New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-27
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
THE SAN FRANCISCO TAX RATE-oLIvER
wINTHROPs CRrMEs-TRAMP
lnr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBusE.I

SJEAMEfS
fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUSEI
San Francisco, Sept. 2G--The total tax rate
for city and county purposes this year Is
81 1854. as against 81 25 last year. The munic-
ipal tax levy was reduced to three cents less
than one dollar The repaving OF Markets.
which would have cost $4,000, was defeated
bv the Supervisors. who were determined to
keep below the dollar mark. Last year. accord
ing to the Auditors report, $8577,2iS was ex-
pended an increase of $1,OOO,OOO over the pre-
yous year. II WIS this huge expense account
that reused the indignation OF taxpayers
and forced the City Supervisors to reduce the
tax levy this year nearly one-haif The street
Department last year spent SIo0OO0; the FIRE
Denartment S04. SS1 and the School Department
S1,144,OG1. In every public office there was
waste Of large sums due mainly to the vicious
system Of quartering ward politicians In mu-
ncIpal offices and awarding contracts to ia
vored bidders.
The Board of Health succeeded in getting the
additional appropriation Of $3OOOO which VIII
permit them to appoint the needed inspectors OF
food and fruit and to establish proper ambu-
lance service II the members continue 10 dis-
play the energy which they have shown In the
last few months they will rid San Francisco OF
some OF It's worst evils Tainted meat and I'M
wholesome fruit have been sold here for years
as there has been no adequate inspection while
much of the milk supplied has been adulterased
and from diseased cows. The city Is now re-
ceiving pure milk, and in short time the meat
and fruit supply will also be under sharp In
spcction
The sentence to life imprisonment of Oliver
Winthrop closes one of the most peculiar criminal
cases ever known in Frisco Winthrop was once
superintendent OF Laurel Hill Cemetery and was
then accused Of poisoning a woman VINO oieo
suddenly He was acquitted, and next emerged
last month as the abductor or an old millonaiie
Honolulu sugar-planter named James CanppeN
He lured Campbell TO an empty house, bound
and gagged him and robbed him OF $3Oo For TWO
DAYS he tried to force Campbell to sign a cnech
for $4,000 and when he taiieo ms acco,pi,ee e
leased the victim. Campbell at once summoned nee
the police and Winthrop was arrested IN as
guise as he preparing 10 leave the o1ate
Captain Lees, chief Of detectives, REGARDS WIN
throp as one or the most despeid'e u ''''''" e'
seen on this coHst
Of California died this week. He was native OF
Rochester, ". Y, but at an early age went 10
Michigan. He came to California In ~ ana,
after making failure OF mining. settled down TO
the practice of medicine. He was one or the nrst
settlers of Oakland, where he owned large prop
erty interests.
In a theatrical way the town Is as good as dead
The Baldwin and California theatres are closed;
The Columbia Is playing one or Sardou oiu
naces and the Alcazar has revived Divorce
About the only bit of life this week was Infused
bv Blanche Walsh who had some malicious
things to say about Nat Goodwin ana the haru
frost" he has suffered in his Australian tour.
This has been a great season for the tramp
steamers The war between China and Japan
attracted a large number to the Asatic coast
where most OF them have since remained. When
the daily tonnage OF wheat al san francisco
moved deficient score of these steamers were
ordered here Already six have started for Eng
land with large cargoes, four are loading and ten
are on the way from the Orient. One steamer
the Stratngary, carried much wheat and bar
ley as three ordinary ships
Winter has set in early in the Sierras and there
is prospects of heavy snowfall which VIII IN
sure abundant water in the valleys next spring
There was a heavy snowfall in the Sierras this
week. and old settlers predict early and severe
winter.