The San Francisco call., 1899-09-26
STREET LIGHTS
A NECESSITY TO
PUBLIC SAFETY
Danger Turks in the
Shadows.
GAS COMPANY DEMANDS PAY
Appropriation Recommended by Phe-
Ian and Incorporated in Levy
May Cause Monthly Rep
etition Of Trouble.
GAS COMPANY DEMANDS PAY

ago, is Delng carried into erect Wlth
vengeance. For four nights the citizens
of San Francisco have been compelled to
grope their uncertain way through the
darkness and fog to their homes while
their wives and children, who from neces-
sty or pleasure have ventured out after
nightfall, have been subject to possible
insult from drunken night owls or to as
sault and robbery by the outcasts from
society who earn a precariOu5 living by
warring on humanity. Now Is the har-
vest time for this latter class, for while
the bluecoated guardians of the peace are
badly handicapped in the performance Of
their duties by the murky darkness of
the streets the thugs and thieves are at
nee oeF go 10 faTTE on 5he nefa9a3 o45 tbe
question is being asked by the anxious
householders and taxpayers of the city,
How long will this condition prevail?"
The gas company officials say they cam
not afford and do not propose to illum-
mate the city,s streets. gratis. and the
hands of the Auditor, the Treasurer and
the Board OF Supervisors are tied as mat
ters now stand. They have no money at
their command to pay for the lighting of
must remain in darkness during the re
naming six nights of the present month.
But that Is not the worst phase Of the h,
lumination of the streets until the 1st of
October, but with the scant appropriation
for that purpose provided in the tax levy
San Francisco must look forward to seven
or eight nights of blind cropping in every
one of the next twelve months, unless the
number of lights throughout the city Is
materially reduced or compromise ef-
fected with the obdurate gas and electric
company, neither of which remedies is
either feasible or advisable.
streets of San Francisco for the fiscal
year of 1S9S-1S99 was $3.50 ,000 making the
sum available monthly under g,o taa the ghe- one
year, at the suggestion of Mayor Phelan,
the appropriation was reduced to S2fO.OOO
for the year, or $4,000 for each month.
That is the amount allowed by the tax
levy, and it cannot be increased or re-
duced Mayor Phelan figured that this
sum would be sufficient for the proper
were turned off for the two nights pre-
ceding and the two nights succeeding the
full moon and the night of the full moon,
in all five nights each month. With the
$3.50 900 appropriation the city was enabled
to pay for lighting the streets twenty
four and four-tenths nights per month.
Under the rate established by the new tax
levy the number is reduced to twenty
three nights per month, which will leave
the city in total darkness seven or eight
nights every month in the year. To de-
one each month will necessitate the cut
ting off absolutely of 312 lights.
These are the facts, the figures being
furnished by the gas inspector, ana ana the
do d6or5ss nbout nas ars must mus be- done
and that bs m H f be 1t hhg 6efe f4gogm te
great Mission district. but II that were
to be seriously. considered for minute
the residents of that quarter OF the e, city ,.
the City Hall to its foundations. But
even were the suggestion followed It
would but do away with but one dark
night in each month, as stated;
It is, to use slang expression, up to
the Mayor" Mr.. Phelan will be expected
to provide a remedy for the present un-
satisfactory, inconvenient and truly
alarming situation. 1t was at his behest
that the appropriation was reiuced To the
inadeuuate sum of $240 900, and as IT is
apparent that the street lighting schedule
outlined by him will not meet the. re-
quirements. he is looked to to provide IL
more satisfactory substitute. Moreover
as Mavor of the city and the executive
hesG Of the municipality, il Is the plain
duty of Mr.. Phelan TO solve the problem
he has created
recognized by all parties, and by none
more so than the city officials In an ef-
fort to reach some satisfactory solution
of the difficulty a conference has been
arranged between the Mayor, Il repre-
sentative of the gas company and mem,
Der of the finance committee OF the Board
OF Sur ervisors They will meet in the
Mavcr's office at noon to-day, and 1t is
to be hoped that their efforts will net be
entirely barren of results
PETITIONS RECEIVED.
The following petitions were received and re-
ferred to the & mi agsnps
and McAllister street. Employment Committee
for place to operate an elevator Tor one FRANK
DIV CampbelI & Metson for permission to build
arches and fence and play music. etc, on WAY
erly place between Washington and Clay streets
from November / to 10, 1880; North Central
Improvement Association requesting that the
amount appropriated for repaving accepted
he
one half where the owners agree to pave the
other half and to so apporton M sd al ieast one ne
the purpose of repaving streets within the dis
trict It represents: David Irwin for the re-
1novaI of fence of a greater height than is
allowed by law at the northwest corner of
Golden Gate and Seymour avenues; property
lights in vicinity of Day and Church streets;
Arthur Attrdge for the placing OF arc lights
teenth; Mother Margaret Of the St. Francis
Girls Directory Orphan Asylum for an electric
light in the vicinity of Buena Vista and Central
avenues; North Central Improvement Associa-
ton for the awarding of contract for the
paving with bituminous rock OF Clay street
~ owners asreeing to pay one-falf the cost
of the work at the maximum price OF 81 05 per
North Central Improvement Association re-
questing the board to use it's best efforts to
facilitate tho early operation of the new cleo
tric lines of railway now in course OF construc-
tion on Montgomery and Sanspme streets; e.
G. Lyons Company for, permission to erect and
bonded warehouse No. I, on Bluxome street be-
tween Fourth and Fifth; Armstrong 4 Hood
for the abatement OF a nuisance consisting of
an insecurely supported sign extending across
the sidewalk at the southeast corner OF Green
wich and Lyon streets; Point Lobos Improve
ment Club for the paving of the southerly half
of Fulton street between First avenue and
Stanyan street with basalt blocks; Il. J. Barra
for permission to place a few loads Of. blue
rock on the uneven parts of the roadway Of
Twenty-hfth street between Howard and Shot
WELL to place il in the same condition in which
II was before 1t was torn UP by the Spring VAL
ley Water Works; SAnn T.. Reynolds requesting
that the southerly track and cable slot of the
Preside and Ferries Railway Company ON
Union street between Hyde and Larltin be de-
clared n nuisance, the same being within four
feet OF the sidewalk and that the said COM
pany be required to remove the same 10 as
near as possible TO the middle of the street:
Charles s. Chamberlain requesting the city TO
pledge itself to pave with redwood blocks San
some street between Sutter and California and
between Sacramento and Jackson, or any part
thereof, provided the property owners stand
one-half the cost of said work
PROTESTS RECEIVED
ferred to the proper committees: Martin Con
nor against the construction Of a sidewalk
in front of premises at 2S0 Tenth street: Mrs
NJ de Silves, against the acceptance (con-
ditionaly) of kearny street, between Green
and Union; w. A. Mather and others. against
granting permission to r. A. Smith to place
a sign in front of premises at 7J3 Market
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