The San Francisco call., 1898-02-14
BACK SEATS FOR CROAKERS Effect of Electric Lines in Developing the City
 of Oakland. How Outside Towns Could Have Their Eyes
 Opened. some Interesting Views of Menn- Der of the Ebeu So-
 ciety.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

lHlS week Tn the press must surely con- vince them that they should change their tune or move on to another town This particular fact to which I refer IS that the electric railroad syndicate Is now, and has been for some time paying out $25,99e a month in wages.
 Now glance back eight years At that time there was not foot of electric track in this city, and the blocks which are now the leading business centers of Oakland were vacant lots. A few lonely horse cars moved along slowly till about Il p. m., and then the city retired.
 In 1889 Oakland was one of the least progressive cities on the coast, and was run solely for the benefit of a few poli- ticians and couple of corporations.
 Then came a great change. The whole city received literally an electric shock Street railroads were run in all directions. West Oakland was invaded by four distinct lines all coming to the center of town. Berkeley was connect ed with Oakland by two fine routes Ala meda and Fruitvale, East Oakland, Le- ona and Mills College, Haywards, Pied mont and the cemeteries were all reached by electric roads, and one-half the county was so completely tied to- gether that, although it may not come under one government for ten years, it is now practically one large munich pality.
 These roads represented investments of some millions of dollars. It all went in labor, and eventually into the pock- cts Of merchants, who again invested 1t in large blocks. making more labor.
 Towns grew up between Oakland and HayWards; while riding now from Oak 1on rn -l-.a1o fc, i.1i line, houses being erected all the way; Fruitvale has developed, and is only di- vided by a bridge from Alameda. and in all directions new life has come into dry bones. In addition to all this, a new industry has arisen, that of the army of street-car men-mOtOrmen, conductors, cleaners and repairers, who are permanent addition to the popu- lation, and among whom $25,000 is now being paid each month by the synd1- cate railroads, in addition to perhaps SS000 paid by the Broadway lines. and not any less by the Haywards compa ny.
 This S41 900 per month put into the pockets of workingmen is respectfully called to the attention of those who fondly refer to the good old times when things were so much better and different"
 Dr. Chamberlain's letter to his brother members of the Board of Health deserves more than the passing notice hitherto given it. The doctor had good ground for writing as he did, and the only trouble in the matter is that the members of the Board of Health being scientific men and doctors of high repute, cannot also be expected to be politicians and practical economists. Thus, when they had a very careful analytical examination made of the water supply of this city, they decided it was their duty to adopt the report. This being done it became a public document, and the report that foretoId of death and other horrible things was scattered broadcast.
 Worse than that, it was made the basis by rival cities of Oakland in other parts of the State of an attack on this city. and a fearful warning was given all intending settlers to keep away from Oakland. This, of course, was not foreseen by the doctors Of the Board or Health, all of whom have the best in- terests of the city at heart, commer- cially as well as hygienically
 Then came the annual report of the Health Officer, Dr. J. F. Dunn, who is not a member of the board, and he wrote:
 The health of the city has remained at it's usual high standard during the past year, the death rate being only 1222 In comparison with the majority of cities in the United States this Is extremely low. The very low death rate from Zymotic diseases that was a marked feature in last years report can, we are glad to say. be again recorded this year. and there marshes are filed in and drained and some further improvements made in our sewers. this will fall still lower. We have especial cause to congratulate ourselves upon our relative immunity from those scourges of Eastern and European cities, ! diphtheria and diarrheal cases
 This caused Dr. Chamberlain, who did not help to pass the water report, l to remark in his letter published this morning:
 regret that this Board has been placed in the position of advertising one water company to the detriment of the other, [ and that the publication of any such cir cular as that recently distributed through out the city was made possible.
 I believe that the methods suggested by the preceding Board. if faithfully followed out would have succeeded very soon Tn ! purifying the water supply III question and would have avoided the unfavorable advertising just given our city. Such pro | ceedings would only have been Justified, | to my mind, had there been recent cpl | demic of typhoid fever or dyseDtery but with a death rate averaging unusually | low, I cannot see the need for any such | action.
 Does the doctor mean to imply that | the water company's fight cut any
  of Health?
 It is interesting to observe how the press of Alameda, Berkeley, Elmhurst and San Leandro rises with one ac- cord and denounces the ambition Of Oakland to absorb the territory ad- jacent to it in a city and county. These towns are evidently suspicious that Oakland may not give them as clean a political deal as they are now re- ceiving from their several administra- tions Alameda is virulent, Berkeley is little less so. San Leandro is really rude, and the Elmhurst Review goes outside the bounds of propriety and says:
 It would be more creditable to the pro- ponents of the annexation scheme If they would devise some means, to take. care or the neglected streets in the outlying DOT tions of Oakland before they seek to en- large the dominion of their city govern ment. One can pass along in thickly set tied portions of the community and look upon block after block in condition which is disgrace to the name of the Athens of the Pacific. Large municipalf- ties are not desirable. They are difficult to protect from the ravages of political bosses. Vice and crime are more ram