The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-21
The Mayor to Have a Clerk,
in Spite of the
Council.
A CITY DEAD TO THE WORLD.
Enormous Demand for Information
of Oakland That Cannot Be
Supplied.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
o08 Broadway, Aug. 20.


90S Broadway, Aug. 20.
Mayor Davie decided to-day that he will
appoint a clerk to the Mayors office. The
Council has denied his request for clerk,
although the charter expressly says one
may be appointed, so he has decided to
appoint an expert, which power is vested
in the Mayor without any sanction of the
Council.
The circumstances that prompted the
Mayor to decide on having a clerk were
many and various. The chief executives
mail was particularly heavy this morning.
1t contained elegantly bound histories of
municipalities all over the country; there
were some requests from private persons
for information and photographs of Oak
land; two letters contained money to pay
for newspapers and photographs; several
Mayors sent copies of inaugural addresses,
with compliments and a request for
q like courtesy; three manufacturing
firms sent long lists of questions that
they would like to have answered re-
garding climate, locality, price of
land and material and prospects for bust
ness and the Civic Federation of Delaware
sent out blanks to be filled out asking
about the duties and emoluments of the
various city officials. But as the Mayor
viewed his own helplessness he was very
wroth. AS he was still opening letters an
expressman appeared with some sample
packing boxes, some sample bottles of
pickles and sample gun. They were all
from firms anxious to locate here and who
wanted to know the chief executives opin-
ion as to the possibility of sale for their
particular goods.
"My position is a downright farce" said
Oakland's Mayor. "Here are people want
ing to know all about this city and its adj
vantages and am practically helpless. No
one man can attend to all these reasonable
requests and no man should be expected to
do it. 1t is absurd it is near-sighted
| policy. l asked the Finance Committee to
allow me clerk and it was denied Now
look at my position. Here is a neatly
bound book from Grand Rapids, Mich.
With It is note asking for my inaugural
message. When | asked that it be printed
l got one vote in the Council. / must send
reply to the Mayor of Grand Rapids that
| my message is on file and that if he sends
money order to local copyist he can get
copy of it. That's dignified isn't it. for
a city like Oakland.
Here is an elegant report, full of pic
lures, from Detroit. with request that
send a report of Oakland. Where can
find one? Here Is municipal report rel from
St. Paul, beautifully prepared. The Mayor
! asks me for one. What must | send?
have only a copy of the city ordinances
and an Auditors report that is clear and
correct to US, but which would convey very
| little light to an outsider. At the present
| time the City Attorney is shaping an ordi-
nance covering the garbage question. He
has been here and has obtained several re-
ports from which to derive information.
He will doubtless frame a first-class ordi-
nance. But if any city official were to
write to me and ask for information as to
how Oakland deals with the garbage prob
lem what could | send?
Here is the browning point. A firm
from Baltimore writes that hearing so
much about Oakland's waterfront, they
would like me to forward plan and de-
scription of 1T showing portions immedi-
ately available for commerce. There is not
such thing in the city. We have eleven
miles of water front and about 10, 900 acres
OF waterfront land, and the Mayor of the
city is in position where he cannot en-
tighten an Eastern firm regarding it.
On several occasions / have re-
ceived money for books and
photographs of Oakland and have more
than once returned it, / could not send
the applicants what they wanted. Take
this letter for instance from Asbury Park.
1t is from Mrs. S. and she asks me for a
book descriptive of Oakland and begs my
acceptance of the accompanying booklets.
IleEe llley are, HdluSOLhS IllIic tuilSot uuo
the pictures could be beaten hundred-fold
in this city. Suppose there were series of
photographs taken of the estuary and ar
ranged in panoramic form. When firm
in the East wanted to know about the
water front, why they could see it at a
glance. Take picture of Lake Merritt
and have all the yachts out for the occa-
sion; have a few pictures of our new
schools, put them in book form and have
an intelligent recapitulation of all the re-
ports of the city departments and send
them to points where they will be seen
and read. What would be the result?
Read my mail; any citizen is welcome to
call and inspect it, and see if it is not
absolutely necessary that Oakland do
something for herself. This city is the
most parsimonious in the United States in
the matter Of calling attention to her own
advantages"
AS the Mayor described his dilemma he
had all the requests, reports, photographs
and samples spread out before him.
There is no doubt that there is ample work
for clerk in the Mayors office at this
time and that is why Mr.. Davie has de-
cIded to employ an expert.