The San Francisco call., 1895-11-25
The TROUBLE OVER LICENSES
Lawyers Want Clubrooms for the
Newly organized Law Asso-
citation.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI
oOS Broadway. Nov, "a

were willing to shoulder the responsibility
Of leadership. The meeting adjourned to
the call of the chair and never met again.
Oakland has no press club, and, it is safe
10 say, ne7er will have one.
There is probably not another town of
its size where there is more competition
and less cordiality among journalists than
in Oakland. The basis for this is not to be
found in the individuals, but is due to the
spirit of political opposition that has been
fostered among the local newspapers for
the last ten years. This spirit seems to
descend from proprietor to reporter. and |
although the keenest rivalry exists be-
tween the correspondents of the metropol-
itan papers, all of them, without excep- |
ton, are graduates of the Oakland school. |
and the spirit of their early training still |
lives. Men who have entered the larger |
fields of work across the bay, and there |
are dozens Of them. have proved to be the |
most agreeable Of club men, and have not |
impaired their usefulness by being affable. |
But in Oakland things are different. Each |
newspaper man is world to himself and SO |
distinctly is the line of demarkation drawn |
that there is a standing joke that the tres |
passer has committed the objectionable |
sin. There are about thirty reporters in
Oakland, and to insure harmony would re-
quire thirty press clubs.
A little story was made public this week
that ex-President f. W. Leavitt of the
Alameda County Law Association refused
10 affirm or deny, so it is very probably
true. About three months ago Frank
Leavitt was very anxious to boost the
County Law Association into very promi-
nent place iG the estimation OF the public.
Like a good officer he wanted every body
1.D, ,af9af nc Qyr hn6U "
out of it, to know that there was such a
body. He told his friends that he was
thinking OF q scheme ana no more was
heard of it.
A few days after President Leavitt |
started to think a young lady applied for
admission to the law association. 1t was
during the height of the new-woman craze
and all the newspapers took up the idea
and made feature of It. The eyes of the
State were suddenly turned to the Ala
media County Law Association. Wha
would they do? Would they admit a
lady?
Like young lawyers the members saw
that nothing was to be gained by smother
ing an accusation that was producing
about eight columns day of illustrated
advertising free, so they continued the
case a few times. They must amend the |
constitution, and that took weeks. During /
the interval the young lady appeared at !
the meeting and argued that as there was |
nothing about sex in the constitution, and |
being a law student, she demanded admit |
tance. That was another sensation and
resulted in more publicity. Finally the
lady Withdrew her application, but the as
socIatlOn had been doomed into proml-
nence, and has since fourished like a
green bay tree.
At last Wednesdays meeting the mem
bers broached the idea of having ample
clubrOOms uptown instead OF meeting In
the law library. 1t will require some
funds, and the law business is not particu-
larly lucrative Just now, but If the think
ing-caps OF Frank Leavitt and few others
are donned, the result may be surprise
10 the siluTian element.
License Inspector Mitchell entered on
larger field OF work than he bargained for
when he attempted to collect license fees
for church entertainments. If the present
work go on the revenue derived from
licenses will be so much greater than was
estimated that the dollar tax levy will
probably be found sufficient. When the
churches were taxed the mem bers called
the attention of the license man to the
many spiritualistic meetings at which col
lections were taken up every Sunday.
These in turn referred the collector to
others, and now he is being either sought
out or avoided by everybody In town. 1t
is very likely that there will soon be
modification of the ordinance, as the words
"place of entertainment" admit OF very
broad Interpretation. 1t is of interest to
note also that there is at this time an ordi-
nance pending abollshing the office of
License Inspector, which stands about
equal chances with the Council.
Mr.. Mitchell is in a very uncomfortable
position. The argument has been made to
the Council that the police officers can do
the work and save his salary. The inspec-
tor is trying to prove that his efforts to
carry out the ordinance are producing
more revenue than his salary, and every
effort he makes adds one TO the list of
those who would like the Office abolished. !
If he retains his Job lIe will prove himself
very able politician. Although the ordi-
nance is an old one it was never enforced
till few months ago and this is advanced
DIV Mitchellis friends as evidence that
po.ice officers would never do the work.
As Oakland is a city of church people, en-
tertainers, spirituaiists and politicians the
outcome cannot be very well foreseen.
1t seems very probable that the High
School Athletic Team will not go East
next summer. Principal McChesney's
letter to the Board of Education was Just
what might have been expected from so
experienced an educator. He argues that
the excitement caused and the time that
will be consumed will tend to upset the
years studies of the team. and although
the, board does not want to oppose the
boys, the majority of them are not in favor
of the trip One of the most sensible
selections that could be made on the High |
School Committee was Director Myra |
Knox and if the boys are persuaded to
abandon the trip it will be largely owing |
10 her efforts. 1--WE have got to persuade |
the boys that we are not opposed to ath- |
letics, but that it is not an advisable thing |
for them to do. l have talked with the |
boys and / find them all sensible. | think |
We can show them that it will be better for |
them not to go. OF course We cannot com
pei them not to go as we have no such |
Jurisdiction. but we can advise them, and
have great faith in their good sense. 1t
will be bitter disappointment to them,
but l guess they are made of too sturdy
stock to lose heart for long" If the boys
intend to go, they cannot be restrained by
their teachers or by the Board OF Educa-
tion, but as it will cost about $1,000 to
make the trip, it is hardly likely that such
sum can be raised when ii is known that
the teachers do not think the scheme ad-
visable S. w. b.
AIameda,a Rect Industry.