The San Francisco call., 1898-01-28
IMPROVEMENTS IN OAKLAND.

IT N Oakland correspondent assumes an atttuoe ol \ regret that The Call is opposed to pubic in- provements in that city, in the line of parks bouevards and other betterments and blandshrnents which public in the sense o being at the cost of the whole city. Some recent remarks printed over the signature of our Oakland reporter are quoted as conclusive of the policy Of this paper
 It seems hardly necessary to say that the core spondent is entirely in error. The Call has re- gently indicated in the plaest and strongest way its desire to assist Oakland in this very line of improve ments, and that policy is not changeable by the passing opinions of a reporter whose contacts inn pressed him with the feeling that the people are not unanimous in their enthusiasm for spirited public policy.
 What we did and do deprecate is that every rising tide of public spirit in Oakland and elsewhere is taken advantage of to float some speculation in real estate.
 This evidently the case in Oakland When the filling in of the fetd marsh which is the citys front door at Sixteenth street station had progressed so far as to impress the people as long needed inn provement of vast benefit to the city, there origin ated strong public feeling in favor of acquiring as much of it as possible for conversion into a park Turning to the of the celebration of this fill ing by hag-raising on the marsh, we find that the Mayor in speech declared in favor of such acquis- ton and the applause manifested the universal ap- probation.
 With this policy, favorable to a long and much needed public improvement abroad, the speculator soon appeared. Every agent of ranch within a halt days drive Of the city began to declaim upon its fitness for park. Land on the mountain tops on the line of Contra Costa County was extoled as the only fit place for an Oakland park Other land far beyond the city limits and adjoining the cemetery was presented another garden set eastward in Eden.'
 The energy of the spectators demonstrated in petition for the purchase of ranch seven miles beyond the city limits, signed by four times many people as put their names to any other petition
 In addition to these fantastic evidences of an eff fort to pull the people around by the was the of one Oakland paper. When it seemed probable that the Council would select tract differ ent from the 1t favored 1t insisted that no ground should be purchased except by condemnation When the Council seemed to toward the favored by the paper ceased suddenly and entirely to advocate condemnation
 All of these signs so plain that no observer mistakes them, and if the Council shall succeed in spite of the pressure of selfish interests and threats that yellow newspaper in San Francisco will burn it up if it favor any but one tract, in presenting proposition that combines and reconciles public and not private interests. support will be hearter than The Calls.
 As we have said heretofore no plan for public i'm provements in that city which omits the comprehen- sive reclamation and parking of the West Oakland marsh will be worth considering No city in the State has better location for level park than that It commands the bay and the mountains in an en- chanting perspective and if laid in lawn spaces, fecked with foliage forms and frightened with flowers it will help the whole State and be of such interest to San Francisco as a sort of verdan yes tbule that rich people in this city will not be ap- pealed to in vain to aid in its decoration