The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07
IS INDIGNANT.
Says Some Very Caustic Things
About the Mayor and His
Expert.
Intimates That His Honor Is Not
Well Posted on the Ordinances
of the City.

Superintendent of Streets Ashworth is
| very indignant over some structures that
were laid upon him by George T. Gaden
the Mayors expert, few days ago in an
interview published in THE CALL. Mr.
Gaden charged the Superintendent with a
plain neglect of DUTY with regard to lot
and sidewalks at the corner of Mission
street and Eugenia avenue, which were
| said to be in bad condition, but neglected
! by the Street Department, although mott.
| fed OF it.
Mr.. Ashworth, speaking of the matter
| yesterday, said:
1.-THE statements of Mr.. Gaden are based
upon willful and malicious perversion oil
facts as well as upon an inexcusable ignor-
ance of public proceedings.
at is quite evident that the article in
question was inspired for the purpose oil
exploding sensation, but unfortunately
for the schemers the facts incident to the
matter place them in anything but an
enviable plight and serve to show to what
despicable means thwarted knaves will
resort when they have been driven into
their last ditch.
"In the month of February my attention
was directed to the condition of these side
walks, whereupon a notification was sent
from my office"
Here he produced his letter-book and
read the following:
OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS
AND PUBLIC HIGHWAYS
OF SAN FRANCISCO, CAL
NEW CITY HALL, Feb. 81, 1898.
NJ. c. HasseH Esq, Attorney-dt-LaU, Pheldn
building, Ctty-DEAR SIR: 1 have been in
formed that You have charge of the property
Mission nia
streets
Ny district deputy has been unable to find
the owners of the said property, in order to
notify them to forthwith remove the debris
from the sidewalks in front thereof and put
down proper sidewalks.
The condition of the sidewalk since the NOV
Ing OF the houses back therefrom has existed as
public nuisance, and am determined to
take such. measures as may be required to
abate it.. lam now preparing a recommends
ton to the Board of Supervisors to have the
sidewalk aforementioned graded to the official
grade, and plank sidewalks constructed in
front OF the property both on Mission street
and on Eugenia street.
By performing this required work ilnmedi-
ately, the additional expense of having the
same done nnder publicly awarded contract
may be avoided, and for the purpose of making
tention respecting the matter. Yours respect
fully, THOMAS AsHwoRTH,
Superintendent of Public Streets, Highways
(signed) Per J. B. GARLAND, Deputy.
GA reasonab BILE period of time having
elapsed and an evident disregard of the
foregoing notification having been mani
tested" continued Mr.. Ashworth, 81 SUBJ
mitted recommendation to the Board of
Supervisors on April 20, 1895, to have the
required work performed pursuant to the
provisions of the street law.
"On April %, 1895, the board passed a
resolution of intention, No. 12172 (third
series) to have said work done.
The statutory time for a protest having
elapsed, the said board On June 10, 1895,
passed resolution No. 12443 (third series)
ordering the work to be done.
''The notice with specifications calling
for bids was posted June %, 1895.
"How these proceedings came to be
overlooked by Mr.. Gaden, whose master is
cannot understand
"The fact itself sufficiently demonstrates
how useful such an appendage as Mr..
Gaden is to the Mayors Office.
every citizen of common intelligence
knows that the jurisdiction of the Street
Department is by law confined to the
streets, from property line to property
pointed out by Mr. Gaden, such as the
abandoned well and the two vaults COM
planned of, is clearly within the jurisdic-
ton of the Board of Health, of which his
Honor, the Mayor, is president.
However, such ignorance on his part
may charitably be attributed to the fact
that he has not been a member of the COM
munity sufficiently long to familiarize
himself with municipal regulations.
cit seems to me that it is about time
that Mayor Sutro would call this alleged
'reformer' to a halt, and thereby remove
the generally accepted impression that he
is being used as puppet by his Hessian.
81 am ever ready and willing to give
prompt and proper attention respecting
any matter within my Jurisdiction prop
erly brought before me by the citizens of
Mayor Sutro.
s'The scope of my authority and duty is
defined by statute, and any assumption of
that authority and duty by any other
statutory official, whose authority and
duty are also clearly and Enthusiastically
defined, will he received with the an
tagonism which Mr.. Gaden allude. to, and
properly so.
II speak thus since Gaden states that he
is acting for the Mayor, and presumably
with his sanction, otherwise / would not
regard Gaden of sufficient consequence to
pay any heed to any statements made by
him. but dismiss them from consideration
as being emanations from an irresponsible
and unreliable source.
NAV PiOHiioSo lCpOII LAS uOJ yet
reached my office, for the reason possibly
that Gaden has since discovered that he
has been barking up the wrong tree
Yesterday my chief deputy, Mr.. Dono-
van, called at the neighborhood COM
planned of and the citizens were indignant
that they were so fmisrep presented by Mr..
Gaden, and they also state that the COM
plaintwas in regard to the unhealthy con-
dition of the place, and called the attention
of Mayor SutrO to the matter as president
of the Board of Health, and only incident
ally referred to the sidewalks, and are sat-
listed that the Superintendent of Streets
performed his duty, and want the Mayor
to do his as president of the Board of
Health"
Twenty per cent of the business men OF
$1,000; 80 per cent have from $1,000 to $1O,-
600; 25 per cent transact business with a
capital of from $4,000 to 500, 600; 4s per
cent have capital of between $1O0, 900 and