The San Francisco call., 1897-04-22
BOARD OF TRADES
| GREAT tMB|T|ON
The Secret Is Divulged in
a Section of the Annual
Report.
To Consolidate Oakland, Ala
media, Berkeley, Frultvale
and O,her D strcs.
Should Be the Second City in ths
State When the NIX Census
Is Taken in 1900
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI
90S broadway, April y.
2. The contamination of the long
cherished ideal of "The Greater Oak
Iand,'' by the consolidation of Oakland
with Alameda, Berkeley, Fruitvale and
other outlying and contiguous dis
tricts. This we hope to accomplish
before the taking of the next census
in 1900, which will then make US the
second city In our great State.
The above paragraph, which is taken
from the heading Future Undertakings"
in the annual report OF the Board OF Trade
issued to-day, will cause much discussion
in the cities and districts to which it has
reference.
For long time the fact has been recog-
nized that there is fully twice the amount
OF money spent IN government in the
territory outlined than is necessary. The
project of city and county OF Oakland,
which shall include Alameda, Berkeley,
Fruitvale and the contiguous outlying
districts is practical one, and cannot be
much longer delayed, according to the
opinions of those who are making study
of the question.
The argument is made that in this dis
trict at the present ime there is an expen-
sive county government, an Oakland city
government, an Alameda town govern
ment, Berkeley town government and
numerous sanitary and district school
boards, ali being operated az an enormous
expense. If all the inhabitants of this
territory were included under one eoo-
nomical and practical government it
would form a greater Oakland of about
100 0t0 people.
As all the towns and cities mentioned
are now so closely connected that il is
i'm possible to tell except by map where
one ends and the other tegins, the con-
solidation may be said to have been
already effected.
Whenever this question has been me en-
toned before 1t has always brought forth
great opposition from Alan eda and Berke-
ley, and II is to be supposed tnat this will
not be easy 10 overcome. The vast machin-
cry, however, that is EN- bodied in the
Board OF Trade and Merchants Exchange
OF this city, representing fully 1000 iead-
ing merchants, has proved that it can
carry out almost any project regarding
improvement that it undertakes. At this
time especially, merchants in all these
three towns are laboring under great diff
culties on account of petty municipal
iealousies, which are exhibited in the
ceS now in force.
The first move in this direction has
already been taken. The ordinance call
ing the election to decide the annexation
OF all the territory between Oakland and
Berkeley was printed for the first time to-
day and the election will be held on
June 3.
Berkeley politicians have already raised
some opposition to this measur because
1t will BRING the charter line of Oakland
right up to that of Berkeley. When the
matter, however, is sifted down to q COM
mercial practical basis, it is said to be
merely the opposition of politicians, who
fatten on municipal politics and who see
their profession being taken from them
by consolidation OF government.
During the past two years the police
courts OF the cities have been kept busy
wi trying alleged violations of license
ordinanc S, and the merchants of Oak
land now declare that the competition of
San Francisco which now exists is only
RENDERED possible because of the local re-
strictions placed upon merchants on this
side of the bay. With this species OF
legislation removed by a consolidated citv
and county government it is stated that
Oakland would keep her trade among her
own merchants besides absorbing tnat OF
the towns in the interior of this county.