The San Francisco call., 1899-04-10

their salaries by a small army of city
employees is no more of joke
- than it is an act of charity Nor can
the victims be blamed for the references
they are making to the fact that while
the treasury is empty the shores of Lake
Merritt are being filled. In a word, the
employees of the city are working as hard
as ever, but are paying out of their own
pockets for public improvements which
are of benefit to but a small portion Of
the city.
Months ago influences were at work
that caused a revival of public spirit in
Oakland. At least that was the way in
which the spasm was represented. Men
who stated that they paid taxes on
S16000,O00 worth of property commenced
a campaign to have certain improve
ments carried out. These improvements
were necessary, but Mayor Snow, then
Auditor, and several practical men de-
clared that it would be far more reason
able to spread the expenses of these i'm
provements over two fiscal years rather
than to pauperize the city by taking all
the money from one years taxes. The
claim that all the money could be spent
and the contract fulfilled before the end
of this year is now absolutely refuted.
for even a miracle of the ordinary kind
could not result in carrying out the vast
improvements within the stated time.
All this was set forth at the time, but it
met with nothing more responsive than
deaf ear.
The STORY of the Silver-mounted
Gavel" would be the truthful title of the
history of Oakland's misgovernment for
the past nine months. Night after night
those gentlemen interested in improving
the lake gathered at the council chamber
and by their presence aided in the pas
sage of legislation favoring the scheme.
On one occasion Auditor Snow remarked
that for sixteen millions to sit behind city
CounCilmen was nothing short of mild
coercion. and he saIu If he had his way
he would saw: Gentlemen. go home and
leave the city's business TO the city's
officials" However. piece by piece the
vast scheme went through, and when the
measure was passed appropriating all the
money from the fund or one year there
was tumultuous applause from the in
fiuential lobby and a week later Presi-
dent Heitmann-one of the late solid
six'-was presented with sllver-mount-
ed gavel in token of the appreciation IN
which he was held for the manner In
which he had fostered the impolitic legis-
lation regarding Lake Merritt
Last Monday night an ordinance was
introduced stating that the city was
bankrupt, that the only money in sight
is S57 900, which cannot be touched even
to pay the salaries of employees This
money is held sacredly for the benefit Of
Lake Merritt and not one cent of it can
be transferred. Further on the ordinance
contained figures reducing the salary of
everybody whose emolument is not fixed
by the charter, one quarter. Although II Is
not pretended that these employees were
getting more than they deserved, there
is no choice under the circumstances.
Their salaries must be reduced or the
,grr rr-gI 1,a 10 tn r11r
says that somebody must get hurt strug-
Cling out of the pit. and he set the eX-
ample of cutting his own salary one
quarter with the rest. But when the ord
nance was read no silver gavel resounded
on the presidents desk, neither was there
an influential lobby TO applaud. On the
contrary there were scores Of unhappy
faces of men whose salaries ranged from
S25 10 $50 per month listening to the
words that required of them so large
share Of their bread-and- butter fund. 1t
has been calculated that this retrench-
ment of salaries will save the city about
$1,000 by the end of this fiscal year, and
one of the deputies has also made the cal
culatiOn that an assessment of one-tWen-
tieth Of one per cent on Sl6OOO,OOO will
The first donation toward the deficit
Of any size, it should be noted, came from
"a hated corporation" and amounted
to $3.50
Perhaps one of the most amusing fea-
lures of the stringency in the city's purse
is the situation of Health officer ]. P.
Dunn. DR.. Dunn might almost be said to
have cut his own throat. Six months ago
an influential party drove around Lake
Merritt. Health officer Dunn and several
members of the Board of Health were in
the company. The borders of the lake
were inspected and every patch Of green
slime or anything that suggested mi
crobes was shown to the doctors. Little
bottles were filled, specimens were cor
raled and for several days the bacteriol-
ogists, the microscopists and the expert
mentalistS of the Board OF Health were
all busy making pictures and deScrip-
tions of gaunt death-dealing things which
inhabited the lake. After a while a re-
port was duly issued stating that the lake
was a menace to the public health; that
1t was likely during the hot summer to
produce bacilli, microbes, colonies of
germs, anthrax. bubonic plague and a
found mention in the text books. This
was all that was necessary. The Council
fell in line. marched along with the pro-
cession and the salary of the Health Off
Ger has been cut one-fourth, said fourth
being his contribution toward the elimina-
tion Of these frightful creatures of the
lake.
There is some merit in Mr.. Cuvelliers s
attempt to repeal the ordinance forbid
ding the sale or smoking of cigarettes.
His main argument is undenable. He
says that the ordinance. has not prohib-
tied their sale. nor has it tended in any
way to improve public morals. 1t has
only operated to send the legitimate trade
of Oakland 20 San Francisco. The ordi-
nance, it is suggested was passed in the
interest Of a firm of manufacturers who
sell cigarette tobacco but not ready-made
cigarettes, and 1t was reserved for Mr.
CuVellier to discover the ghost in the
woodpile A State law makes it crime
to sell to minors. and it is very doubtful
to adults would stand. 1t has never been
tested simply because it has never been
enforced.
In the general desire Of the new city
administration to stamp out gambling
there is danger that the crusade may be
carried too far. A measure of this kind
must be very clear and also beyond the
possibility Of being ridiculed. At this
tins can be found is turned into gam
session of Oakland. This cannot be de-
MED. Every place wnere sufficient vic
tins can be found is turned into gam
bling den. and this inclination to Gamble
is rapidly increasing. In suppressing it
there must be line drawn, and il is
useless to be blind to this fact. An or
1inance that will, in effect, make il mis-
aemeanor TO match nickels on street car
to pay the fareA or to shake, dice for a
drink, will not he popular, but will be
subject to ridicule These are not the
evils which it is sought to reach, for per
melons theV NAV he tbaSa cficac