The San Francisco call., 1897-09-05
NORTH END
RESIDENTS
PROTESTING
Are Indignant That the
Contractor Still
Dallies
OVER THE HALL OF JUSTICE.
Dr.. Pescia Says That Cheap
Sub-Contracts Are Being
Sought.
SUPER VISORS RECEIVE THE BLAME.
Fugazi Says Property Is Ruined and
Grass Grows on Washington
Street.


among the people who dwell in the neigh
borhood of where the Palace OF Justice
ought to be- slheiS business takes them
past the boarding on Kearny and Wash
ington streets. they daily grow more dis
gusted that no walls are rising within,
and the Italians, who are among the
largest property holders, are scathlng In
their denunciations of the Supervisors in
difference to the interests OF their part OF
town.
at is simply a shame that the building
should be kept back in this way, said
Mr.. Calegaris, president OF the Italian
Cham ber of Commerce, yesterday. II am
surprised that the San Francisco COM
muniiy will tolerate such all outrage.
The palace ought to be up by now. Be-
yond doubt the present state OF things
retards the bettering of business.
The Board of Supervisors ought to
look after the matter ami see that the
contractor keeps his obligations, just as
any other business man would have to
keep his agreements. The fact is that the
Supervisors treat this part of the City as
If 1t had no existence"
MIR. Calegaris added that in his opinion
there must be something under the delay,
and that he was sure be volced The opin-
ion of all the business men in the neigh
borhood by expressing his Indignation.
John A. Fugazi, president OF the Italian
Bank, remarked that at the rate things
are going on, he expected 10 die OF old age
before the Palace Of Justice reared its root
to the sky. Il suppose the contractor
will pass the contract on to his children
as an heirloom, so as to keep the job just
as long as he can in the family. Ii he had
any desire 10 get on he would put few
men TO work. The present condition of
the block Injuries the whole neighbor-
hood. Business is pretty nearly dead and
gone, and if they keep on at the same rate
We shall soon see the grass growing in
Washing ton street. Half the offlces there
are to let already, and it is the same
way on Clay street. AS long as tie tax
PAYERS have to go on paying up, | see no
reason why this part of town should be
allowed to die outright, as it will if we do
not get the Palace of Justice pretty soon."
L. c. Palmieri, president of the Bersag-
lieri Society and vice. president OF the
Italian Bank, is large property b older in
the neigh borhood and resents the present
snail-like progress of the palace acutely.
Il don't understand why they should de-
lay. They have money on hand, and all
that needs to be done is for the BoarI
of Supervisors to push the contractor.
There seems TO me absolutely no reason
why he should be allowed to daily on in
this way
G. Almagia, editor of L'Italia, has his
place of business close to The side OF the
palace and watches more notices to LETT
going up in the houses named from day
TO day. He said: The contractor took
the work at much lower figure than any
of the other BIDS. and ii So ems 10 me that
he is delaying now i'll order TO find cheaper
materials, and possibly cheaper workmen.
The present state of the site is great H..
jury to the neigh borhood, and II Is an
outrage tnat the Supervisors should utter
ly neglect this part OF North Beach, which
pays taxes Just as much as the more
aristocratic quarters of the City.
'The fact is tnat North Beach Is en-
tirely ignored. The streets are worse
kept than in the poorest Italian village
The greater part of the Latin race are
fatalists and do not make what Americans
call kick easily, but there is abs,
lutely no reason why THIS part OF the City
should be allowed TO run down. Many of
the old property holders to- an active
share in the City's development, and now
they are made to feel that the City
Fatners have turned their backs on this
part OF town entirely. Look at the street
round the proposed Palace OF Justice! 1t
Is in such neglected state that to p iss
along it is penance. | think if the Board
of Supervisors looked into the question OF
taxes it would find tnat this forgotten
and neglected quarter gives more revenue
than any other to the City,"
DR.. Pescia, president of the Montgomery
Block Association, has pondered long and
deeply over the cause OF the delay, and
the only reasona BILE ground he can ind
for the way in which the contractor lets
the days and weeks daily on Is that he is
seeking cheap. sub-contracts, and failing
to get them at his own hgures Is waiting
until they come to him.
while the contracto is taking his own
sweet ease about the sub-contracts, said
the doctor, great in Justice is peing done
to the property holders. When they pur-
chased the property it was some CT the
most valuable In the City, but since the
removal of all the public buildings Ii has
gone down and down. rents have de-
creased and half the offices are empty.
The district is thckly settled. and prop
erty Is taxed higher in proportion than
anywhere else in town."
Ihe people al this end OF town are
anxious 10 see that building completed
just as soon as possible, SO as to bring
back the activity which the presence o,
the Hall OF Justice would certainly attract.
There seems no reasonable cause Tor the
delay. Three hundred thousand dollars
are in the treasury for the purpose, and
la Dor is cheap and plentiful.
George Cavalli, editor CT L Elvezia, says
he has joined the army OF grum blers and
GROWERS, whose name Is legion about
where the building ought to be. He came
to this City young man, and he grew
gray before the City Hall was finished,
and he supposes that In the Hall of JUS
tice history is going to repeat itself.
Every one IN this part of town is deepy
interested In seeing the building COM
pleted, Tor our business depends to great
extent on it. do not see why they cam
not put up public building rs quickly as
private building. OF course there must
be why / was in there the other day,
and saw three men at work, for all the
world as if they were putting UP miners
ture. AT that rate we shall die OF old age
before it is completed. And in the mean
time our husinass Is d aiI,r suffarinu -