The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-12
JOB No, 7423
M|SAPPLYING
CITY FUNDS
1t Meets a Delayed
Death.
SUPERVISORS SCHEME FAILS
1T WAS FOR REPAIRING POST
STREET.
SUPERVISORS SCHEME FAILS
Had Slipped Through the Board
Without Notice and Was Al
most Ready for Exc
cution.

The wealthy citizens who have their
homes on Post street between Leaven-
worth and Hyde, will not be favored with
new bitumen pavement at the expense
of the city. The Mayor yesterday inter
posed veto, which, It is understood. will
be supported by Clinton, Dod~e, Lack
mann and other. Supervisors who were
hoodwinked into voting for a bitumen
pavement on the block in question.
Some peculiar jugglery has come to
light in connection with this matter. 1t
appears that certain well-to-do people
with sensitive nerves, who reside on the
block, were disposed to object to the
rumble and roar of vehicles passing over
the substantial basalt surface in front of
their residences. The pavement was one
of the best of ITS class in San Francisco,
and there seemed little chance to secure
new one of noiseless bitumen on the
plea that the basalt was worn out So
far as the residents could foreSee they
were doomed to endure noise in common
with thousands of other citizens also liv-
ing on basalt streets.
But just at this juncture there came to
the front very quietly the man who was
needed TO assist the afflicted people whose
ears were distracted by the rumblings of
the Post street basalt. He called upon
certain Supervisors of the Street Com
mittee and explained to them that the
sonorous basalt of Post street, were de-
cldedly injurious to the ear drums of the
property owners in his neighborhood and
that it would be a humane act If the Su-
perViSOrS would be so kind as to order
the pavement torn up at the expense of
the city and bitumen substituted.
One and all of the Supervisors who were
approached pondered long and seriously
over the proposition. What excuse could
they give for tearing up an accepted
placing bitumen upon it at the expense
Of the municipality. when miles upon
miles Of other basalt paved streets were
not so treated? 1t was a knottv question.
If the property owners on other streets
found it out there would be a frightful
howl. So the Supervisors of the Street
Committee reasoned in council until one
Of their number exclaimed: We'll how
do you suppose that the taxpayers are GO.
ing to know anything about it? We will
simply advertise for bids in the official
paper, and there isn't one chance in a
thousand that anybody will see the adj
You can tip off the word to the Pacific
Paving Company and the job will be
done"
The Street Committee chorused APP
prevail of this wise advice and then took
the consent of the entire board. Mixed
in artistically among mass of inof-
fensive street repair recommendations
the resolution to repave Post street, be-
tween Ueavenworth and Hyde. was put
through by the committee on October IS
without discovery, the few watch dogs
Mayor Phelan, in the chair, was COM
PLEASANT. All went merry as a marriage
bell. The Street Committee proceeded to
advertise for bids. using the city's official
organ, and of course nobody saw the adj
vertsement. The conditions printed were
to the point Bids were asked for on
the distinct understanding that the con-
tractor was to be paid by the city and
county alone. 1t was so stated in the
The Pacific Paving Company
was awarded the contract for $2657 "a less
$475 "a rebate for fine basalt blocks taken
up and classed as "old material" The
scheme had proceeded without a hitch.
and the Supervisors who were instru-
in putting it through were each
expecting q little private smile of appre-
citation. when some meddlesonne person,
name at present unknown, went to the
Mayor and demanded that justice should
be done the other taxpayers Of the city
who did not live on the selecteu portion of
Post street by vetoing the resolution
awarding the contract To give the
Mayor due credit. he was fully of the
opinion expressed by his visitor as to the
unjustness of the repaving project, and he
sat himself down forthwith to write a
veto terse and stringent in its brevity
This veto was dropped into the office of
the Supervisors clerk late yesterday aft
ernoon. Now there will be kicking and
bucking and a gruesome snort on the part
Of the Street Committee and the Post
street gentlemen who had promised each
IF them an individual smile as a reward
for their earnest and disnterested labors |
FOR the alienation of noise on Post street |
at a time when the street fund was ex- |
hausted and needed repairs on other |
streets were held to be impossible.