The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-31
a SPLENDID RECORD.

The reports made by the Merchants AS
ISOLATION at its first annual meeting, held
last Wednesday, set forth the associations
achievements SO modestly that their full
value to the City is likely to be underesti-
mated except by those who have particular
reason for knowing the whole truth. The
| association was formed at a time of I'M
usually great depression, when business
was dull and money scarce, and after the
| merchants had been already SO generous in
the fund for giving employment at the
| park to a thousand needy men. The Or
ganization OF the association under these
depressing circumstances was a conspicu-
Gus act of enterprise and was the inspira-
ton and beginning of the great popular
movement for progress and reform that is
now sweeping the entire State.
The self-imposed function of the associa-
ton has been comparatively narrow in its
scope, and perhaps that fact, as well as the
fine energy and ability of its members, &C
counts for the perfect success of its under
taking. This, in the main, has been TO
keep the streets clean-not a very high
sounding task nor one in which there could
be much hurrahing and brassbanding, but
one which constitutes the first essential in
the progress and prosperity of city. The
association has shown US not only how adj
vantageous it is to have clean streets, but
also how best the work can be done. For
its other and more ambitious undertakings
every one of which has been conducted
with success, it deserves equally generous
credit.
calr IL
streets at heavy expense to themselves,
the merchants now ask that the munich
pality relieve it OF further private burdens
in the premises and make provision for a
public expenditure for sweeping and
sprinkling. There is not citizen worthy
of the name who does not give this propo-
sition full support.
That the Half-miIlion Club is earnestly
in sympathy with the Merchants Associa-
ton is most encouraging. The purposes of
this club are very different from those of
the association, but it is clear that the
best work of each is to be done with the
strong cooperation of the other. There is
still another organization, the Manufac-
turers' and Producers Association, which
with the two others completes the trinity
of forces whose energies are being devoted
to the upbuilding of the City. Working
on still different but none the less i'm
portant lines are the Civic Federation and
other similar organizations looking to the
publication of municipal politics and the
education of the people up to proper un-
| Outstanding of the value OF decent politics
in the management of the City's affairs.
Such iuncture of earnest forces and
admirable purposes has never before ex-
| listed in San Francisco, and accordingly the
| hope for better times and a more whole.
some city has never been SO high. As the
| organization of our best men and women for
| these purposes is merely collective mani
| festation of individual pride, we shall in
| evitably see many exhibitions of private
| enterprise. The collective form of express
| sion was the proper and natural beginning.
Out of it grow mutual support and encour-
agement, and these elements will radiate
from their centers of activity and in good
| time include all who are worthy of the
benefits which well-managed city bestows.