The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-17
WILL GET GOOD STREETS.
The Agitation for Better Pave
ments Is Gradually
Perfecting.
MEETING OF THE MERCHANTS.
Permanent Organizations to Be
Formed With This Object !"
In View.

The agitation for good streets aud
smooth payements, so well commenced by
the wheeImen of the City, is growing more
extensive as the days pass. AS il increases
ii becomes more evident that the agitation
is being made at q most opportune time
The Merchants Association, which viii
hold its annual meeting on May %, has
had the question under consideration in
one form or another ever since its organ
ization, and the intention was to breach
the subject ct the meeting anyway. The
recent agitation has, however, increased
the interest in street Improvement 10 such
an extent that the matter will be brought
before the meeting much more fully and
IN more detail than was at first intended.
In addition to that, the Folsom-street I'm
proyement Club hiss. Just commenced its
movem ent toward securing q bituminous
pavement on Folsom street, from the
wharyes to Twenty-si1th street, thing Of
vital Importance re 81 wheelmen in the
south side, and all whose business or
pleasure takes them down toward San
Mateo- There is accordingly material for
strong and influential organization in
that section OF the City, which can: easily
De made prominent In order 10 cooperate
with other prominent bodies which have
the improvement and the identifying of
the streets as their principal object. !.
There is also the local division oil the
League of American Wheelmel, which has
taken up the subject OF pavement, and the
local branch OF the Associated Cycling
Clubs, which together represent over 90 per
cent Of the Citys cyclists. These are going
to cali a meeting OF wheelmen. attached
and unattached, where 3 full discussion OF
the subject will. be gone into and some
kind OF permanent Organization effected.
With all these forces working together it
viii be strange If something Is not done
very soon TO procure some kind of. i'm
proyements in the streets, "
The most important step which viii be
taken IN the agitation will be the meeting
OF the Merchants Association. At that
meeting three distinct phases Of the street
question viii be presented First will be
submitted the question, .tShall the street.
sweeping: contracts now existing be re-
newed 2" In other words, "Wi1 the peo-
pie retain the men who are now attending
10 the streets or will they go back 10 the
old method OF the machines ~ The second
question viii be as TO whether or not the
City should pay Tor sprinkling, and then
viii be presented the vital question, What
can be done to improve the San Francisco
II has been decided TO invite the City
officials. the Half-million Club, the Cham
Der of Commerce, the Board Of Trade, the
Good Government Club and all citizens
who are interested in the question OF
streets: and payements. The bicycle clubs
viii also be invited TO send representatives
and the entire membership Of the Mer-
chants Association viii be there. II Is
hoped to make il one of the biggest reform
meetings held in this City in years
| There viii be papers read upon. the sub
/ iect Of payements and the question viii be
| discussed by those who have studied the
subject from scientific as well as q prac-
OF the Merchants Association, Is now pre-
pairing some statistics which he viii pre-
sent TO the meeting. The result of the
discussion, it Is hoped, will be the selec-
ton OF some OF the apparently most salts
factory payements and these can be tried
upon the streets. In this work the Mer-
chants Association will assist financially
II necessary.
The big parade, which viii take place
under the auspices of the Folsom-street
agitators for good payements, will be the
first demonstration OF the wheelmen, and
every effort viii be made TO have turn
out which viii give the public some idea of
viii be informed by b. r Nelrose. chief
consul of the League of American Wheel
men in this State, possibly through the
mail, certainly through the press, to bring
as many members TO the place of rendez-
vous as possible, in order to give the people
little object lesson. The League Of
American Wheelmen viii then show their
hand. A meeting of the officers OF the
local division was held yesterday afternoon
and it was then decided 10 call big mass
meeting of wheefmen within the next two
weeks and after discussing. the subject
thoroughly 10 effect q, permanent wheel
men organization whose sole object viii
be 20 secure and TO have maintained de-
cent payements on San Francisco neg
lected streets:
Then will come the big meeting OF the
Merchants Association. which every one
will attend. After that the permanent or
CARNATIONS which viii be formed viii take.
up the WORK suggested by experience and
Investigation and all these forces viii work
together 70 the one end. It viii be strange
IL they do not achieve IL