The San Francisco call., 1898-12-31
A POOR COMPROMISE.

/ | and Police, Licenses and Streets of the Board 4 of Supervisors Thursday 1t was decided to amend the ordinance regulating the height ot ad- vertsing bilboards to impose license ot 5 cents per square foot upon all of them which rise over twenty-two feet above the sidewalk Thus changed, the measure will be reported to the board with favorable recommendation.
 This Is a compromise of the original proposition and is eminently unsatisfactory. If the billboard owners think that any such arrangement IS going to satisfy the public they will later find themselves mistaken They may succeed in getting their rldicu- lous ordinance through the Board of Supervisors but even if Mayor Phelan signs it-which IS not prob abe-the whole subject will be ripped up in the next board and new legislation proposed
 The demand in this case is for shorter billboards the elimination of every kind from certain localities and license tax upon all. Nothing less than this will satisfy anybody except the bilposters The high billboards dangerous nuisance, and, sooner or ater like the Chinese they will have to "go." There are portions of the city where they should be permitted at all If an ordinance such suggest were now upon the statute books the unsightly nu- sance which is certain to inclose the Baldwin Hotel for months would be forbidden.
 As for license tax, that has been argued again and again with but single result. We agree with an evening contemporary that justice demands the mpo- sition of license tax upon billboards These adver- Using devices pay nothing toward the support of the government, yet they profitable than many lines of business which are heavily taxed They give practically no employment to anybody, and besides beir g dangerous in many cases they are always a rank and horrible ofense to the eyes and senses, There is not the slightest for exempting them from taxation.
 Another point justihes their regulation and taxa tion They compete with all forms of legitimate ad- vertising and draw their revenue from lines of busi- ness which licensed and heavily taxed It is an unjust discrimination to pass any such ordinance as is under discussion. Business men and taxpayers generally have right to protest against a system which taxes them and exempts almost entirely from the burdens of government profitable industry. The public demand for an equitable ordinance will not be satisfied with the puny thing reported by these committees. Therefore it is idle to pass it. The Su- pervsors will do we'll to throw in the waste basket - The mere fact of having been witness in the Bot kin case insufficient for the insults heaped upon those unfortunate to have been called To term spectaced woman who works for living "a goggle-eyed pot waloper" not a proud achievement, to be defended on any ground The San Luis Obispo constable who arrested three innocent boys on charge of horse-seaing is now under arrest himself but says he does know why At least he can understand how the boys felt 
 Perish the thought that man whose motives are so pure as Dennery's and whose methods so above reproach should wickedy be deprived of seat tc 1 which admirng constituents elected him. The political future of ex-Governor Merriam O. Minnesota to hang the whim of the wife O
 Cushman K. Davis, and the dirty linen of both ami lies to hang on the line in full view
 
 Now the Board of Supervisors has an exceen i chance to get into contempt and then into jail. Th , is the first semi-respectabe opportunity afforded i for getting behind the bars.
 Without wishing to be too sanguine, we venture that this country will be able to endure even the hos : tility of the French press.
 l. In Iceland there prisons Iceland nigh 1t naturally be looked upon by Dan Burns as haven e refuge