The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19
CITIZENS PROTEST
At THE DARKNESS.
They Say That Crime Turks
in the Shadowy
Streets.
HURTS EVENING TRADE.
Merchants Hurl Old.Fashioned
Philippics at the City
Fathers.
IS A DISGRACE TO THE TOWN.
A Prominent Resident Chooses the
Center of California Street to
Reach Home.

Out Of the darkness of the City's streets
there comes a voice-a voice that trembles
with indignant protest at the injurious
and original method the Supervisors have
taken to cut down the current expenses.
The tax-payfng citizens of San Francisco
do not hesitate to express their views
on this Supervis oral stroke of politi-
cal economy. Not one interviewed yester-
day could think of anything favorable to
say regarding the action, but all scored
what they termed an unjust and wholly
unreasonable action in the roundest terms.
Many of the most prominent merchants
were interviewed yesterday, among whom
William Doxey, the bookman, said: "This
movement on the part of the Supervisors
1 consider unreasonable and absurd. There
certainly must be some funds that are
available to pay for street lights. If l re-
member rightly, there remains in the
treasury fund that was TO be expended
for street-sweeping, something like $50, 600.
This money has never been used for that
purpose. l cannot see why it cannot be
drawn on 10 defray the expense of street.
lighting.
Ozark Streets" he said, ''put premium
on crime; robbers and burglars thrive al
ways in dark cities. Out near my home
at Ashbury Heights we are in complete
darkness. It is difficult to find house,
even though you know its locality on the
block. It is certainly great disgrace to
our City"
Andrew NJ. Davis of the Golden Rule
Bazaar said: ~ can think of nothing the
Supervisors could do to be more preiudicial
to the best interests of this City or that
would be attended with greater hazard
than the keeping of the City in darkness
for any given period. The only thing
can think of that would be as serious as
doing this would be the withdrawal of the
Fire Department or the police force. II
would almost seem as advisable to close
up the courts for a given time on the plea
of economy.
"The dark streets increase the danger of
being robbed, especially in the residence
portion of the town. 1t is a sin. Taxpay-
ers have great deal to put up with, in
deed"
'The citizens of San Francisco" said
Mr.. Foltz, manager of Kast's shoestore,
'thave my most profound sympathy. l do
not spend the night here, am thankful
to say l live in the well-lighted and per-
petually lighted little town of Alameda.
A. Quade, the grocer, said: ''This at
tempt at economy on the part of our City
fathers reminds me OF a certain fabulous
animal who snapped at gnat and swal-
municipal affairs should be carried on with
the same system as is business house.
l applaud this evidence on the Supervi-
sors' part of q desire to be economical, but
it seems to me that it IS being demon
strated rather too near the close of the
eleventh hour and in q way that interferes
most seriously with the smooth running
of City affairs.
81 hold it disgrace to the City. am
wholly opposed TO il. There might be
other ways far more advisable than turn
ing out lights of big city. What a repu-
tation we establish when strangers come
here and are compelled to grope their way
along the Streets"
"To say the least" said Mr.. Fredericks,
vice-president of the Will & FiEck Com
pany, "the Western Addition looked very
GUM last night, and TO tell you the truth,
/ did not consider ny life safe on my way
home out California street. In fact, | am
not ashamed to say that I walked in the
middle of the street. Think OF it; in a City
the size of San Francisco, with Il tax-rate
as high as ours, that one is obliged to walk
out in the street for safety's sake. con-
slider lighting the streets as good as police
protection. It would be all right on a
moonlight night, but without moon
well, we are not in it. l think we should
nave light anyhow let other things be cut
down, but not, as Is hguratively done, the
lamp-posts."
George Haas, proprietor of the confec-
tionerv store under the Phelan building,
said: 81 paid over $1,000 in taxes this
year. and now have 10 go home in dark
ness. When you shut off the street lights
people are afraid to come out of doors,
hence those merchants who keep open
evenings lose money. never have been
N such darkness in all my life as l was
while going down Larkin street to my