The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-07
Physicians Want a Com
petent Steward at the
Hospital.
Prospective Harmony Among All
Elements Interested in
the Harbor.
Alameda County an Easy Place in
Which to Conceal an
AirShip.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO GAIL
908 Broadway, Dece Der 6. I
In few weeks time a new Board of
Supervisors will take office and, as usual,
there will be change in all patronage at
the disposal of the board. While this
practice will invariably be followed so
long as public Offices are not governed by
civil service rule, it is to be regretted that
some changes will be made which cannot
be for the better and probably may be for
the worse. 1t is stated on good authority
that the new Supervisor who will have
the privilege of dispensing the patronage
OF the Receiving Hospital will make an
entire change in that institution. Politics
can never add to the efficiency of public
hospital, but can be worked so as TO very
seriously impair its efficiency. There is
danger that this will be done in this city.
Under its present management the Re.
ceiving Hospital has been particularly free
from many of the little scandals and seri-
Gus mistakes that so often abound in SINH
lar places.
The report has been made, and Is undoubt-
eddy true, that the chief steward is soon
to be replaced with man who is a Total
stranger TO the duties that will be re-
quired of him. The person to whom this
responsible position will probably be
given is an undertaken, and many of the
leading physicians of the City have signed
a petition against any change being made
from the present conditions. No matter
what the doctors NAV want, it is very evil
dent that politics and not expediency will
dominate the appointment. But if an in
o ri ha rNIa in,
sponsible position as steward OF a receiv-
ing hospital in railroad town where acci-
dents are naturally numerous it is not i'm
possible that the county may find some
heavy damage suits on its hands. 1t is to
prevent any scandal of this kind that the
doctors are working so earnestly.
Thewharves OF Oakland at this particular
time present very clear object lesson as
to the necessity of improving the harbor.
Two of the largest vessels that ever came
through the Golden Gate are now dis
charging in Oakland harbor. Vessels of
this size have never been above the bridges
before, and with the contract that has just
been let for the building of additional
wharYes and coal bunkers viii come amin
crease of the demand for deeper water.
The conferences between the railroad
company and Supervisors during the past
week have been very satisfactory to the
people of 0akla nd generally. Some at
tempt has been made to misrepresent the
conditions that exist, but there is always
an unreliable spasmodie element who are
unable to grasp the truth. This is decd-
edly the case in regard to the estuary.
There is no doubt that the county, the
railroad and both the cities OF Alameda
and Oakland, as well as the electric road,
have legal rights individually. which all
the others are bound to respect, and the
harmonizing of all their requirements can
only be done by intelligent conference.
This is now in progress, and there seems
to he little doubt that all these interests,
together with the requirements of the War
Department, will result in the building of
one large drawbridge. which will be a
material Improvement over the two I'M
stable wooden obstacles that now span the
estuary.
Many of those who are skeptical re-
garding the existence of the airship are
frequently heard to remark that if such a
machine exists in this county it should
be an easy matter to find it. Such people
can surely have never been outside
of Oakland. In Alameda County
five hundred men could operate air
ships and be perfectly free from discov-
cry except by accident. Only a few weeks
ago an electric inventive genius was dis
covered on a remote ranch who had built
with bis own hands and without any edu-
cation enough electric machinery to oper-
ate dozen airships, and it was only by
accident that his apparatus was discov-
erei. A few months ago a celebrated
bandit named Phil Crowley said good.
morning to a Sheriff near Haywards and
walked off into the hills. Many valuable
rewards were offered for his capture and
every body who was out of work and who
imagined they had some detective ability
started out to hunt the bandit. At one
time not less than two or three hundred
men were securing the hills of this county
for a man who was reported as having
been seen a dozen times day. The
bandit was never found and the detectives
gave up the hunt. In regard to the air
ship. about the existence OF which many
are skeptical, no one has yet made a sys-
temaLic hunt. and yet those who honestly
declare they have seen it are being
tainted because they cannot find it.
STUART W. BOOTH.
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