The San Francisco call., 1896-03-13

Sdlu tne efreelOtQefS L fOunQ Inelr ndluS 1iou
IN reference to every court and law officer;
TO have the Police Judges appointed by
the Mayor, but even in this matter they
found that the Legislature had prescribed
the election of these officials. In
speaking of the consolidation act, lie
said it was such jumble that
the Supreme Court has decided both ways
on nearly every question relative to the
powers conferred by this act In the pro-
posed new charter" he said, "the powers
of the municipal government would be
distinctly divided into legislative, execu-
tive and judicial departments and would
not all be concentrated IN the Board OF
Supervisors as at present. 1he present
condition of things invites to corruptlon.
The politicians have consplred TO perpetu-
ate this consolidation act. J."
He further stated that the proposed new
charter was the embodiment OF all that
was good in the fundamental laws OF the
most progressive cities in the united
States. alt has been pronounced a model
document of its kind he added, ''by men
who have made such matters study.
If the Mayor is made boss by 1t we at
least have the power to chose VINO shau
be our boss. -,
William F. Gibson spoke on public
schools and libraries. He asserted that the
provision that required that teachers IN the
public schools must have been educated IN
the public schools of California referred
only to teachers of the primary and gram
mar classes, and did not apply TO prlncl-
pals or teachers in special studies. This
clause, he said, was to protect the girls VINO
were graduated each year from the local
normal schools from those who came from
the East.
M. H. Hecht said: 1--WE are growing too
big to be any longer governed by Sacra-
Hn nnt n c nprfpcf
every two wears you can offer any amend
ment YOU like. One thing has been en-
tirelv overlooked in speaking of this char
ter tonight. 1t does away with the super
yisorial boundaries. We do not any longer
have to go to the Barbary Coast or Tar
Flat for candidates. We can go where we
please for our municipal legislators
In the provisions relating to the Fire
Department he said only TWO important
things had TO be kept in mind. One was
to establish fully paid fire department,
and the other was to take the department
out of politics.
DR.. ]. A. Anderson said that during the
brief time allotted to him he preferred to
deal with certain attacks upon the
charter, rather than to devote the
time to the Health Department,
simply remarking that this department
had been largely copied from the charter
of Brooklyn, \. Y. which latter charter
was about as perfect an instrument as 1t
was possible to formulate, and entirely up
to date in every particular. Passing TO the
opposition to the new charter he said:
The principal attacks upon the charter were
coming from politicians and socialists -
rather unusual com bination.
The politicians are opposed to 1t because
they are not in politics for their health and, OF
course, ANYTHING which interferes with the
spoils system calls forth their bitterest hatred.
A few socialists are making an attack upon IL
rf.a.~ alnfr, NOT har-a fci
called socialstic principles, such as the initia-
tive, the imperative mandate and proportional
representation.
One OF these gentlemen in THE CALL bitterly
denounced the charter because OF the difficult
ties which he alleges exists in the way OF
municipal ownership OF transportation, water,
gas, etc. He declares that the associate viii
lainies" have interposed such obstacles in the
way of obtaining control of these public utili-
ties tnat it will be next to impossible for the
people ever TO obtain them should the charter
be adopted.
This statement is simply misrepresen tation
in every particular. In the first place l wrote
those provisions in the charter relating TO the
requirements of these public properties. and
certainly have been a humanitarian all my
life. am not rich and not employed in the
interests OF the so-called associate villainies"
Mr.. Reynolds asserts that the three
members of the Board OF Public Works
must consent before an estimate can be sub
mltted to the people. If he had read carefully
section of Article VI, he would have discov-
cred that ii is mandatory upon the Board of
Public Works to prepare such an estimate at
least three months before every election They
have no choice in the matter at all. They
must do this. This disposes of this assertion.
Further than this Mr.. Reynolds declares that
nine Supervisors must consent before il can
be submitted TO the people. This true; but
Mr.. Reynolds fails 10 point out the fact that
the Supervisors under the new charter will be
elected at large and there Will not be the pos
sibility to combine in each district upon g.
certain corrupt or it may be weak person and
elect him because of the ignorance OF the
tI,nr a lot m -t,n
There will be under the new charter such
Boards of Supervisors elected as the charter
makers themselves; that is to say, representa-
tive and well-known citizens from ali parties
and who can neither be bought nor caioled.
Certainly Mr.. Reynolds would not desire The
question OF ownership OF properties, involving
the issuing OF millions OF dollars of bonds,
without the most ordinary business safe
guards thrown about the transaction. Nine
Supervisors will prevent ''jobs" in this respect;
whereas, mere majority would be much
more liable to be bought up than would the
three-fourths required. And in Mr.. Reynolds
further objection that it required two-thIrds
of the citizens of the City to adopt such
question when submitted TO them for their
votes. again, in such a grave matter to prop
erty-holders as the expenditure of millions
upon millions of their money, is it not wise
that the City should practically unite TO de-
mand them?
The charter, then, does provide in an intel
lgent, reasonable way for the requirement of
all these public utilities, and with no more
would reasonably ask.
AS to other points objected to by certain
So called socialists, we may instance the refer
endum. This is now in actual operation in
this State, and the charter also carries it into
execution in the matter of amendments of it
self, and of acquiring the ownership of the
public utilities before alluded TO- All of these
things must be referred to the people for final
Endorsement.
The imperative mandate again is another
meaningless shibboleth. To remove, let US
say the Tax Collector OF this City would re-
quire q special election and enormous ex-
pense, and the annoyance and delay necessary
to whether the officer was TO be impeached or
not largely in the hands of the practical poll
ticians." impeachment offers an easier,
cheaper and equally good method for remov-
ing an offender. Under the charter, however,
the responsible heads of the government may
be removed in day by the Mayor. so that this
chimera of the imperative mandate" falls to
the ground
As for proportional representation that
would be measure of great usefulness to any
but, thanks largely TO the efforts of these same
had but seventeen days in which to prepare
charter, and it was utterly impossible for any
one to introduce and elaborate it and prac-
tically made to carry this into effect in such
limited time.
In the communication received from J.
J. O'Brien on civil Service and Its Prac-
tical Application" that gentleman said: