The San Francisco call., 1897-05-12

IN EARNEST
A Mass Meeting to Be Held
on the Cemetery
Problem.
MAYOR PHELAN INVITED
TO SPEAK.
The Richmond and the Western
Addition Clubs on the
Same Side.
SECRETARY MALONEY's GRAVE
CHARGES.
He D ares That in Many Cases
Bodies Are Not Buried for
Several Days.
SECRETARY MALONEY'S GRAVE
CHARGES.
He Dc ares That in Many Cases
Bodies Are Not Buried for
Several Days.

The Richmond District Improvement
ASSOCIATION by its resolution taken in
favor of having the City Cemetery re-
moved to lands outside the county seems
to have struck the keynote of popular
sympathy; at least so far as the district
whose best interest it is engaged in fur
thering is concerned.
And the club announces in emphatic
terms its intention to keep hammering
away until what it deems a nuisance of
the worst sort is abated. The first step in
the matter will be mass-meeting, where
the desire of residents and property
owners can make itself most felt.
Accordingly the executive com mittee is
now hard at work on preparations for such
gathering which will be held week
from tonight, at some hall in Richmond
District. If the success anticipated be met
with, it is very likely that another mass
meeting will be held shortly afterward,
this time in the heart OF the City.
Nor will the Richmond District I'M
provement Association make its battle
unassisted. A powerful aid has been Sc
cured in the formation of the Western Ad-
dition Development Club, organized
principally for the purpose of uniting Cit
izens and property-owners OF that part of
the municipality in an effort ''to promote
its advancement and prosperity" by
bringing about the closing of the Gem
eteries which now affect the progress and
development" of that section. 1t is
hoped by those interested that after the
| Richmond Clubs mass meeting the two
clubs can join in a harmonious effort
| to arouse the whole City to a keen inter-
est in the matter by the next mass-meet-
| ing.
! The executive committee of the Rich
| mond Club IS now engaged in sending
| communications 10 every resident west of
| First avenue, and rousing attendance is
expected. Both Mayor Phelan, who has
expressed himself in favor of the removal
OF the cemeteries in public, and ex-Mayor
Sutro will be invited to address those as
sembled.
The policy to be pursued and the nature
of the grievance may be cleaned from
some statements made by j. G. Maloney,
secretary of the Richmond District I'M
provement Association, last evening as
follows:
Ihave lived in this region all my life, and
I know that this thing is nuisance OF the
! very worst kind. There is no man out here
| not in teres ted, who does not desire to have
| the cemetery moved.
The INDECENT dead are brought to these
| cemeteries, ana on many DOluug not Qay are
| left there and not touched in any way or
buried for three or four days. Flies coll ect,
| and the microbes of disease and death have q
! clear field in which to breed.
The superintendent of the cemetery is en-
! ployed at salary OF $75 month and is al
! lowed 81 90 for every body buried and 81 so
for every body dug up. This is true of the
! Chinese dead. 1 don't know whether it be
| true of the paupers or not.
The principal part of the cemetery is taken
up Dy the Chinese. Those parts occupied by
other races nave each a private superintend-
ent and are kept in fairly good condition.
Situated as it is, just west OF the Richmond
| District, it is menace to the health of thou
| sands and damages the property of the whole
region That property is in position where it
would be the prettiest residence property in
| the City.
| l think the Board of Health should con-
! denim this cemetery, and afford some relief to
| the people out here. The Supervisors ought to
| take some action also; the growth OF the City
demands it. Both these bodies seem to be
| com posed OF intelligent progressive men, and
we are living in hope OF relief at their hands"