The San Francisco call., 1898-02-09
CONSOLIDATED
 GOVERNMENT Strong Opposition Mani fested by Alameda and
 Berkeley.
City Auditor Snow Outlines the Territory and Rate
 of Taxation.
Alameda Expects to Pay All Running Expenses by Income From
 the Public.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
 sos Broadway, Feb. 8.

The opening meeting of the Board of | Trade to discuss the adviSability of consolidated government was largely attended. Alameda and Berkeley were
 represented by leading citizens, none of whom gave the Oaklanders any hopes of ever seeing their hopes cher
 ished. It was decided to have com
 mittee of three appointed to prepare figures and gather information and
 place the same in form to be distrib-
 uted throughout the territory affected.
 The secretary had been unable to se-
 cure the City Attorneys opinion as to how to proceed in the matter of form ing city and county government. M.
 J. Keller stated that he did not believe
 the question of 1nodus operandi was as
 much the question to be discussed as whether the cities are ready to consol- idate.at this time. City Auditor R. w.. Snow gave the following estimate of the cost of a consolidated government. He said:
 My figures are based on the following terms: First, that the county or Ala
 meda will be divided at San Leandro Creek and a city and county formed or all the northwestern portion second, that
 the form of government adopted will not materially differ from the governments or other combined cities and countieSi third. that the valuation of property for the
 purposes of taxation will be the same as that fixed last year by the County As sessor of this county; fourth, that the in- come other than taxes will be received
 after the manner that now obtains in the city of Oakland.
 The estimated expense for such a ter ritory under one government is: County offices and schools, $605, 900; city offices, wharves, libraries and elections, $657 900; total, N ,262 ,000; receipts from State taxes,
 $375 900; income other than taxes, $3s2 900; total, $737 900; balance to be raised by tax ation, $1,2T5 900; assessed valuation of new
 si ,275, ,6o0,' S''G,hss' the amount required to be raised $1 70 on each $100 valuation of
 property. On s10OO,0O0 at the present rate of $2 F the city, county and State taxes
 will raise s2l, 200 at the rate of s1 70 on
 the larger valuation, $17 900. The differ
 ence in these is s4200 saved on each
 $1000,0O0. The rate of tax for bonds and considered the saving in the city would
 be $256O on each $1,O0G,000
 Craigie Sharp spoke of the possibili- ties of the city under consolidated government. He was followed by V. s. Northey of East Oakland, who favored the consolidation.
 c. A. Bailey of Berkeley declared that
 the unanimity of spirit was the great
 thing needed to make great city. He
 said Oakland wanted reduction of taxation, and would get it in a city and
 county government, but what, he
 asked, would Alameda and Berkeley l get. They had better streets, better
 municipal buildings and more enter | prise than Oakland, hence they had 1 nothing to cause them to look upon the
 scheme with any degree of acceptabil l ity. He did not expect that they would
 want to come in.
 City Clerk Ben F. Lamborn of Ala
 meda. said that in their city the taxa
 ton was lessesed by public utilities
 rather than by consolidation. He de- l clared that the day is not far distant 1 when the entire expenses of the city
 government will be paid by the income l from their government utilities. He | thought that the city sent $50000 all
 over the world for premiums on insur
 ance and S25,000 for a fire department,
 making a total of $75.000 in fire protec-
 tion. He had been told to-day that if
 they came into Oakland that these pre-
 miums would be increased. What for
 he did not know, but he did know that | the city had no desire to give up what
 they had.
 E. w. Maslin of Alameda said: "The l best thing you can do is to move out
 and let Alameda move in. There is no
 use of wasting strength on proposi- tion to consolidate. Do you believe that
 
 come in when such facts are in exist ence as have been produced here to- night? Your desire to form greater Oakland is selfishness to throw taxa ton on those you want to take In" John T. Bell deplored the words of
 MT. Bailey and declared in favor of consolidation He was followed by A. c.
 Henry, who argued against the points made by the speakers from Alameda and Berkeley Sol Kahn said the pres
 ence of representatives from Alameda foreshadowed success. Twelve years
 ago they would have been impeached by their constituents.
 James Naismith favored forming leagues, hiring attorneys to tell how to act and going forward on the lines laid
 down by them. Max Webber believed
 a committee should be appointed to go to work L. N. Hagar said he had worked thirty years for annexation and
 now wanted to see consolidation. M. J. Keller, w. D. Barnard and Fred Kahn made remarks, after which adjourn ment was taken until March 8, when all interested either in favor or against
 the proposed consolidation are invited to be present.
 
 rraD NTNTuEp TIA MTNE