The San Francisco call., 1898-10-06
TAX ORDINANCE NOT APPROVED
 BY THE MAYOR Vital Questions to Be
 Decided.
TRUE STORY OF THE LAKE
CLUB MEMBERS PROPOSE TO
 GIVE A LARGE PARK.
"No Time for Monkeying," Says the Mayor, When He Reviewed the Important Matter
 Before Him.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
 o0S Broadway Oct g.

9eS Broadway, Oct. 5
 It is comparatively certain that Mayor Thomas will not sign the ordinance passed by the Council fixing the tax levy at S1 21 Some close figuring has been
 done, and it is found that the bare cost of maintaining the city government and
 the schools, provided they do not cost one cent more than last year, will not be provided by the ordinance, but will leave @ debt of S75, 900. This can only be avert ed by closing the schools a certain tirEe;
 by leaving the streets uncleaned and un- repaired; by closing the Free Library and
 by cripplng every department Of the city
 government.
 In addition to this the whole of the au-
 nexed territory. which contributes about
 $40 900 in taxes this year to the city treas
 ury, will be left without so much as a sprinkling cart.
 Mayor Thomas has given the Council
 men notice that he is studying the ordi-
 nance in detail, and that when he Is ready
 he will call a special meeting and suo- init his message to them. He Will re- quire assurance that none of the munich pal funds will be left in such condition as to cripple the departments. The head of every department haS aITeedy dssuL gu the Mayor that the levy Is thoroushix impracticable, and consequently 1t Will be sent back to the Council without the
 Mayors approval, and possibly with ms veto.
 ments of Lake Merritt has not yet been put before the public The members CT the club have formulated plans Whlcn will greatly enhance the attracuVenesS, the health and the value Of large DOT ton of the city. They have acquired tltIe from the Water Front Company, by pur- chase to all the marsh land between the Government harbor line south or the Eighth street bridge and Twelfth street dam, which amounts to about twenty objectionable sight. The plan lncluueS the building Of d bulkhead on the east ern shore of this mudbank, leaving channel of sufficient width between the private property line and the bulkhead. Through this channel dredged to sum- cient depth would pass daily the ebo ana flow of the tide between the estuary ana
 the lake, which is necessary to flood the main lake sewer. The whole or this tract
 will be deeded to the city by the club il now standing in the name or one oI the mernbers-as soon as it is evident
 that the contract for dredging the lake
 will make it certain that the tract Will be filled in by the mud This plan also
 includes the taking away entirely oI 1e tne Eleventh street trestle, which would
 go directly through this twenty-acre
 park. and transferring the electric road to d special track to be built on the south side of the Twelfth street dam.
 which would be widened to permit or
 The club on the one hand wants positive assurance that the work will not be dis continued by the next Council which takes office on April l, and, therefore,
 they want the whole appropriation of $S0 600 included in this years levy. On the other hand, the taxpayers demand that there shall be sufficient money to run the city in a decent manner
 This is the situation the Mayor and the ] city government face, and IL IS one or ] supreme interest to every taxpayer and l citizen of Oakland.
 When asked for his opinion this after noon Mayor Thomas said: I am think ing-deeDly thinking. The CounCilmen tell me that in some manner or other the money will certainly be forthcoming tC | run the different departments 1T allow | their levy to become a law. l find out ! that there will be about S75090 of a short age, and l have not yet found out the ! somehow or other manner in which Il ] can be obtained. l do not want my term : Of office 10 expire next March with the 1 schools closed. the free library and read ] ing rooms closed, and the city heavily ! in debt. and l want these gentlemen who have prepared this levy to prove to mt ! that such will not be the case.
 l T am told that the proposed ordinance i licensing every merchant and professional ! man will bring in the necessary income ! This ordinance is not yet passed, and l judging from the opposition 1t has aroused 1 I cannot see much hope for #. < state ! of affairs now faces the city government 1 which requires much care and thought. Il ] is not time for mountebanks 10 play tC 1 the gallery. but 1t is a time for earnest ] and cautious action. As soon as 1 an i ready 1 shall call the Council together ! and dpiihErR1p with them ''