The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-29
ASHWORTH IS DEREL|CT.
He Is Charged With Seriously
NegleCting His Plain
Duty.
COMPLAINTS OF TAXPAYERS
No Attempt to Abate a Nuisance
That Is Considered Danger
Gus to Health.

Superintendent of the Streets Ashworth
has drawn upon himself the deep indigna-
ton of the property-holders in the neigh
borhood of Mission street and Eugene
avenue by his refusal to pay any attention
to the complaints made to him of the con-
dltion of the lot and sidewalks at the
northeast corner of those streets.
A short time ago q house was moved
upon this lot, and no measures were taken
to remove the slough of sewage that had
accumulated from an abandoned well and
two vaults. In placing the present house
in the lot an excavation was made con-
slderably below the level of the street, and
the dirt thrown out upon the sidewalks on
both Mission street and Eugene avenue to
the depth of from one to three feet in such
way as to form hillocks, which make
travel in the day very inconvenient, and in
the night absolutely dangerous. The
sewage has percolated underneath the
house and made the lower floor of it unin-
habitable, and has also oozed out upon the
Mission street sidewalk, so that it has be-
come most disagreeable nuisance to the
passer-by and menace to the health of
the nelghboring residents.
The attention of Superintendent Ash
matter, so the property -owners Whereabouts
state, but no action was taken by him to
remedy the evil.
AS final resort letter, signed by about
dozen of the neighbors, was sent to
Mayor Sutro, and he deputized George T..
Gaden to visit the place and report to him.
MI. Gaden made an inspection of the
worse than he had expected. He is now
preparing his report, and will present it to
the Mayor on Monday.
When Mr.. Gaden was asked yesterday
whip it was necessary for him to have made
an investigation of a matter which was so
clearly within the domain of the Street De-
partment, he answered:
I was simply acting for the Mayor. When
people can get no satisfaction from the head of
any department of the City government, they
naturally go to the head of the administra ton.
Mayor Sutro, having no time to look after a
matter OF this kind personally, placed it in my
hands to investigate and report. AS soon as
turn over my report it will be forwarded to
Superintendent Ashworth, with, however, the
usual result, fear, OF being totally ignored.
orally so treated by the Superintendent of
Streets, who evidently feels himself unamen-
able TO the control of the Mayor, or for that
matter to any other authority
l have known him to bring warrants to the
Mayor Tor the latters counter-signature and
demand that they be signed without his stat
Ing what they were for. He claimed that the
Mayors signature was simply an attestation OF
his own, and that IL was none of the Mayors
business what the City's money was being paid
for.
Mayor Sutro, however, takes au entirely diff
ferent view Of his responsibility in these
matters, and will sign no warrant unless he
knows for what it is given.
This stand on Mayor Sutro' part has aroused
a strong antagonism in Mr.. Ashworth and con.
sequenty the Mayors recommendations and
suggestions are unlikely to meet anything like
favorable consideration in the Street Depart
ment.
superintendent Ashworth has evidently
come to consider himself an authority unto
himself, and has even gone so far as to attempt
to change specifications for street work adopted
by the Street Committee of the Board of Super.
visors and given to him to carry out.