assigned In charltv TO
people ir poor circumstances. Iaat appll-
cation is not contemplated In San fran
cisco. They are to be used 1or gain. and
the city's share is problematleai. The
prospect OF their being things OF beauty Is
not likely to render them JOY forever,
especially if the footpad uses them as
screen.
California and the rest of the Pacific
Coast are to fare rather poorly during this
Congress in the matter of appropriations
for rivers and harbor Improvement 1t is
the old story. There is not sufficient
pressure of. a united and concentrated
character to impress the Legislators who
are returned by the Eastern and Middle
States. In the scramble for public money
these States always get their share how
ever eXtravagaut the proposals may be-
and in the allotment of the remainder
there is curious exhibition of apathy to
genuine needs and a parade OF false econ
ri
the lower reaches than they were In the
days Of the gold fever, and are much worse
In the upper portions. Although all are
susceptible of Iermanent Improvement
for navigation only pottering work is done.
SO with harbOrs. Oakland Is neglected
and San Pedro is ignored in spite of rec
concentrations from successive boards oil
nsineer5. One would almost conclude
that Congress is as indifferent TO the inter-
estS OF California as it is to Japan OF
Kamschatka. Patience is great virtue
but it is somewhat ola trial to inculcaie it
when urgent Improvements are cOolly
passed over
The anarchists in Paris are at their
game of soaring society. If society would
only keep cool and refuse to be scared the
game would not be worth playing 1t is
impossible. of course, 10 guarantee to So
ciety that there will not be such deeds as
those perpetrated by Valiant aud Breton
again enacted, but these occurrences can
not be frequent, ard punishment over
takes the m mIscreaEts and has a deterrent
effect on fnitators. 1t is useless to reason
with these scoundrels. They are actuated
by fanatlcism and disruptiye theories Of
Lille. not by coherent or formative princi-
pies. Their notions that society must be
upheaved and leveled by gunpowder and
dynamite do not admit of compromise or
Iio IN ho
ence of poverty and distress by such meth
DDS is useless. There are mum berlesS
IN which poverty and misery are made
evident, but no one has ever pol ted out
how they may be utterly banished even in
countries the most prosperous. The fact
that guards are mounted al the Elysee in
Paris and that iDfammatory proelama-
tions are being issued shows that trouble
may be brewing, but no one need believe
that it can be general.
A number of immigrants are on their
way to New fork from Sicily They come
from poor country to better their for
tunes i'll a land of promise, aud provided
their character is good and they are not
paupers there is no legal hindrance to
landing The authorities are to make in
vestigation into their anteeeden:s, and
they certainly ought to prevent any of
them from coming ashore who are of bad
character. The need of scrutiny has been
recognized by Congress, but it is one thing
10 have statute on paper AMI another 10
have it enforced. Every reason exists why
at this moment there should be the strict
est care exercised at the ports. As has
been shown in the past steamship comla-
MES are not In the least scrupulous in CIV
ing passage TO any class of immigrants
provided they pay the fares. which from
most of the European countries are low
nFn m NJ s1aa.r
CRATE.
No one remembers such a session OF the
British Parliament as that which is near
ing lis close. If arrangements hold good,
the session will be wound up on February
23, and new session will be commenced
four days afterward. Usually Parliament
only sits seven months Of the year, begin
ming at the end of January or early in
February. and with two intervals of holi-
days at Easter and Whitsuntide. winding
up business in the second or third week in
August The unusual course this session
is due to the bitterness of parties and
downright flibus eriDg. The wealthy
members who are fond of fOX-huntiDg,
grouse and partridge shooting. yachting
ana travel, who keep up style in town and
country, have had all their ordinary plans
and pursuits upset, and are in no amlable
frame OF mind. But mem berS have them
selves to blame. When they cease to be
gentlemen in their behavior they find that
their punishment comes in biting their
own muse off. More than ever the lesson
is being learned that Parliament is no
place for trifing.= AS soon as the neees-
sary minimum of business can be disposed
OF LIS the coming session there Will prob
ably be all appeal to the country, and then
the electors must make their purpose
known, as everybody hopes. decisively.
The Bering Sea adjustment has brokne
out in fresh spot. negotiations are 60
ing on between the United States and
Great Britain with view to rendering
the policing of the seal waters effective.
No penalty has been provided whereby
the poschers can be convinced of their
wiekedness in exterminating the seal. 1t
is not even permissible to paint skull
and crossbones in black on the stern of
the offending craft. Great Britain has
been appealed to on the matter. but as
something wanted 1t wants something
l