The San Francisco call., 1897-03-23

Ihe world moves, and what may nave
been just the thing twenty years ago Il
necessarily out of tune with the spirit O
to-day. We need a new constitution, and
am glad we are to get it."
D. u. Wagner of San Jose, In the City
yesterday, was much interested In the
| prospect OF change. He said:
The increasing number OF amend dments
being offered to the constitution is alone
sufficient to indicate that the lnstrumen,
is all at fault with the spirit of the time;
1t chafes. It will be modernized, and
J say, Speed the day'''
Mayor PheIan had read the article in
The CALL OF yesterday containing an &C
count OF the passage of the resolution III
| the Legislature last Wednesday, but he
did not care to express set opinion f0I
publication without further consideration
OF the matter. He was asked what amend
| ments to the constitution he would favor,
and he replied that perhaps, the most
| important ones in his estimation were
home rule for cities, life tenure OF faithful
public servants; larger powers to munich
palitles looking toward municipal owner
ship of public utilities and the engrafting
OF the clvil-service system upon munlci-
palities
With reference to the single-tax propo-
committed himself to it, but was now
seriously studying the matter.
''Real estate pays about 80 per cent OF
the taxes" he said, $50 the change to the
single-tax system would not be such q
violent one as some OF the others which
might be made by a constitutional con-
yention."
Superior Judge Carroll Cook was of the
opinion hat ii the people would return to
the old constitution of twenty years ago
it would probably be better for the whole
people.
as the old one" added the Judge, "but
we have settled it in the courts after
twenty years of trial and the people have
become accustomed to it, Business al
fairs have been shaped by ii. and the evil
effects first following its Introduction
have passed away. 1t is not good thlng
to have new constitute convention.
1t is likely to cause violent disturbance
in the business world and to upset things
generally, and the only good 1t does Is to
give the lawyers more business. In addl-
ton to all that, it is a tremendous e1-
pense to the taxpayers.
City and County Attorney Creswell
had not given the matter that cOnsidera-
tion to which it was entitled, bnt, speak
ing on the wing, he thought that constl-
tutional amendments were ill considered,
and usually proposed to meet some end,
and not always by those who do not un-
derstand the question in its broadest ap-
plication to municipal and govern
mental needs. Tinkering with the consti-
tuition was dangerous matter at best In
his opinion, but there were, no doubt,
some amendments that would be pro-
ductive of considerable good. An inter
mediate Court of Appeals would be an in
novatlon greatly to be desired, court
such as exists in the Unied States courts,
to tighten the onerous burdens on the
shoulders of the Supreme Court. The
mission Of such court would be to dis
pose of many cases which now 60 to the
Supreme Court, and thereby lessen the
vexatious and costly delays with which
litigants are now unavoidably harassed.
In many classes of cases the intermediate
court would be the court OF last resort.
City and County Treasurer Wldber had
not thought much upon the subject. but
would be in favor of changing the consti-
tuition OF the State so as to give San Fran.
cisco local self-government. Laws ana
systems which might work we'll In country
districts with a small and scattered popu-
lation would be very unsatisfactory In
City like San Francisco, where the popula-
ton waa large and dense.
Mr.. Widber found during his experl-
euce in the Treasurer's Office that the
present mode of collecting property taxes
and allowing rebates is very faulty, being
cumbersome and unnecessarily expensive.