The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-12
THE TAXPAYERS
ANNUAL CRIME
Not a Single Effort to
Protect Their Coin.
J0CULAR, If NOT SERIOUS
SECOND AMENDMENT NOW OF
SPECIAL INTEREST.
A Few Details Which New Charter
Makers tor Oakland Would
Have to Strenuously
Avoid.
J0CULAR, IF NOT SERIOUS
SECOND AMENDMENT NOW OF
SPECIAL INTEREST.
Oakland ONCE San Francisco Call,
ono CAN'T

Oakland ONCE San Francisco Call
90s Broadway, Sept. IL.
After many years Of intimate experience
with the manner IN which Oakland City
and Alameda County are governed 1 feel
constrained to say that the taxpayers Of
both deserve to be cinched. Not one in a
thousand takes the slightest interest in
the vast expenditures of public money
that comes out of their pockets. Hun
dreds of business men who exercise the
most scrupulous supervision over their
own concerns pay their taxes, grumble
that they are SO heavy and put 1t all
down to politics" The city spends about
a million yearly, the county nearly three
millions of dollars, yet when the annual
business of fixing the tax levy comes
around the men who are to supply these
vast incomes leave it to the whims and
caprices of the Councilmen or the Super
V1SorS and do not seem to think they are
guilty of the grossest breach of civic duty
and disloyal to their own interests by so
doing. II there be a time when it is
would meet the lawmakers it is surely
on the occasion of fixing a tax levy,
which is the most arbitrary debt imposed
on anybody.
Yet what do we see? Outside of a few
men who are DESTROYS Of some special
thing in which they are personally inter-
ested, who has been near the City Council
during the past week when struggling
with the tax levy? Not more than q dozen
people in all and not one-half of that
dozen were taxpayers. Hints dropped by
Mr.. Heitmann, by Mr.. Brosnahan and Mr..
Snow show clearly that tens Of thousands
of dollars are being wasted annually and
not taxpayer says word The effect
OF this Indifference in the Councilmen Is
very apparent-the people don't care, why
should they? Although 1t is known to
the people of Oakland that 1t is in con-
temptation to put large amounts in the
estimates that will necessitate the fixing
of very high tax levy, yet not soli
tary citizen was present to protest when
the sraet Voice. Mth few
exceptions, is raised against high taxes.
One of the most valuable books of its
kind ever compiled is the annual report
Of County Clerk Jordan. 1t shows where
gone during the past year, and was ready
for the public several months ago, yet
not one-twentieth of the taxpayers took
the trouble to procure one, although 1t
was advertised for and wide that 1t
had been printed for free distribution.
to force the people to take an interest
In their own government mailed thou
sands of copies to those for whose, bene-
fit the Supervisors. very properly had it
printed. This report is revelation. Even
the unframed eye can see where thou
sands of dollars have been sQuandered In
several departments of the county gov
eminent. Although many Of the sub-re-
ports are very cleverlly manipulated,
rial curtailment could not be made. Yet,
/ venture to say that these mines of
information, which should in reason guide
those who will elect the next county Off
GERS, will not exercise one particle Of in
fuence over the result.
If Alameda County be sincere in seek
ing a remedy for many manifest evils
that now exist and which drain her
treasury, she should return a large vote
in favor of the second constitutional
amendment to be voted in November.
Although published many days l have not
yet found single voter who has read it.
There is in it one clause which should
are annually wasted on Justices of the
Peace and Constables. This clause is:
1t shall be competent in all county govern
ment acts framed under the authority given by
this section provide for the manner in
which, the times at which, and the terms for
which the several township and county officers
be elected or appointed; for their compensa-
ton; for the number OF such officers. for the
consolidation or segregation of offices. for the
number of deputies that each officer shall have.
and for the compensation payable to each of
such deputies. for the manner In which, the
times at which, and the terms for which the
members of ali boards of election shall be
elected appointed and for the constitution,
regulation compensation and government of
such boards and of their clerks and attaches;
also to prescribe the manner and method by
which all elections by the. people shall be con-
tests and conditions upon which electors, po-
litical parties and organizations may partici-
pate in any primary election.
Only a few weeks ago one of the JUS
tees of the Peace of the city of Oakland
wrote an open letter showing how his
office was useless and the salary was be-
ing thrown away. Although 1t was very
partly for political effect, 1t undoubtedly
told the truth. Alameda County has al
an she Is abe o
advantage of just such a law as the one
quoted can any relief be found. 1t will
be interesting to watch Alameda County's
vote on the second amendment.
AS things are now shaping, it may not
be long before Oakland will have the
badly needed. In no other municipal gov
eminent on earth is there such a mass of
inconsistency and. such glaring stupidity
as in the amended monstrosity that now
passes for charter and under which
Oakland is misgoverned Is there any
other city in the world where a man pre-
pares plans for city work, adopts the
plans, superyises the work, passes upon
it and accepts 1t and then votes to pay
his own bill? Yet this is what Oakland
tolerates in her City Engineer, who is
also member of the Board Of Works and
a Police and Fire Commissioner Is there
another city where all the contracts are
let in June and all salaries fixed, and
where the tax levy to pay. for them all is
not fixed till October and one-fourth of
the income is expended? Oakland does it
under her charter. Is there another School
Department so deeply in politics because
of the fact that every teacher and janitor
is elected every year, thus forcing them
to do politics to hold their jobs? Yet Oak
land struggles along under such a disad-
vantage. These are just few of the ideas
that come to the surface when any one
mentions new charter for this city,
Councilman Woodward should know by
this time that he is not an authority on
figures. He is the youngest Councilman
but not the least known. He is very ener-
getic now in furthering schemes in the
City. Council calling for large expendit-
ures of public money and because Messrs.
CuNellier and Girard nxnrassed q hint that