The San Francisco call., 1897-01-02
.SUTRO HAS HAD.
HIS EXPERIENCE
He Is Very Glad to Lay
Down the Mayor
atty.
A Little Puzzled How to Act
in Face OF Tvs Sets of
Supervisors.
Makes Some Suggestions Looking to
a Be tier and Cheaper City
Government.

Mayor Sutro entertai ned number OF
friends at the Heights yesterday in very
genial frame OF mind. He is luxuriatlng
in the thought of being soon released
from the annoyance of "office"-of stand
ing poweriess at the head of the Govern
rtent of this City,"
AZ shall be done with it on Tuesday
afternoon" he said, land right glad l am
of it. shall prepare little message, in
which I shall make what recommends
tions seem to me proper.
The Mayor is puzzled little as to what
to do in the event OF there being two
claimants for each of the supe, ,visorial
| chairs, as there probably. will be. The
usual custom is for the mem bsrs of the
old board to rise up. giving their places to
the newcomers, whereupon the. retiring
Mayor. having made his little speech, va
Gates his own chair and introduces the
new Mayor 10 the new board. :.
But where the old board shall refuse to
rise up and do any such thing, Mayor
Sutro is at loss as to the matter OF form
there being no precedent for such situ-
alton. He says he will do what is always
done in such case, ask advice from Clerk
Russell. In any case seats will be pro-
vided for all corners.
What have accomplished as Mayor?"
said Mr.. Sutro, reverting TO the retrospect
i've again; very little. The Mayor is
little more than figurehead.
II could, of course, have done much If
1 had had the board with me. but with
that body opposee to him no executive of
this City can do anything. have stopped
.ioIa hot ;rht
mischief, but for the most part the ordi-
nances that 1 saw fit to veto were passed
by the two-thirds vote over my head.
"As to the matter of the new charter, it
is very important document and should
not be rushed through in hurry. 1t
should be drawn carefully and have the
benefit of the best thought and the most
careful inquiry into the system OF munlci-
pal government in the great cities OF the
world. For instance the attention of ali
students of municipal government is being
attracted to Glasgow just now, where the
municipal ownership and conduct or OPP
GRAFTON of all those things of public COM
fort; convenience or necessity, such as
water, light, transportation. ETC., are
shown to be great success.
1.-The idea of the citiZens of great city
paying a private corporation for the
water they drink and allowing them to fix
such prices, too, as shall net the company
profit of a million year! We should
have better water, better light. and better
streetcar service all at fraction of. what
these things cost us now. If it is so in
Glasgow. why should it not be so here?
The new charter might provide for the
working out of such plan.
"We should have better superintend.
ence, too, of public work. You have ne.
idea of the poor work that is done in
almost every department of the public
service. l could take the contracts for
street work at half the price realized by
contractors and give the people better
work. Especially is this true as to bitum-
inous rock work. The concrete laid under
the bituminous rock is. generally very
faulty.
1.-The supplies to our institutions-the
jails, hospitals, etc.-are generally of very
poor quality. This City is simply. big
business affair." big corporation-and
should be conducted as such. 1t needs
honest business men to-. look after it in
stead of mere politicians. With such in
the conduct of affairs great improvements
and great savings might be. made. :.
LAS for myself" said the Mayor, II
have generally been successful in nv un-
.dertakings through my life, but this
thing of the Mayoralty, I must confess,
proved unmanageable; could do little
with it. naye always been master of the
situation; have always had mum Der OF
men under my employ, and they did as l
told them. L could not manage the poll
ticians."
Speaking OF the funding bill, Mr.. Sutro
said: at would be bold statement to
say that it will not pass. Huntington is
very shrewd man. 1 learn that he is very
confident. Many of the Congressman are
retiring with this session and they may
become careless what. they do. Bills of
this character are rushed through at the
end of session. Why Cleveland has not
begun proceedings in foreclosure do not
understand. The time has run out. The
proceedings should be under way"