Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-30
OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER
Municipal Issues and lemsWa0derng W'ies Quarrel
With Their Ratlons-A Tiny Outcast--
Social and PERSONAL

San Francisco Cal, Oct. o. 1897
Nothing of startling Importance has
disturbed the quletude Of this peaceful
community during the past week. The
Merchants association, in which the
commercial interests center, Is pro-
crossing rapidly and the merchants are
gradually falling into line to protect
themselves against the unjust dis
ordinations Of the transportation
companies. and Judging from reports,
before long they will again be enjoying
the success their efforts deserve. Po-
litical reformers are still agitating in
vestiEations in state and municipal Of
fees. from the governors down to the
humble janltors Ever since Mayor
Phelan through his agent instituted an
Investigation into the conduct of the
board Of supervisors the public has
been kept in continual state OF I'M
easiness through the suggestion OF
other official reforms. While there Is
no doubt in the public mind that there
is great deal of corruption and dis
honesty among It's elected servants,and
much need OF change. at the same
time they realize that to thoroughly
investigate and weed out the guilty
ones entails an expense to the city far
in excess of an amount that could pos
sihly be Incorporated by these dis
honest officials.
From one branch of the city govern
ment to the other. the angel Of reform
has passed on her round of Inspection,
and the police department has attract
ed attention as being the most worthy
of q thorough examination, so real
genuine LeNow investigation Is
promised. Rumors TO this effect have
been current for some time past, nut IL
was only within the last week that the
have assumed anything like definite
shape, and now depend upon the neces-
sary charges being preferred by some
reputable citizen. as has been suggest
ed by the finance committee of the
board of supervisors. This suggestion
Undoubtedly emanated from the spir-
tied controversy between Police Com
missioner Nose Gunst and Chief OF
Police Lees, in which the former
charged the chief with many UNDER
handed transactions Commissioner
Gunst sought to have the matter thor
oughly and properly investigate by the
police commissioners and gained their
enmity thereby, as his colleagues are
staunch friends of Chief Lees and re-
fused to entertain any charges that
might reflect upon his official honor,
giving as an excuse that 1t would dam
age the reputation of the department
and cause dlssension among the force.
Now the finance committee has revived
the matter and proposed another plan
upon which to proceed. and IL Is to he
hoped the department will receive the
attention and renovation II requires.
and again be placed in condition to be
respected instead Of distrusted For the
police commissioners, with the excep-
ton OF Mr.. Gunst to try to pull the
wool over the public eyes by simply
declaring the department to be above
reproach, sounds ridiculous: 1t Is an
established fact that a more corrupt
and dishonest force OF men were never
before marshalled under one leader An
forms of corrupt methods are common,
including perjury bribery and the ex-
ercise of authority to vent personal
spite.
When Nose Gunst became police
commissioner he expressed much in
terest In the welfare and Improvement
OF the local force, and It has always
been his mbitlon since to some day see
II one of the most efficient in the Unit
ed States. He keeps well Informed on
all new ideas and methods adopted by
other cities. and II he believes they
could be applied and the department
benefited by them. he has tried to have
them introduced. II Is due to him
that the police department Of San
Francisco IL conducted Mt present on
truly metropolitan lines, for II is only
since he became a member Of the com
mission that anything like modern
methods have been employed II has
been his yearly custom toglsltEuropean
and eastern cities. and during hlp
travels he observes and studies the
regulations by which other police
systems are governed. and the result OF
these researches Is reflected In tho local
department. Consequently. when he re-
turned a week or so ago from his last
trip his mind was full Of reforms for
their Improvement. Confident that his
suggestions would find favor he 80
scented them to his colleagues for CON
consideration. but contrary to his ex-
pectations they were threatened with
contempt. and his only reward was the
information that there was no room
for Improvement. as the force was al.
ready the most efficient in the United
States. In, equipment possibly, yes
In discipline. decidedly, no.
The State insane asylumns have beer
attracting a gt-at deal Of attention
lately through an Investigation thai
has revealed very loose state o
affairs. Detectives have been secret,
-I-V,.