The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-24
THE CHARTER CLUB.

L ii + meeting at metropolitan Tempe OH NlOH-
day night to organize civic body for the pur-
pose of influencing municipal administration IN
the interest OF property and industries very sig
nifcant gathering The address by the chairman de-
scribed the decline in values in San Francisco during
the last decade putting it at nearly half billion dol
lars The statement is sufficiently startling TO stir to
activity the people who are injured by that mighty
shrinkage The chairman presented the case by
sentence that strikes the reader with all the interest
OF novelty when he said the purpose OF the meeting
was: IF possible, to determine means by which
to prevent further loss to the OF our city.
The owners OF the city 1t would appear the
surface that the city is owned by the politicians and
Office holders They in authority. They take the
taxes and spend them, and the property owners run
hither and yon pleading for mercy in their assess
ments looking in despair upon a rising taxable
on a constantly falling actual value until there is
feeling abroad that they the of the prop
erty and the office-holders the landlords
So it strikes one as novel when the property
owners are referred to truthfuly as "the owners OF
the city" 1t is their property. That property has
fallen in value for ten years at the rate of fifty mil
lions year. and its owners have last concluded to
take matters into their own hands and find out why
their property, the city, has lost value at such
rapid rate.
The gods stand off while the cries for help to
pull his wagon out OF the n1ire; but when he puts
his own shoulder to the wheel and says nothing, but
lifts with all his might, then all Olympus to his
assistance
The owners OF this city have been invoking all the
powers of earth and air and water to come to their
assistance and lift the value OF their property of its
decline But they have taken hold themselves
and il their expressed purpose is carried out politics
will longer hold club over them, but they will
hold club politics and harness it to their policy
for the municipal commercial and industrial regenera-
ton of San Francisco
This city wants more business and the greater popu-
laton that it will bring Half million clubs are use
less things if they propose to merely bring immgra-
without bringing also the business that must sup
port it. It is not only through municipal admnistra-
that lost values are be recovered but through
individual and organized enterprise in business
San Francisco has not had enough OF this enter
prise. Business plants that should have come here
have gone elsewhere, For the sake of that prime
economy in transportation the bringing of ship and
car together commerce has gone up the bay to Port
Costa, and much OF it farther away to Puget Sound
ports, because ship and car are kept apart in this
city, which has the best facilities in the world for
bringing them together. European cities have spent
millions OF dollars to secure that facility which is put
here by nature and without cost
The Central Republican Charter Club will find
ample scope Tor It's work IN the interest of the own
ers Of this city and it first convince them that
they the and that their interests are u
tual and common. How would the affairs of a stock
company flourish if its owners the stockholders.
should consider themselves Republicans or Demo-
Gratis in superior to their character as owners
OF the property? How would things go if on election
day competent ticket for directors was opposed by
a ticket OF ncompetents who would be elected be-
cause their political partsans in majority in
the company? The owners OF this city are the own
ers OF its property Their interests are common and
nseparable. What hurts hurts all Let them re-
member this and determine to stand together as the
owners of a common interest, and municipal admins
tration will become business affair in which the in
of the of the city will be considered
and all the people will be helped by it.