The San Francisco call., 1899-08-28
OAKLAND MUST
ATTEND To ITS
OWN ASSESSING
False Economy Now
Regretted.
GlRARD DOES A LITTLE TURN
Many NEW THINGS FOUND IN
AN OLD CHARTER.
M. Cuvellisr Not Present az the De-
bate OF School Appropriations.
Sentiment on Opening OF
Washington Street.
GIRA7D DOES A LITTLE TURN
Many NEW THINGS FOUND IN
AN OLD CHARTER.
Oakland once San Francisco Call

Oakland once San Francisco Call,
rs Broadway, Aug. =.
L IS very apparent that the City Coun-
c-lDel would Ike % govern Oakland II
fact as well as r. name. ~ present they
Go not. Il the most important particular
t1ey have nothing g say, and that IS i
the matter q fixing z TAX levy. L is true
they 60 through the outline performance
ot declaring what the levy shall Re ard
how i shah be appo-toned. but the
amount q taxation is determined for
them by the County Assessor II other
words the County Assessor fixes The IL
come for the C5-y % Oakland and this IS
decidedly wrong. Bu- prior 70 this week
nobody seems % have made any COM
plant
But when the new charter IS compiled.
as Il will 5e IN 9 few months. there IS 10
doubt that The section placed IL the
present charter for the sake O< economy
VII ce eliminated and one substituted
t-a- 4tlI make il the duty OF The City AS
SCISSOR 70 assess Independently and not
merely 20 follow the figures OF the County
TIE economical idea that has hitherto
prevailed 3 exploded. Tor nearly as much
IS pad The County Assessor for q mare
copy o. MS Cl-y assessment as To--d. =
added -C The present salary Of the City
auditor, give -Es city an independent as
sesSDelt department Should this be az
1-1c1 Isa- t1a- = VII ce som 1s-el,-.F the
County Assessor. for Ar. Daltm has
always made q point of calling attention
- IE= economical conduct Ct his Crlcs-
Although should this peCQuistte Dc taken
away from him i viii mean a loss q
about S-7le during 4 term less the actual
C0E-. NJ. Dalton : not likely 20 1gE- -
-l t-at account.
The movement 70 have 6 new charter
: having one effect. those interested II
-re government Of Oakland. as well as
Nose charged with conducting il, are
row looking into the old charter . see
what II contains. one member O the
Council said recently THAI Es mad been
four months il Office and he had not Yet
completed -Es reading Of the city charter,
which consists altogether q but eighty
-l-- E11C@Eat= pages -leL nave as
covered many sections which are q sur
r--Ss u them II -I=w c- al the Q0I--
Ca pulling and Dz-,-r -ta-l-g II regard 70
patronage tEa- Cisg-2CeS every city
government II j. surprising 20 read that
70 appointments OF -sG0Ta-S snail cs
made Tor political reasons. nor shall any
removal p= mace except I0- cause Ss-
-a1.iSEet 20 The satisfaction OF the
board This was evidently brought 70 ils
attention - t1e old charter makers, tor
& t1z vs-v end q the charter Il was
somewhat qualified ny this remarkable
section Competent and experienced en-
not n5 unnecessarily removed 4he
word unnecessarily must therefore Dc
responsible for all The political -QlaobIes
regarding patronage that have been or
aye now detrimental % good and eco
DC-llcal government. The word 'neces-
sky for removing man admits OF as
-@-t2s 7 t1@ CRY E9Far;-Ile t-helce lAs
need c1 2 more definite charter.
Tne greatest mistake ever made in gov
e-nicg Oakland was The substitution Of 2
paid Board C[ Public Works and Police
Commissioners for TIE holoary board that
the charter created. Under the old regime
before -1e amendment was passed. the
Board q Works consisted OF three Of the
most prominent mea IN The city, who
were appointed one every Two years by
The Mayor, each holding Office for six
years. The amendment made the City At
--r1ey and CLe city Engineer elective Of
1cers. and they with tie Mayor constitute
the Soard OF Works and the Police and
Fire Commission. Since this arrangement
w=-- into practice the Ctty Han has been
( Eotb5G Of politics ana lis government
has been Characterized oy .1terIlDa6l= /
ClsIrsi.Dg.
PRIOR . tais monkeytng with the char
-e- The CITY Engineer and CITY Attorney {
and instead q da5bl.lg II politics ss they
are 1C-Csc 10 DO az present, they attended 1
- their business and we're Tot forever +
laying the foundation Tor pe-petGaIiag (
themselves iu Office.
II tae old days the board met once q
- ---- e---E "a - 1--S1.---aS A--54-
ness Since t1eA boards have ne. nearly I
every day y -le week ana have done al I
D-s- everything ol- s-te-1 solely y 5usi- /
ness. WIKI --e men who constituted the .
police officer or the t4ct t-llL 5Ee q the I
differed from one u is employees /
vas E1- considered sufficient cause tor /
calling a special meeting aHd wasting
tCree or four hours doing politics and dis
C-ec--lEg each others motives. II those
days the CITY Engineers attended 20 MS
Z =
e.s5 would take his place. L1s same Is
true Z The l!ty A-toEHe1- TIE chief pur-
Police and Ere Commission meet a. this
-tu-e are rCC well known 20 need any re-
Capitu.a-lc1- i Is sufficient 10 say that
alE 7.1 -1--g q reason imaginary O. real,
3 sU-lC.s1t % Justify q cali f0r a special
meeting and % be the foundation q q lit
t-s political sQuaoo.e
The manner III which the present char
t=r works ls best illustrated 6y the fol-
loving incident = property owner men
---i--- % ---- te--4i- .tIl-a-l IsoLA rs ward
tEa- a cllF--t sI0u-d De constructed al q .
certain street crossing ne Councilman 4
introduced iCt1 tCe Council resolution OF /
intention % have the Culye-t built The I
-Ll-tEe. after & tine \ came back 20 the 4
Council Tl-l TecomneEcatIon tnat the I
Works. q which the City Engineer is one I
was then authorized % perform the work 4
not TO cost beyond stipulated sum /
Scul5>ttICe later The Board OF works re-
cefved the resolution and decided 10 dis I
cuss T. On committee OF the whole When 1
the board held the committee meeting 1
y decided that Il would be 4 very good I
-hfng 10 have a cuivert al this point and 4
: -re-- agreed 20 recommend 20 The Board 4
cf works that sGCE z c1fyert be con-
srrtIcted At the next meeting OF the 1
Board OF Works the resolution was re-
ferred 70 the City Engineer, who is 2 mem !
h4r ~ The Board Of Works. with instruc-
tI01s 70 confer with the Street Superin- /
terSent regarding the best manner OF /
building the culvert and OF the actual cost I
a~-z Ia -rE -
gf1eer was ready 70 report 70 the board, /
al which he is a third. regarding the cul- /
vert and his report was adopted and then 1
- Street Superintendent was ordered 10 I
construct the culTert according 10 the 1
laid down By the Board Of /
Works AS soon as possible the Street 4
SrDertntendent proceeded 70 carry out his 4
0rders and found TO his great surprise /
nat since the resolution Of intention was 4
frsr presented 10 the Council. q franchise 4
had been granted a street railroad 70 go 4
over the crossing where the eulysrt was /