The morning call., 1894-09-21
Business Men Assembled
Discuss Them.
IMPROVING THE STREETS.
OpeEing ThOroughfares to the
Water Front.
SALE OF THE CITY HALL PARK.
1t Is Bitterly Opposed by Representa-.
tive CitiZens-0ther Meet
ingS to Be Held.

OAKLAND.-On but few occasions re-
corded in the history of the city of Oak
land has a more thoroughly representa-
tive body OF her business men gathered
toget her TO discuss her crying needs than
asse mbled last night in the cOun Gil cham
Der OF the City Hall. The scope of the
meeting was large. and the subjects dis
cussed, which certainly mean much TO pos
terity, were:
First-The advisability of opening Wash
ington street through to San Pablo; the
selling off Of the remains of the City Hall
Park, and with the proceeds therefrOm
purchasing a larger central site and erect
ing thereon new City Hall and Public
Library, and applying whatever surplus
there may be 10 the purchase of public
park in the outskirts of the city.
Secoad-The advisability of the city con-
tinuIng the improvements already under
way on Lake View avenue, from where
they now terminals at Newton Point 10
the intersection of Perry street, at tue
head of Lake Merritt. which when CON-
pleted will give a continuous boulevard of
some two miles and more around the lake
from Twelfth street to Broadway, a pleas
ure drive free from all street or steamcar
interruption for the entire distance.
u ucNiS6 WAYS anu means, Dy
general cooperation of the citizens, 10
secure the speedy completion of The com
peting Terry and overland railroad, AS cuu-
! templated by the Oakland Terminal Com
pany.
FOurth-The importance of the CITY
Council ordering the Immediate opening
OF certain streets to the water front and
| the building OF wharves and warehouses
thereon. also the putting in thorough re-
pair the main thoroughfareS of the city
leading from the center to the outlying
| districts. Not great deal was accom-
pllshed. but what little there was is n good
promise for greater thiogS in the future
DEVELOPMENT of tue city.
Then, too, the meeting brought out all
sorts OF men. There was the man who
would consent to no improvement unless
| II meant dollars for his Golfers. There was
the man who could not see the slightest
necessity Tor any great expenditure OF
public money, and there were also many
men who, putting aside all Sordid motives,
spoke for that which will beautlfy the
city anu make itgreat and a pleasant abode
| 10T generations yet unborn. In regard to
! Inc proposition OF opening Washington
street. there were mary conflicting opin-
| Ions, but those who favored 1t nnally won
the day by securing the passage of a resO.
luton TO the effect that IL was The sense of
the meeting that Washington street shall
be extended through the city property to
San Pablo avenue, and that q district
shall be created to bear the expense to
reimburse the city of the cost of opening
The project of selling the City Hall Par K
was denounced by ex-Councilman Nc
Don aid as a scheme OF real estate agents
which has been voted down by every
council for many years past and which
would be voted down. he hoped, Oy every
city council for many years to come.
Timothy l.. Barker. capitalist and Re
publi'an nominee for Mayor. iudorsed
McDoDald's views. He said there is no
necessity for selling the property. That
what is good SPECULATION for real estate
agents is good speculation for the city,
and he told how San Francisco had sold
for 81, 100000 a part of its city hall park
that could not now be purchased for
100000.
This placed V. S. Northey i a verv de-
mandatory vein. He said that old men
like the last speaker had retarded the
promised progress of the city for MANY
years. Not another city in lie Union"
said he, mas been hampered or tied up by
such a set of old fogies as Oakland, and /
should like to have the happiness to al
tend half dozen first-class funerals"
He then went on to advocate every In
proyement he could call TO mind.
John =. Irish, who lives ON the Oakland
marsh, was present to advocate that that
pest hole be Transformed into a park, and a
large mum Der oil the gentlemen present
supported him. Incidentally he had n
little tilt with Hugh Cameron, who wants
the park located at a spar on the shore of
| Lake Merritt, where, he said, there are a
hundred live oak trees. Irish snuffed con-
temptuously and remarked: There's only
| about fourteen scrub oaks there"
That's fourteen more than there are on
| the marsh retOrted Cameron, and every
body laughed except Irish who said some
thing about real estate agents who wanted
TO get out of the country, buy up acres and
sell lots.
Among the other speakers who all said
| omethlng good from their different points
of view were w. A. SagehorD, L. ID. ms
keep. a. j. Snider, j.. NJ. Bassett, E. C.
| Sessions, Amos Roberts, W. E. Barn ard.
a. a. DenniSOn. +. NJ. Campbell, J. A. c.
Macdonald and A. ID. Pryal. L. j. Prin-
gle presided and L. B. Pomroy acted as
secretary.
Another meeting will be held on Mon
day evening when the discussion will be
| on resolution providing that the unem-
plOyed shall be given work on the bouie-
ward during the winter and that per cent
on every 500 of the lax levy be placed in
fund 10 pay for the same. Also to re-
quest the Mayor to name 10 free-holders
and to discuss all other matters pertaining
to public improvements. An advisory
committee consisting of three representa-
lives for every ward Will be appointed by
Chairman PringIe. 1t will be their duty
to suggest WAYS and means