The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-28

was the twenty-second in the list of American
cities, in 1890 she was the eighth; at the last
census fifth in wealth and third in wealth per
capita. There is one thing San Francisco may
be proud Of and that is her small public debt,
which is some $3.50, 900, with a sinking fund
OF 500 900, leaving net public debt of only
$3.50 ,o00-about 80 cents per capita.
Certain things in San Francisco might be i'm
proved upon. The sewerage system, which was
sufficient for population of 10000, is insuf-
hcient for population OF more than double
that mum ber and must be remodeled TO pre-
pare for population of half a million, mil
lion or several millions during the next CEN
commission TO examine into the sewerage sys-
TENS of the city of Paris, the city of Glasgow or
some OF our new American cities. The city OF
Glasgow, indeed, intercepts her sewage before
il arrives at the river, extracts from it all
solid matter, which IL reduces to easily handled
blocks and sells fertilizers. The sewer
water, when the cleansers are done with it, is
free from odor, and when turned into the river
is about as clean as could be expected.
tske-it, the keynote OF any city to a stranger
is taken from the appearance of its streets. We
need not 90 far afefd to realize that i'm prove.
ment is practicable and absolutely necessary.
With bituminous rock at our doors, than which
there is nothing better if properly manipu-
lated, there is little excuse for such street
as Market street being paved with cobbles or
basaltic blocks.
The city of San Francisco should own lis
water supply, its gas supply and its street rail
roads, and these should not be operated by cor.
porations for profit, but all econ omies in manip-
ulAt1OH shOulu lHuIS 10 tHe DeneuL OF the
citizen.
Lately received from Kansas City an article
What Makes Kansas City," In reading this
over 1 was struck with the fact that a CITY
younger than San Francisco of 10000 popIi.
lation only, possesses the terminals of twenty.
six railroads. controlling trackage of 30 ,00O
miles. Notwithstanding the fact that ST. Louis
and Chicago are not very far away, the people
OF Kansas City, by means of these railroads
reach out and supply the wants OF population
of two and half millions. Is it asking toe
cisco should in the near future, when railroad
transportation is reduced to practical business
principles, that we should reach out as far as
the west banks of the Mississippi? Outside oil
these absolute necessities for the growth oil
any city, San Francisco possesses advan.
tages OF which no other city in the Union can
boast for on this Pacific Coast all roads lead to
San Francisco.
The entire commerce of the Pacific must con.
centrate on the shores of San Francisco harbor
Our Golden Gate will some day be the theater
- - enormous commerce, and round the
shores of our bay will be seen population
reaching up to the millions With great seats
OF knowledge and research, such as Stanford
University, the Lick Observatory the State
University and many other centers of learning
desirable population must be attracted. But
beyond the practical necessities cited, there is
much room for making provision for our people
in the shape OF public halls museums, libra.
Ties, public baths and other improvements Incl.
dental to altruistic nineteenth-century civil
cation.
How many public baths we have in the city
that left by one of our pioneers, Mr.. Lick, which
took some fifteen years to put into operation
And here our civilization, much as it is boosted
of, might take lesson from the civilizations oil
some twelve and a half centuries back. 1t is O
matter OF history that the city OF Alexandria
was captured in the early part OF the seventh
century by the Mohammedan general, Amru
Reporting his success TO his chief, the Caliph
Omar he spoke of having captured city con
tanning 5000 palaces, 1000 theaters and 4O0o
public baths.
Some one has said cleanliness is next to god
illness. The meaning of goodness, as you all
know, is simply goodness with all our striv
ing we shall certainly be unable to obtain the
perfection of goodness This we can do, how
ever, work one and all for cleanliness, so thai
the stranger visiting our city shall be struck
by its clean and neat appearance, IN which oil
reetion something already has been done by
President Dohrmann OF our Citizens Commit
tee. But just imagine what an attractive place
San Francisco would be with an abundance oil
fresh and salt water already in our possession
and 1000 public baths spread throughout the
city.
Notwithstanding the fact that the entire
union has for the LAST eighteen months OF
nearly two years been passing through per-
lod OF unparalleled depression, we can yet point
TO the fact that the financial distress in our
city and State compared with that of other
states Is much less. In our city many SUB
stantial improvements have been made in the
past TWO years, and Will venture 10 say tnat
IN few OF the cities in the union with popula-
uons similar 10 ours, will be found block OF
buildings in course OF erection equal TO those
on Market street.
Evidently the pioneers Of the city have not
lost confidence in the young giant which they