The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-22

leIt 10 MIN as ruler. HIS retirement
seems to be inevitable. He is said to be
so convinced of this that he has become
n.Crose sleepless and half deranged.
There will be very little pity expended
upon him. He was never strong as an
executive, and now has fallen into abso-
lutte weakness.
The City Trustees recently gave per-
mission for the erection of street lights
upon poles from which brackets extend
diagonally over street crossings. These
devices are to take the place of the sus
pended intersection lights we now have.
II is error, and we believe the city will
regret the change Where there are
trolley lines upon street crossings, the
change will not be 30 great from the old
to the new system. but it will be con-
siderable, nevertheless. On all other
streets, however, we fear that it will
greatly disappoint the people. Sacra-
mento was the first city in the State to
adopt the intersection suspension sys-
tenn of street lighting. 1t was so generally
recognized as superior. that many towns
and cities have followed our example,
go back to the bracket system that other
towns threw out for the Intersection sys-
tenn. The change is going to bene-
fit the electric lighting company; of
that there can be no doubt. 1t is going to
make its task lighter. But it bid for the
! lighting job without any interposed con-
dition as to the bracket system. Be-
sides, the one and overshadowing consid-
eration is the good of the city and
that above all else. The brackets now
being put up do not extend to the mid
die of the diagonal line of the street CROSS
ing. They do not in very many cases
extend beyond the line of tree shade. In
some cases they are not over six feet be-
yond the line of the street curb. We are
| told that wherever it could be done these
brackets would be extended twenty-four
feet. This is not done, and we think that
even if il is done we will have poorer
system OF street lighting than under the
suspended intersection light system, be-
cause the walks beneath the shade will
not be illuminated in one-half the cases,
and because the streets will not be lighted
equally in four directions. Let citizens
observe the brackets thus far placed, and
see in how many cases they fail to reach
beyond the line of tree shadow. Of
course, if lights were placed at every
crossing of streets under the bracket sys
tenn that would wholly change the case.
| Then by alienation as to the sides on
which placed there would be superior il
Elimination. But so long as we are to have
! nj I'll
bracket system will, we fear, prove
disappointment. That we may be in
error in this forecast we sincerely hope,
but judgment does not support the hope.
Kovalev appears to be one of those Pc
culiar people who think that II they do
not strike the actual blow that kills they
are not guilty of murder, though they
took par. in the scheme that led to the
killing. There are all too many people
who entertain such view of their re-
sponsibility to society, and 1t will be good
practice to hang some such, that all others
may be properly taught their duty under
the law. This idea of harmless particle
patton is off of piece with the shameful
sentiment that raised up apologists for
Ratten, who murdered Lansing in this
! city. "He did not intend to kill lansing"
was the cry. True, but he intended to
kill somebody, and that happened to be
! James Lansing.
| If what everybody says must be
| true" then Sacramento needs q city hall
| for its assembly room, city prison, offices,
receiving hospital, etc. The city now
pays 81. 800 year rent for Offices. II
| 900 would build a structure of q char
acter that could thereafter be enlarged or
! built upon, or turned later to other city
| uses, and that would give US all the &C.
Communications we will need for public
/ Offices for the next five years land it is
believed that such a sum will do it,, the
| interest upon the money for FIVE years
would be precisely the sum We will pay
for rental during the five years. That is
to say, $500 will cost us $500 year
interest, and for rent we now pay 81, 800
wear. So at the end of five years, we
would not only be no worse OFT than
now, bu. be better off by the ownership
of the building; and if we had by that
time paid the $50, 900 we would thereafter
have no more out-go, but save $1,000
year in cold cash. In the meanwhile we
would be enjoying that which we so
much need now. That in five years we
eau pay the $4,000 no one will doubt.
We would then be able 10 en-
large or build upon the structure to
meet the further needs in that di-
rection. AS a matter of economy.
therefore, it is cheaper to build than to
continue TO rent. We do not have to rent
now for the City Prison. the Hospital
and Police Court offices, but it is sub
mitted that all these are disgraceful to US.
and ought to be abandoned for better &C
comm atoms speedily. 1t is probable
that the main obstacle TO carrying out
building plan is the obtaining of the
necessary land But the sale of the old
| City Hall property would 60 quite far
| toward paying for a new lot. We cannot
hope to have a very costly structure, or
one on large and roomy grounds for very
many years. not perhaps for fifteen years
| to come. But shall we, therefore, for all
that time continue to rent? L. it not
better to build now to fill our office needs,
at least? and then when the city is able
to put up Sl50,00 building the hall We
construct for use until that time will be
needed for other city uses. So that in
any event we will profit by building. IL
the capital on which to build will cost us
no more than we now pay for rent, and
give us better accommodations than we
now have, is it not economy to build to