The record-union., 1897-10-19
WILLIAM LANDS VIEWS.
IDEAS OF THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR.
He Expresses Himself Freely o..
Matters of Interest to All
Citizens.

| William Land the r apubllcan nominee
for Mayor, is keenly alive to the duties
of the office for which he is a candidate.
He has ideas OF his own, is not afraid TO
express them and does so in clear and
concise language. He has given cur
evening contemporary the following
statement:
Il embrace the opportunity afforded
by your invitation TO express my views
uron the needed improvements of the
ciry.
Il would say the Capital removal scare
a few. years ago exerted a powerful in
| fuence to start the spirit of improve
ment in Sacramento more so than
any combination of circumstances be-
fore or since. during quarter of
century, and the conditions made the
man that filled the Mayors chair.
! Foremost among the requirements of
the times, it seems TO me, is the need
of material reduction in the tax rate.
BY wise and businsss-like adjustment
of our financial system and condition /
believe that this can be accomplished,
not only without adding additional
burdens but by tightening those al
ready borne. In this connection l am
constrained to say that the best avail
able judgment and sagacity of our clti-
zens have not always appeared in the
shaping of the municipal finances. II
the people of Sacramento honor me with
their confidence next November | snail
not fail to realize the responsibility that
will attach to my position. Human
! Judgment is fallible and while | hold
personal views upon the best methods
to pursue a progressive policy, / shall,
| if elected, from time to time invite the
| counsel of citizens from the ranks OF
| business, the professions and labor,
with a view to securing the widest pos
sible advantage to all the people. In
this regard, 1 will expect the confidence
and CO. operation of all good citizens.
I'm many respects the interests of the
| city and county are mutual, the city
contributing heavily in taxes to the
county expenses. 1t would seem that
closer cooperation of interest would
/ be both economical and advantageous
| to both-notably in the matter OF the
! State road to Folsom and the dispo-
sition of the drainage canal.
This suggestion opens wide neld
! for investigation that is entitled TO the
best Judgment of our citizens. Where
| common interests prevail to such an
extent it seems that they ought TO be
| in closer touch than at present. In THIS,
as in other matters, however, l should
| endeayor to secure a closer relation be-
| tween the people and those whom they
choose to represent them
| "When bitumen was first proposed as
the pavement for K street l opposed
it, not because / did not reallze the
need and desirability Of the improve
ment, but because my observation, from
extensive travel abroad, impressed me
that there were better materials Tor
use in street work. In London, Paris
and other European cities found tha-
/ bitumen pavement had been abandohso
! in favor of wooden blocks, 3x6 inches,
set on end, STEPPED in creosote ana lalo
upon concrete bases four inches deep
These payements are noiSelesS ana pro-
vide sure footing for the horse, Whlle
4 hit,luen pulls heavily in warm weather,
and is slippery and dangerous IN VIM
| ter. Many Eastrn cities use Trinidad
bitumen on their streets. IT is Iaf
ahead of any we have, being more IKE
asnhalt. Mr.. Watt, a property holoef
on Ninth street, between j and Is, ad-
v,sed with me as to pavements, ana
suggested asphalt, which he decided "
nee comparison of that street Win
| K street shows that the latter Is man
| ;fos+1v inferior. 1t must not be under-
stood that approve of a wooden biock
navement like that on K, between Front
ord second which was a miserable Jop
| on5 sbo,,ld never have been accepted.
"Au cross streets from J to X not al
,aodv dome should be laid in asphalt.
| Tbasa streets should be washed twice
weal, which would not be costly, as
the city owns it's own water WORKS,
and swent the balance of the time. All
streets outside of the business distrlct
sbo,,,d he macadamHzed, which, if prop
erlv done. will add very much to the
value Of property and place Sacraiieli-
TO in the front rank of California cities.
These streets should be carelully
sprinkled and not deluged, as at pres
ent, and kept clear of all RUBBISH Win
no grass growing in the guttefs- Inc
question of street Improvement now
fairly under way, is one OF the most
important with which Sacramento mas
| to deal.
Nothing should concern the people
more than rigid regulations IN the IN
terest of health. A beautiful city, how
ever prosperous, must always be un-
satisfactory so long as the health or
it's citizens is in jeopardy, and the pup
lie health thus becomes a material rae
! tor IN any scheme for the permanent
progress of the city. The sewer sys-
tenn Of Sacramento, if system it can be
called is inadequate to the demands
I of enlightened, modern sanitary SCI
ence. The duties and powers of the
| CITY Board of Health ought to be
! enlarged and exercised under the dis
/ eliminating supervision of the Board
/ of Trustees and the Mayor. The cess
pool, as an adjunct of general sew
age system, should be abolished with
| all reasonable haste, and a comprehen-
sive system, based upon the experience
of modern cities, should be inaugurated
as soon as expedient. The costly ex-
| periauce of the S-street sewer, which
/ is a peril to the lives of those who
| live along it's route, ought to be a
valuable object lesson to whomsoever
may be entrusted with the response
bility of executive power.
"A serious question that must be met
with intelligence and firmness, is the
matter of clear water. Under no cir
cumstances would I, as Mayor, assent
to any proposition that contemplated
the loss of the city's title to its water
supply system. While / believe that
clear water would be a valuable help
in the direction of inviting outside cap
ital TO Sacramento. as well as con-
servator of the general health, ! cam
not but believe that the wholesome
public sentiment in favor of retaining
municipal ownership of the city water
r,-star iS right Saa M reg snn why