The San Francisco call., 1895-07-29
LATEST OAKLAND NEWS.
Morehouse' Interference With
Assessments Is Con-
demned.
ANTOINE KIEsow Is SHOT.
a Special Meeting of the City Coun-
Gil To-Nlght-The Board
of Works.

1t would have given far more satisfac-
ton to the taxpayers of Alameda County
had District Attorney Shook been at his
post of duty during the past week instead
of leaving the solitary piece of important
work during the present administration to
a deputy. The assessment of the purely
local portion of the Seventh street track
was made by Mr.. Dalton after taking ad-
vice from the ablest lawyers in Oakland.
Yet Deputy District Attorney Church,
acting apparently on the generous and
Opportune advice rendered by Mr.. More
house, declared that the local line was a
part of the general system and conse-
quently not assessable in this county. On
this advice the assessment-roll was reduced
from $677. 200 to $40. Deputy Church, who
rendered the opinion, is a brother to Su-
pervisor Church, and the vote of the
Supervisor turned the scale, the other four
Supervisors being equally divided.
Church's opinion is sustained by the
arguments of Attorneys Moore and Baker,
but as these advocates were present as the
p aid employees of the railroad company it
Is but justice to presume that Mr.. Church
was not influenced thereby. According
to Mr.. Morehouse two member of the
Board of Supervisors are towards and
three are-something else. He said in an
interview last Monday that the Super
visors knew the railroad assess ments were
too high, but were too cowardly to reduce
them, fearing public opinion. Mr.. More
houses towards are Mr.. Pelouze and Mr..
Johnston. The taxpayers classification of
the men to whom their interests are in
trusted is, however. opposed to that of
Mr.. Morehouse. On the whole, Mr.. More
houses interference with the assessment
proceedings of Alameda County before
they reached him at Sacramento in an
official capacity is condemned on all sides.
As the result showed it was coercive and
intimidatory
While the assessments were presumably
under consideration" "a term understood
now better than week ago. interviews
with nameless persons and prominent
labor leaders" appeared regularly decrying
the raising OF assessments on corporation
property as being calculated to drive away
capital. As a matter of fact every news
boy IN Alameda County knows that the
working classes to man regard Dalton as
their idol. Fortunately, however, the city
OF Oakland is not dependent for its equal
Ization" upon the Supervisors or Mr..
MOrehouse. The Council to whom this
trust is confded pays very little attention
to the pleadings of railroad attorneys and
treats them for what they are worth.
II anything were needed to complete the
chicanery OF the past weeks work in re-
gard to "equaliZing," F" it has been found in
the fact that the extension of time to the
Alameda board was never officially
granted, and that all its acts were illegal.
II this point can be substantiated before
the courts the thousands of small owners
in Alameda County will have great cause
10 rejoice.
ho tuif ho Roar r3
of Works SO far does not show any i'm
provement over the old style, although its
individual makeup is somewhat cleaner
This week a Chief of Police will take office
in Oakland who has never been a police
officer nor detective, and who has had no
police experience whatever. He is a wor-
thy man and Populist, but beyond that
nothing is known of him.
The Street Department has undergone a
change, and the same will be true of the
Fire Department. B ut there must be
object, but at present there is nothing to
prevent changes every week, and any tyro
knows that such an unsettled state of af-
fairs is fatal to discipline and competency.
The three-cornered Board of Works is
likely to take turn at any time. One
vote can change its complexion and
consequently can change any office
in its gift. Already two open con-
dicts have occurred, and Mayor Davie is at
present of no more value than the third
wheel of bicycle, but there are indica-
tionS that before next week he may have
formed an alliance and be one of the solid
two instead of the official 1shmaelite. This
unsettled method of running the city gov
ernment will never be remedied until
Oakland returns to its allegiance to the
Republican party. Oakland and Alameda
generally were strongly Republican, as
when they held the banner of this State.
Although the new Chief of Police, who
will take the Office next Thursday, is not a
detective by profession, there is a work
awaiting him which needs only frmness
and common sense. There are few or
dinances and few State laws regarding
gambling and lotteries, side-door en-
frances and questionable houses that have
not been heard of lately. Occasionally some
little restaurant keeper is arrested for
keeping open after midnight, or for trading
without license, but people have yet to
of the political saloons on Twelfth, Four
teenth or Seventh streefs, which nightly
violate the closing ordinance. Oakland
is not hotbed of vice, but nevertheless
there are dozens of gambling dens in the
rear of cigar stores. and scores of unsavory
houses which Mr.. Lloyd will be expected to
close.-
The interior towns of Alameda County
have shown more public spirit during the
past six months than has been noticed for
five years. If the progress of San Leandro,
San Lorenzo and Haywards is due to the
opening of the electric road, this fact should
act as stimulant to the promoters of the
electric road to Corral Hollow to con-
tinue the road to San Jose. This enter
prise, however, will not be fostered, as the
Livermore Herald suggests, by division
of the county. The cost. of two county
is not going to promote prog
ress. and is withal not feasible scheme.
The franchise for the Livermore road
will be passed upon by the Supervisors
this week, and it is TO be hoped that no
competing corporation has expressed de-
sire that 1t be not granted.
STUART w. Booth.
Strange Shooting of Kiesow.
Antoine Kiesow met death at Melrose