The San Francisco call., 1898-04-25
Competition in Utilities May or May Not
 Be Good.
Tall for Volunteers Will Not Cause a Dearth of
 Candidates.
No Great Progress Can Be Made Till the w ater Front Case
 Is Settled.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call
 NlN l..... | A O.

Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
 SS Broadway, April 24.
 Oakland is now studying a little prob- lem and is not in a hurry to reach a con- clusion. While it is generally realized the world over that competition, espe- cially in the matter of supplying those things often referred to as public utili- ties, Is desirable. this city seems to have proved the contrary. This is not sur prising. because Oakland generally has a way of her own of doing everything. and in this respect undoubtedly possesses more Individuality than any other city in the country.
 In the present instance Oakland is thoughtfully reviewing the possibility of competition in the supply of her lighting
 system in the light of her experience
 with water companies. Four years ago everybody rejoiced at the prospect of be- ing released from the monopoly of the Con- tra Costa Water Company. Mass meetings were held, bands played, all kinds of re- 1oiCing were manifested, and had throne
 of gold been available at that time MT. William J. Dingee would have been car ried into it on the shoulders of the popu- lace Time passed on, and the history of water companies since that time is known to all For while water was cheap, then it was cheaper, for a short time it
 
 the inevitable. The enemies combined, the Council was persuaded it was its duty to fix eXtOrtiOnate water rates, and the prospect now is that water-users will pay more than enough the next fiscal year to make up to the late rival com panies all they have lost in their legiti- mate businesses as well as in politics.
 Now there is q prospect of another gas entering the field. It IS starung out on much the same principle as that of the new water company. An endeaVor is being made to secure contracts to sup Icing charged. The new venture has not yet made any investments nor will lJ do so until sufficient inducement Is of fered. Whether it will ever materlaliZe or not is, however, not the most impor- tant feature of the problem. The old which has d peIie,t nlp... has decided that it does not want light on its hands. It has shown this desire to avoid. competition for many years and has been gratif1ed. It has on more than one occasion, in fact on many, met the demands of the people half way, and in this manner, although corporation and a monopoly. it cannot be said to be un- popular. There is on the part of the peo- pie a feeling of satisfaction that the held on this side of the bay is sufficiently in- Viting to attract rival company, ana there is q general idea that the best pur- poses of the community will be subserVed by Keeping the competition between the people on one nanOs uSiIlB lIl6 MIlhtlSJiCSo of capital to come here as their lever, and the gas company fon the other hand, ! rather than have two companies com biued with power to keep out other capi- tai arrayed against the people with prac- tically no defense on their side. This po- sition is not without much to recommend it and is somewhat unique when com pared with the general opinions regarding 
 But Oakland has a happy knack of dis regarding precedent.
 If the present war should be the means of transporting from this county mod erately sized regiment of office-seekers and of keeping them away until after next November there are many ordinary citizens who would have no regrets. Neither should this be a difficult matter, f all the expressions of patriotism coming from those willing to sacrifice themselves for the public service are sincere. Nearly every one of them now considers It neceS- sary to wear little flag on hls lapel anu whenever he meets a knot of voters to express the most fulsome love Tor his and regard for her in the hour of her peril. Such sentiments are to pc greatly admired, but if those uttering them were to patronize the recruiting or flee or the volunteer station instead oL the places where votes may be influenced the respect for them would be no less than t is at present. With the case which the Australian ballot system makes 1t pos sible for independent candidates to get on the ballot. there is a prospect that the list in this county next No Vember will be as long as the roster or the largest company of National Guards within the State.
 There is apparently no possibility that the number of volunteers among office seeking politicians who will rally to the defense of their country will cause dearth of candidates for county offices.
 Once again Oakland's attention is called to her water front. After forty-five years of a contest, the whole matter seems as Intricate as ever, and is far from solu- ton. In the meantime, Oaklanders are forever asking why their city does not grow faster. Who ever heard of city with a magnificent water front expecting to grow normally until its ,harbor is de- Considering the opposition to Oakland's g progress since the town incor- porated in 1852, its development, remem- oering its nearness to San francisco, has been remarkable. The city of to-day, however, is but a sample of what 1t would nave been had this great question been settled twenty years ago. If the popula- ton on this side of the bay is to increase las some believe) until it exceeds that of san Francisco, 1t will only be done by the of manufactorfes. Such places can only be built on the water front and will never be built until the in- yestors can be guaranteed immunity from Attacks on their title.
 Surely this little argument is enough to convince any skeptic of what is the para mount duty of Oakland.
 The School Board has a pleasant task 'n its hands. It has s15 900 to spare and to spend, and it is almost at loss how to | get rid of it. Some time ago the School | Board acquired 5000 for the purpose of purchasing a lot and removing the Tomp- | Iins School to a more northern locality. | The City Council, after hearing argument. iecided not to permit the removal of the | chool; consequently there is a nice little ! um lying idle. Several propositions have l .lready been advanced as to how to spend | he money, but it would seem to any one n the outside that the question has been lready answered. When Superintendent icClymonds appeared before the board Q advocate the removal of the Tompkins school he stated that 1t is absolutely ecessary to have more school accommo- atiOns somewhere in the neighborhood of 'aStro and Tenth streets. MT. Brosnah han eplied that for less than S15 900 a small chool that would relieve the pressure in hat district could easily be built, and .pparently this is the logical use to which he money should be put
 STUART w. BOOTH