The San Francisco call., 1897-05-10
EMERYVILLE IS
ETT|NG ANXIOUS
When the Racing Season
Is Over, What Will
Be Left ?
Income Largely Derived From
IL Men Connected With
the Track.
Nearly Al the Saloons Will Have
TO Close Because of the Lack
of Patronage.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL
N02 Rrnnd r-ou Mnrr O

OAKLAND OEFICE Gan L hANSISGO NALL,f
90S Broadway, May 9. I
Residents Of Emeryville are looking
forward with long faces to the close of the
racing season with the Oakland Derby on
Nav % The town was created primarily
for the purpose of m maintaining racetrack
within its borders which should be indie
pendent OF the jurisdiction OF the Super
visors. The incorporation proceedings
were rushed through more rapidly than
any other similar proceedings in this
county. Everybody wanted Emeryville
to be town, and they wanted it quickly.
The town was made and during the six
months OF the racing season everything
prospered and The grass was long and
green. Now the problem arises, What is
the town TO do during the six months
when stables will be vacant jockeys and
horsemen will be on the Eastern circuit
and there is no daily crowd attracted to
the r6cetrack?
a large portion of the income Of the
town is derived from saloon licenses, but
saloons cannot flourish on the small resi-
dent population of EmeryVille and during
the next six months there will be no float
ing population. There will be some
hor ses at the track all the time, but moth
ing like the number there at present.
One of the town officials said this week
that it is very easy 10 run busy town,
but to run an idle one is a task that the
trustees look forward to with Zest.
1t is certainly unfortunate for those
who are continually opposing the sugges-
tion that the three cities on this side of
the bay should incorporate that every
public question that arises should be
turned lnvoluntariIy into an argument
for consolidation.
For over month Oakland and Ala
media have been advocating the connec-
tion or the two cities by tunnel beneath
the estuary. One side desires it as much
as the other, and the unsnswerab argu-
ment is made that a tunnel is almost
necessity If much shipping is to come in to
the harbor. The legal conditions, however,
are not favorable to tunnel because part
of the project would be in one town and
part in another and the Supervisors have
no authority in the premises. If the three
cities were consolidated and Greater Oak
land were a reality there would be no con-
fIct between municipalities and the
county government, but the whole affair
would be in the hands of one governing
body, which could do as it pleased.
Another question now being considered
Is the maintenance of the Receiving Hos
pital. There is some legal doubt as to
whether the Institution should be sup
ported by the city of Oakland or the
county of Alameda. 1t is at present
charge on the county and receives patients
from every town in the county. Alameda
wants receiving hospital of it's own and
Is OF the opinion that the county should
supply it. This is very reasonable, for
Alameda should have an emergency hos
pital nearer than the present one, but is
not likely to get it by trying TO make 1t
appear that Oakland should pay Tor the
present institution.
Should the two towns be consolidated
as nature intended they shou d this whole
m after cou,d be settled at one meeting of
the city government and what is true of
these two instances is true of many others
The past week has been one of lively
policy at the City Hall. ASIDE from the
unhappy scandal connected with the
Health office there are other deals being
made which reflect no credit on those con-
cerned in them. AT the present time
Mayor Thomas and City Attorney Dow,
the Republican members of the Board of
Works, are a majority against City En-
gineer Clement. Clement would like to
make some changes in the heads of de-
psrtments, but cannot do so alone, and
he cannot at present form an allegiance
with either OF the Repu Dlicans, being a
Dem ocrat.
1t was once officially announced that A.
Nj. Benham, the real-estate partner OF the
Mayor, was to be Superintendent of Streets
and that FREQ a. Campbell was to be
placed in charge of the Fire Department.
Both of these appointments have been
temporarily laid on the table, but they