The San Francisco call., 1896-06-19

dark room. 1t is hardly the fair thing,
and we who pay taxes should not be made
to suffer in this way.
at is an outrage to the City, an out
rage" said H. Roman, the clothier. II
could hardly see where my house was
when went home at IL o'clock last night.
The street lights should not be sacrificed
for the sake of general economy. Other
funds should be drawn on. This Injuries
evening trade to great extent. 1t gives
footpads and burglars all the opportunity
in the world to molest people. One can.
not see ten steps ahead or behind on the
sidewalks. This two-and-a-quarter tax
rate has not done US any more good than
the previous rates.
Manager Won Rooschen of the Cafe
Zinkand said: II certainly believe that
the taxpayers should have light on the
streets every night in the year. 1t IS not
only a shame 10 have the streets IN dark
ness, but it is positively dangerous. 1t IS
rather a poor policy in my estimation.
Dark streets keep people within doors"
at is q highly commendable thing on
the part of the Supervisors to economlze,
said Mr.. Hale of the dry-goods firm OF
Hale Brothers, "but there are certain re-
quirements which are absolute necessities
for the welfare of city. Lighting the
streets is a good legitimate expense,
and it should be met. Statistics
are Increasing year by year, the
question now comes up, What do we get
in return for our money! Light streets
are certainly as much a preventive OF
crime as the police force itself. l cannot
compare the Fire Department, the police
force and street lighting as being different
in the scale of Importance; they rather
are functions of the City government that
go hand in hand. One is as valuable az
the other and all are absolutely necessary.
If economy is necessary let it be in the
other departments.
Thomas II. B. Varney said: al really
have not enough words to express my dis
gust at such legislation. The idea of this
City being in complete darkness for one
night is, to my mind, an exceedingly
serious affair, but for fifteen nights the
idea is preposterous and disgraceful."
The merchants are not the only class of
citizens who find eloquence to hurl philip
pics at the Street Lights Committee of
the Board of Supervisors.
DR.. F. W. Harris said: $50 long as the
people will neglect their duty as citizens
so long will they be made to suffer from
the mismanagement of their servants.
Had the proper men been in power to care
for the requirements of the taxpayers
there would be light in our streets TO-
night and until the end of the fiscal year.
Thousands OF people who are assessed
their pro rata year after year in this Coun-
ty to bear its expense are too easy going.
They take it for granted that honest peo-
pie and proper business managers will
reach power. So they stay home when
they should be present at primaries
selecting the best men to represent
them in the conducting of the
City's affairs. But no, they stay
away, claiming that either domestic,
social, fraternal or other business en-
crosses their attention too much for them
to spare a few minutes to a subject which
plain business proposition, is it not rea-
sonable that sane man would devote
little while to choosing an employe TO
manage his business affairs?
"That is what our Supervisors do for us.
They simply attend to our wants and pay
out our money for the qualification of our
desires.
through our streets at night, because of
lack of gas or electric light, it is that our
chosen servants were ill-chosen, and they
would have been better chosen had we, all
OF US, taken more interest in the prelimi-
naries Incidental to obtaining a municipal
government. We deserve to get what we
are getting, and 1 hope the lesson will i'm
prove us in our methods"
DR.. Thomas MorffeY, member of the
State Dental Association, said: 81 am at
loss to understand why it is that the
funds set aside for gas and electrical
illumination of the City were not divide
so as to cover the entire twelve months of
the year, each month to be allowed just
so much money.
"This is plain business arrangement.
in my mind, which should have been car
ried out on the same principle that one
regulates his own expenses to not overlap
his income.
II consider it an outrage that the public
must spend two weeks in total darkness.
On the same principle of extravaganza
during the first few months of the fiscal
year there is no reason why instead of
two weeks we have not been inflicted with
two months darkness.
81 think that some provision should be
be made to meet emergencies of this sort.
Say, for instance, that the general fund
could be made available for drafts upon it
to pay for extra or additional lights that
might become necessary during the year.
In the event, however, that even the gem
eral fund became inadequate to meet the
expense, then these lights coming in as
extra illumination could be kept ex-
tinguished until the following years ap-
preparation, when they could be provided
for on the regular list"