The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-19
The. Secret of Why Assessor
DaIton's Investigation
a.. Closed Hastily.
POLITICS IN THE DUMPS.
.OaKland's Midnight EVIL Is Rapidly
=. Increasing-Mis Lewis
@: Death.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANorsco CALL

SUS Broadway, August Is. J
-Four. weeks ago it was stated in this
column of THE CALL that Assessor Dalton
would most certainly be ordered to Sacra-
nento to show, cause why his assessment
:of Alameda County was not more honest.
That.is the. language used by Mr.. More
house: Thursday last Mr.. Dalton was put
through the ordeal, and presumably Mr..
:MorehoQse was satisfied. He attempted TO
show that Mr.. Dalton had not taxed mort
'gages: to, their full value, but he had
nOthihg to say about corporation assess
ments which the Supervisors cut in half,
by. direction of the same Mr.. Morehouse,
few weeks previously.
. Now. q story is told that shows why Mr..
Dalton's trial was not carried further. Mr..
MorehoGse is a banker in San Leandro as
WELL as a:State Equalizer. His bank carries
many mortgages. He has mortgages on
one newspaper plant in Alameda Co unity,
The list of mortgages that ex-Assessor
Leckie was kind enough to suggest for ex-
animation did not include any of those
-heEd..by Mr.. Warehouses bank. When
tile Investigation" had gone to a certain
ppint Mr.. Dalton was prepared to defend
his assessment with certain facts that
say, "Y GU know that of your own personal
knowledge, Mr.. Morehouse.",
: But the equalizer from this district did
not intend TO be placed in any such pre-
dicament. 1t was evident that the San
LeandrO banker detected some straw in
Mr. Dalton's answers that showed which
way the wind was blowing, and having
done so he sheered off the course and
speedily anchored the whole proceeding.
Those who profess to know have told me
since Thursday that the State Board will
not raise Alameda County, or if they do it
will be such a small raise that nobody will
care much. Indeed, some such action is
expected. The reason advanced for this
statement is thoroughly in keeping with
the past political history OF this county.
Mr.. Dalton was elected for four years and
has not yet completed the first. 1t is very
ev3dent.that an attempt is to be made by
the railroad to ruin him politically, If pos
sible: :. The question naturally arises-is it
good policy 10 do it this early in his career
and risk the inevitable reaction of railroad
opposition, which would develop when he
again comes before the public three years
heyce?; The. only manner in which Mr..
M9rehouse could help this policy would be
TO largely increase the assessment of the
whole county and lay the blame on Mr..
Dalton
But the price of this coup would come
very high. For four years the railroad and
incidentally the mortgages held by the
banks, including that of San Leandro,
would be compelled to pay the increased
rate: Of taxes. Such a game would be
hardly. worth the candle and for these rea-
sons Mr.. Dalton's friends feel that he has
nothing to fear till his last investigation
by the State Board of Equalization prior to
the expiration of his present term.
az - @bo 81
Health fora garbage crematory one of the
Councilmen said this week, 1.-THE whole
thing is a Job" 1t would seem that the
Councilman spoke the truth for the divid-
ing line between the hackers and oppo-
merits of the scheme is so clearly drawn
that it is exactly parallel to the line be-
tween the supporters of the Mayor and his
opponents But while this fact would not
necessarily constitute "a Job as the term
is understood in Oakland politics, it does
show that party feeling has actually crept
in where any sane person would fear to
tread-a1nong the garbage dumps.
The question of disposing of the garbage |
of this City is one of great and pressing
importance and there seems to be no doubt, |
afterall the arguments before the Council,
that a crematery is the only method of
permanently settling the question which
so greatly concerns the city's health. The
only difficulty in the matter is its political
aspect. do not believe there is a Council
man in Oakland but what believes that
crematory is the best and, practically, the
only method of disposing of the garbage.
Most of them have so expressed them
selves in private. But here comes the rub.
Mayor Davie and eight of the Council have
no love for each other, and the eight have
on several occasions vetoed the signature
of the executive. Now comes the Board
of Health, appointed mostly by Mayor
Davie, and demands a crematory by
with arrest any,scavenger who
dumps garbage within the city limits.
They. are supported by the Mayor and his
"Old Pard'' Bassett Council
men Heitmann and Brosnahan also favor
the scheme, and there its present support
ends.
One more interesting detail enters into
this political farce. Ex-Chief of Police
appears before the Council and
advocates an odorless crematory. If his
agreement. be put in writing that be made
verbally, there would be no risk to the city
unless the affair was an absolute success.
This scheme, the Board of Health argues,
should certainly please the eight Council
men. But the eight Councilmen take a
very different view of the case. They know
that Mayor Davie is firm political friend
of Mr.. Schaffer's and has protested We
hementIy against his removal from Office,
and they declare the Mayor is using his
Board Of Health TO help Schaffer get a
SIC, 600 contract for crematory. Bassett,
oAeourse, sides with Davie; Hoffman and
Brosnahan are remnants of the old ring
and are regarded by the eight as political
Ishmaelites, who are opposed to the ma
forty on general principles. This is the
that. caused one member of the
eight to say. "The whole thing is job.
The shooting of Miss Jennie Lewis has
brought into prominence a question that
has long been discussed sub rosa in Oak
land. but which Chief of Police Lloyd will
do well to look after. Miss Lewis be-
longed to that class of young women who
number many hundreds in Oakland and
who find in. this city all the quasi-moral
they desire. The murder
Of the young'girl is not the sacrifice of viz
tue to yiciousness, but is rather the ineyi-
table result OF manner of living that
exists in Oakland more literally than in
most places, and in saying this I am
quoting from conversation with one of
the oldest captains of police. He also said