The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-01

not being vested with much power. were
not bought by the corporations. If the
Mayor were to be given dIctatorial DOW
ers there would be danger that the cor
porations would take hand in his cleo
ton and would endeavor to control him
afterward.
Gavin McNab believed that the contest
was between the American and European
governments. but it should be remem-
bered that transplanted governments do
not always flourish. The essential princi-
pie OF the Amer system OF government
was the separation of the legislative and
the executive powers. The substitute Of
fered by Mr.. Johnson would Increase the
evils under which the people were now
suffering. Apply it to the Legislature );
give the Legislature executive powers and
take those powers from the Governor,
and the result would be that the Lsgisla.
ture would soon own the State.
1t would not make the Supervisors more
honest to multiply the mum Der OF dis
honest Supervisors by four.
Ernest Mccullough told about the low
rate of taxation in Glasgow, Birmingham
and other English and Scotch cities, and
compared them with the rates prevailing
In American cities 10 the disparagement
of the Americans. In the former the
public utilities were owned by and ad-
ministered by the municipalities.
Joseph Leggett opposed the motion to
strike out the words giving the Super
vlsors executive powers. The forces, he
said, were at work upon the American
mind to enter upon the system Of demo-
cratic government and to do away with
autocratic mayors. Nothing could be
learned out of the experience of one city
or one individual. It was necessary to go
abroad and learn what other peoples and
other cities were doing. The speaker
quoted from DR.. Albert Shaw, to the effect
that the city of Glasgow had the finest
and most successful governm ent of any
city in the world. r: -~
1t had a council of seventy FIVE mem
beers and a Lord Provost with the limited
power which it was proposed in Mr.. john
sons substitute to give the Mayor.
There is not any higher civic virtue in
Europe than there is In America, and the
average civic virtue of Glasgow is no
higher than that of San Francisco.
The speaker told how, when the Super
yisors tailed to have the streets properly
cleaned, the public spirited citizens of this
City took the matter in hand and had the
work done them selves-and it could not
be said truthfully that the people of San
Francisco were not able to govern the m
selves. When Supervisors, are elected by
the people at large, and not by 80 per cent
OF the people, there will be an honest
Board of Supervisors. The present Board
OF Supervisors are serving the people that
elected them, and they are not serving
the pc ople a large. r; =. # NJ. +.
1t was proposed to have board of
nifty four Supervisors, who, by the terms
of the substitute, would be elected by the
people and not by the bosses or the cor:
porations. He believed it would be for
the best interest of the communlty to
have large democratic Board of Super
visors elt cted in democratic way. ~.
Mr.. Leggett pronounced the word dem
ocratic" with small nom partisan I'd. - =:
Stewart Menzfes favored a large Board
of Supervisors with legislative and execu-
tive powers, but with the power of veto
vested in the Mayor. and providing that
the Mayor should appoint. the standing
com mittees once year instead OF once in
two. II.
Judge Thompson said that the Super
visors had abused their trust and that
was why the charter committee had been
organized. 1t was proposed by Mr.. John
son and is friends to increase the num-
Der Of Supervisors and to give them in
creased powers. This was equivalent to
curing the bite of rattlesnake with the
bite of another rattlesnake.
The scheme wou d result only in the
autocracy of men without any respon 81 bill
ity whatever. The question before the
meeting was: shall we add TO the evil
which the Supervisors now have it in their
power TO intiict?"
After discussion lasting until IL o'clock
the Johnson substitute was defeated and
the first paragraph of the committees re-
port was adopted by vote Of So to ID.
Then the com mittee adjourned until next
Thursday evening.