The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-26
TO Guido Los ANGELES,
Petition to Be Circulated for
Forming a County of
Oakland.
BACKED BY BIG TAXPAYERS.
The Scheme Said to Be Necessary to
Avoid the Expense of Two
Governments.
BACKED BY BIG TAXPAYERS.
!; OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL, !

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI
sos Broadway, Dec. 25. {
Petitions are now being prepared for
circulation throughout the county to COM
pei the Supervisors to call special cleo
ton to settle the question of the division
OF Alameda County and to form the city
and county of Oakland The question
was renewed by a paper read at the expo
siron last week by f. R. Porter of Echoes,
and many of the statements made APP
pealed so strongly to the large taxpayers
of the county that they at once took hold
OF the matter in earnest. They are meet
ing with warm support from the many
taxpayers who live in San Francisco, and
who have to make settlements twice a
year with both the city and county on this
side of the bay.
The purpose of the present petition is TO
have the county seat removed from Oak
land to Niles or Haywards. This done
the matter OF the consolidation of the city
and county OF Oakland will be pressed so
as to have it il shape TO present to the
electors next November.
1t is proposed that the new city and
county OF Oakland will be composed OF
Oakland and Berkeley townships and the
district between the Fruitvale boundary
line and San Leandro Creek. This will
leave out Alameda and, as the present
law forbids one county seat from being
nearer than eight miles TO another, the
Encinal City would then be unable
to have the county seat. This, of course.
would cause a solid vote from Alameda
against both propositions. The recent ac-
tivity shown by the heaviest taxpayers in
the expenditure of taxes has convinced
them that about one-third of all public
whose services could be dispensed with to
the great benefit of the community at
large.
The present Board of Supervisors is COM
posed OF five men, and one of them, Super
visor Bailey OF Livermore, represents nearly
all of the county outside the proposed city
and county OF Oakland. This has always
been a source of much discomfort TO resi-
dents of the interior of the county who
have to come to Oakland TO transact bust
ness.
The great secret underlying the present
movement is to place Oakland above Los
Angeles in point of population and terri
tory, and to use this as a means OF trying
to prevent Los Angeles holding her posi-
tion as the second city in the State.
Under the new scheme the population of
the city and county of Oakland wonld be
about $4,000, and there would be ample
territory to support 10000 more.
1t has been figured by statisticians that
Oakland can be run on one-half the taxes
that are now being paid, and that only by
this method Will any public work be
undertaken.
Oakiand's municipal government is at
present carried on IN barnlike structure
that was partly destroyed by fire nearly
twenty years ago, and the first move after
the consolidation would be to erect q large
municipal building that would supply the
H1 ~ hn oft nd
years.
It is not generally known that the fol-
lowing resolution was passed by the City
Council one year ago:
ResoEred, by the City Council of Oakland {:
That the best interests of this community and
adjacent communities will be subserved by
the creation OF city and county of Oakland,
to be composed OF Alameda, Brooklyn and
Oakland townships, and such other territory
ii may be deemed advisable to include
herewith, ard that, TO promote this under
taxing. we favor the division OF Alameda
County at the earliest opportunity.
Is still Living.
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 25.-John R.
Perkins, who was shot by Albert Merzen-
mayer last night, is still at the Receivirg
Hospital. His condition is still precarious
on account of frequent hemorrhages
Merzenmayer, who was intoxicated and
did not know at whom he was shooting
Run Down by Train.
OAKLAND, CAL, dec. 25.-Thomas
Thomson, who IS IS Years OF age, was cross
ing the narrow-gauge track tonight, when
the train struck him and fractured his
ankle. He has no other injuries. The ac-
cident occurred at the ticket station at
Seventh and Webster streets.
The Exposition.
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 25.-National
Guaro Companies \, and G will hold the
boards at the exposition tomorrow night.
They viii have q street march and fine
scenes from camp life on the platform.
The Oakland Mandolin CLUB will be pres
ent.
Accused 1Turderers Baifed.
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 25.-All the three
men who were held to answer yesterday
for the murder of Felice Varni in the San
Leandro hills were admitted TO bail to-day
Their friends came forward with accept
able bonds.