The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-02-28
THE STRENGTHENING PROBLEM.

7 is by no means creditabe to the officials of the
city that so simple municipal work as that OF
l street lighting should be problem impossible of
solution 1t would to be an easy calculation to
determine how much money is needed to keep the
streets lighted, nor, from the heavy burden of taxa
ton imposed upon the people, should it be difficult to
provide the money required 1t appears, however,
that the task is hard for the Supervisors and
consequence we are to have lights shut off for
good many nights in each month from now to the
end of the fiscal year.
In every household in the city the heads of families
have to meet this problem There are SO many nights
III the year, much light will be needed each even-
ing, and the cost per month will be much. In
every family wholly destitute provision is made to
meet this charge, and night succeeds night the
family home is duly illuminated Every Supervisor
whether of the average caiber below it, can solve
the problem for his own home, but when he meets
with his fellow Supervisors and proceeds to act for
the city at large his brain seems to give out some
where and then to the annoyance of the public the
lights give out everywhere.
There people who talk of municipal ownership
OF water works and lighting plants. They fondly be-
eve the Supervisors could take hold of the business
Of those works and operate them with success. To
these people the failure Of the Supervisors properly
manage small thing street lighting
when they have of the bother OF running the
plant will doubtless appear as direct evidence of
diaboism. The devil is in it," they will say when
they go out night and find the streets unghted
and they will add, "He delights in darkness and has
put up this job"
The general of citizens, however will not have
to lug in the personality of Satan to explain the
situation to their understanding It is but another Of
the thousand evidences of administrative incompe-
tence that is the bane of American municipalities If
the thing not OF such common occurrence and
similar to the results OF equal incompetence in the
management of all kinds of municipal work there
would be something almost startling in the fact that
city as rich as San Francisco, having all the APP
plances OF modern science and art at command can
not keep its streets lighted AS it is the darkness
will simply give occasion to few more crimes than
usual life and property will be little less safe there
will be some grumblng and swearing at the
Supervisors and then, with our habitua American
federation OF official misconduct we will let the thing
pass and wait for the coming of the new fiscal year
1t is familiar saying that every community has as
good government as it deserves. San Francisco can
have competent municipal administration when
she chooses. Our citizens have only themselves to
blame if they permit incompetents to attain office and
control civic affairs and long as we walk willingly
in such political darkness it hardly to be wondered
that occasionally the incompetents turn off the lights
altogether and leave in physical darkness as well