The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-06
He SCORED THE CROAKERS.
Auditor BroderiCk Points Out
the Signs of Advance
ment.
NO SYMPATHY FOR SILURTANs
Wherein San Francfsco'S Develop
ment ExcelS That of
Other Cities.

Auditor Broderick was in a talkative
| mood yesterday and devoted an hour to
the criticism of croakers and cranks, for
| eign and local, who esteem it their espe-
cial privilege to run down San Francisco,
her people and their tastes, and everything
| pertaining to the development of the great
western metropolis.
"I can stand good deal from foreigners
like the prig Kipling, who came here and
after accepting our hospitality went away
safe distance and called US barbarians
and savages," began the Auditor; "but
when some of our own people begin to
cast their slurs on our City and its advance
ment cry hold, and will call their atten-
ton to few facts with which they are
most likely not familiar.
eve are all aware in general way of
the great advance made during the last
few years toward an ideal modern metrop-
oils, but doubt if many are familiar in
detail with the extent of our latter-day de-
| velopment. own that I was not until a
short time ago, when | had occasion to
look up certain statistics; and, as you
know, l should be in position to better
acquaint myself with such matters than
| those who have nothing to do with the
handling of municipal and county affairs.
ITO be sure, we are involved in a tenn
| porary financial embarrassment at present,
but that has nothing to do with the criti-
cisms made by the croakers on our de-
velopment as a municipality.
"Why, the bonded Indebtedness of the
City is nominally wiped out. In two years
hence it will be; and what city of 3O0,0 600
inhabitants can show the same record?
''In 1851 the taxable property was ST.
600 with tax levy of only one dollar On
the hundred.
"But in no better way can the solid
moral and prosperous advancement of a
city be shown than by an enumeration of
her institutions, educational, religious and
financial, not to forget her manufactures.
"At present we have one hundred
commercial banks and fourteen saw
ings and loan institutions. Our school
system is as good as any in the
land. We have seventy-fve school build
ings, with an average attendance of fifty
| thousand pupils, and can show sixtytwo
thousand children of school age. This.is
quite an advance since 1849 when ]. G. Pei
ton opened school at his own expense,
starting the first day with only three
pupils. Judge Louderback was one of
those pupils.
"Many of our pioneer residents will re-
call that the old school used to be in the
Baptist Church building on Washington
street. Beside our public schools there are
the night schools for apprentices. The ex-
pense of the school system is about 81, OOO,-
| 600. Then we have seven medical colleges,
| the same number of business colleges and
| one devoted to the law.
SIN the matter of public charities we are
| not deficient. Our hospitals number ten all
| told, two charitable, too free, four self-sus-
taing, besides two pestilential.
| "Take a glance, too, at our social organl-
cations; including the fraternal societies,
they number 365. The religious and
benevolent societies aggregate about 100.
| What showing is this? Can any of the
croakers name city of the same popula-
! ton that can hold candle to US? / doubt
| it.
1--WE have also one of the finest street
| railway systems in the world, with twenty
| five corporate lines and over 140 miles of
| tracks. Our manufacturing institutions of
every sort number ITO and give employ
| ment to %, 900 men, women and children.
| "Neither are we behind when it comes to
| the professions. Our medical practitioners
number $50 and the lawyers over HOO.
| "Among the public works l suppose
might be mentioned our admirable fire IA
| cilities. The system is finely equipped
and includes forty-three companies. But
chiefest among our institutions of pride is
our public library. Foreigners, who have
been liberal enough to see any good about
us, have said that they had seen nothing
to compare with it in the East. In view
of what we have to show it is surprising
that croaker can find a place to lay his
head in the proud City of San Francisco.
| We have no room for them land the Half
million Club movement will weed them
out or relegate them to life so private
that their chickering's will not be heard in
| the new and happy song of prosperity and
the busy hum of industry. The half mil
lion will come despite the cranks and
croakers. You can take my word for il"