The San Francisco call., 1899-03-23
GROWTH OF THE
CITY RETARDED
BY GENE ETER|ES
Statistics for the Su-
perVisorS.
AN EFFORT TO CLOSE THEM
STARTLING FIGURES GIVEN TO
SUPPORT A PETITION.
Representative of the Burial Places
Affirm That Any Steps Taken
Should Be for Their
Removal.
AN EFFORT TO CLOSE THEM
STARTLING FIGURES GIVEN TO
SUPPORT A PETITION.

Startling statistics as to the cause of
the slow growth of this city and also as
| TO the high death rate were presented to
| the members of the Health and Police
Committee Of the Supervisors yesterday
when its members heard the petition of
the Western Addition Development Club
that an ordinance be passed prohibiting
burial Of the dead within the city limits
after January l. 1902.
Z. P. E. Troy, vice president of the
| Richmond Improvement Club in his ar
gument in support of the petition dwelt
chiefly upon the effect of the cemeteries
! in retardtng the growth of the city to
! the westward He said that a conserva-
! tive estimate, made by people competent
to judge, placed the increase of popuIa-
tion in this city during the past ten years
at not over 25, 900. This, in population
of 300 900, he held to be a small percent
age. Contrasted with this he cited Marin
| County. He told of the enormous in
crease in population of Mill Valley, Sau-
salito and San Rafael. He claimed the
| latter had trebled it's population in a few
years. Alameda County presented the
same state of affairs. Its population. he
said, had increased 150 900 in the last dec
ade, while some of its small towns had
ten times as many inhabitants as they
| had ten years ago.
This condition Mr.. Troy attributed
!
ing effect. The people who were building
! across the bay were the ones who would
choose the Western Addition for their
homes If all conditions. were favorable.
He said the present movement was not
one in which it was Intended to move the
dead. He favored leaving the dead IN
disturbed, but to put a stop to further
interments. TheSspeaker dwelt on the
temptation to which officers of cemetery
| associations were exposed, chief among
which was that of overseeing the ground
under their control This led 10 buriaIs
too near the surface and other evils. He
drew attention to the fact that burials
We're double those of births and that the
death rate was double that of any other
! city in America.
/ John Henderson, secretary of the club
petitioning for the closing of the cerne-
teries, was the first protestant heard. He
said the petition was presented in good
faithi that the club had been organized
ern Addition and to develop that portion
of the city. He said there were only two
outlets to the city, and one of those was
out Point Lobos avenue, which passed be-
tween two cemeteries. This prevented the
natural development of that part Of the
city. He said Richmond was a suburb of
San Francisco. instead of part of it. as
it should be- 1t was separated from the
DR.. Cross followed, taking for his theme
the question of sanitation. He said
fight similar to the one he and his as
every city In the world. He counseled
that in consideration of the disposal of
the dead the committee should not be
swayed by sentiment. He told of the
various diseases that might be spread
about, especially through the seepage
that polluted the water used for drink
ing purposes. TIE first thought should
be for the living, and not for the dead.
he said.
]. II. Mcknight, with Attorneys Cres-
well, Gould and Hubbs, ali spoke in ia
vor of the petition
the Odd Fellows Cemetery was the only
speaker against the proposed ordinance,
although officials were present represent
ing all the parties at interest. Mr.. Fletch-
er said the people of this city had not
asked that the Cemeteries be closed He
held that the Board OF Health was the
proper body, and that It's members would
the cemeteries If they were a menace to
public health. In answer to the assertion
of the high, death rate, he said the ward
in which the cemeteries are located Is.
according to the statistics of the Board
of Health, the healthiest in all the city.
He did not use it in his argument, but
high death rate here is the fact that
many people come from the interior to
the hospitals Of this city for treatment
out of all proportion To the number of
inhabitants of the city Mr.. Fletcher held
teries should be for their removal, and
not merely to close them. This meant
confscation of the property of all per-
not use them for the purpose for which
they were originally purchased. The mem
bers of the Health and Police Commit
before making any recommendation to
the Supervisors. Chairman Collins pre-
sided. the others present being Supervis-
ors Attridge and Phelps.
Printing, engraving. stamping, visiting
cards and wedding invitations at Sanborn