The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-08
He Thinks That Enough
Money Is Now Raised to
Run the City.
ADVOCATES THE NEW CHARTER
A Question as to the Value OF Mu-
nicipal Ownership of Water
Works Just Now.

after a months sojourn on his line ranch
near Calistoga, returned TO the City last
evening and received the visits OF friends
at the home of a relative.
Though not having been in the City for
thirty days San Francisco's chief executive
has kept in touch with the progress OF
public matters through the medium of the
newspapers and is primed with affairs OF
state that he will begin work on when he
returns to his Office on Tuesday next.
In the Mayors opinion the most impor-
tant event that has occurred in the City in
the past month is the action of the Board
OF Supervisors in increasing the tax levy
for the coming year, and the City's Chief
Executive speaks his mind in no uncertain
terms regarding the right and justice of
the matter.
"In my mind" he said, "this new tax
levy is an outrage that should not be toll
Grated. Our rate of taxation was high
enough without making it any greater and
placing the poor people who are now al
most bankrupt in a still worse position.
do not know whether my position as
Mavor and president of the board gives me
the right to veto this measure or not.
have not consulted legal authority and
would not care to speak offhand, but my
FEELINGS
strong.
"If it is my right to veto the levy shall
certainly be inclined to do so. In that case
| do not see how the levy is going to stand,
for it will take nine votes to pass it over
nv veto. and there are but eight men in
the board who would be inclined to take
such action. l certainly hope the levy is
subject to my approval or rejection.
LAS the matter now stands we raise
hu fav vyhj
should be fully enough if judiciously ex-
pended to pay all the expenses of the City
and gradually clear off the load of debt
that hangs over the municipality. If the
rate is to be raised it will merely De taking
so much more money out of the scanty
means of the poor, for which there is no
urgent necessity.
again. the levying of such a sum-$2 25
on the 500, including the State tax-gives
outsiders a bad impression of San Fran
cisco, and it will not be long before East
ern people will begin to avoid this City if
such a state of affairs is allowed to exist.
There is no urgent necessity for rebuild
ing the old City Hall at the present time,
nor Is it a vital matter that the new City
Hail should be finished at once. If these
items of expense were eliminated from the
levy it need not be nearly SO large and the
old rate, if the funds were properly man.
aged, would provide enough to pay off the
Citv's creditors. Why, l think the CITY
owes over $500, 900, which should certainly
be paid at the earliest opportunity.
"Oh, shall certainly veto that tax levy
if can do it properly and legally"
The Mayor had not been informed of the
petition sent in by the Union of Practical
Progress, Peoples party and Labor Ex-
change, asking that a special election be
called to give the voters of the Citv a
chance to decide whether OF not the City
should own its own water-works and gas
and electric-light plants, but he had de-
cided opinions on the matter.
II don't know whether the Board of Su-
pervisors, myself or who has the calling
of special elections" he said. ''and there.
fore cannot say what steps will be taken in
the matter, but / am certainly very much
in favor of such a matter as municipal
ownership. Until the municipality owns
its own water works and lighting plants
the poor people, on whom water and light
rates fall the heaviest, will never get JUS
tice.
81 beeve that water should be ur-
nished to the people at absolute cost, be-
cause it is one of the absolute necessities
of life, and no man should be allowed 10
grow ricn by selling it at exorbitant rates
to those who are not fortunate enough to
possess an Independent supply. The
water company is even now drawing enor-
nous profits from its sale of water to the
City and the inhabitants.
''This is all wrong, and municipal own
ership will make a much-needed change.
I believe in the municipal ownership OF
all such matters as are of public charac-
ter and are of absolute necessity to the
City. People call me socialist, but do
not care for that. Progress and co-opera-
ton are the watchwords of the day, and
my position as the head of the municipal
government demands that shall be pro-
gressive.
operation-municipa cooperation
is the only method by which the City can
be run on a business basis and to the best
interests of its people, and it must come
sooner or later in the public ownership of
water plants, lighting plants, and eventu-
ally of the railroads that traverse our
streets.
"They are Of semi-public character and
come under the same head. such things
must at some time come down to absolute
bedrock in respect to cost to the people.
and the sooner such a state of affairs is
brought about the better for all concerned.
''In regard to special election l cannot
see the value of one on this subject until
we have new charter that will insure a
better and more reliable City government
1 would rather see a special election called
to pass on the charter formulated by the
Board OF freenOluerS- IMAM LOT any OLner
purpose, for there is no DOUBT that this
City is in the greatest need of a new sys-
tenn of laws for its government.
1.-THE one proposed by the Freeholders
is not faultless by any means, but it is
far better than the instrument under
which we are now working, and when it
is passed the people can get their own
water works, and know that they will be
properly handled and run for the benefit
OF the people and not for that of politi-
clans and grasping corporations.
II doubt the ACCESSIBILITY OF buying the
existing plants, for believe that new ones
could be built for less money and with far
more satisfaction to the people. l have
the legal right as the head of the city gov
eminent, to suggest the matter of a special
election for the charter to the proper au-
thorities, and shall probably do so when I
have had chance to look into the matter
thoroughly and the proper time arrives.
II notice that in spite of the efforts of the
octopus to induce them TO do otherwise the
committee on site Tor the Affiliated Col
leges has accepted the site l offered.
suppose that there is no doubt that the
Regents of the university will ratify the
action of the committee"