New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
INVESTIGATION OF SAN FRANCISCO
POLICE - UNUSUALLY HEAVY
RAINS - FOR TALLER
BUILDINGS.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
BUILDINGS.


San Francisco Feb. 9.-The legislative investi-
CATION of the San Francisco Police Department
is the local sensation of the week When Mayor
Phelan went into Office last year he had practi-
cay all the best patronage Of the city at his
disposal He made many good appointments.
hut he committed the grave mistake Of placing
in several important offices men who were his
personal friends but who had no special quail
fications for the work allotted to them. The
most conspicuous case of this sort was that Of
Colonel Sullivan. who appointed Chief OF
Police. Sullivan was a fair lawyer. but knew
nothing of criminal practice. and his only exec
utive work had been the organization OF the
League of the Cross Cadets. of which he was the
colonel He displaced Captain Isaiah W. Lees.
one Of the ablest chiefs Of police in the coun-
try who had been in the service a detective
and police official for forty years. Lees was
familiar with the minutest details Of police
work and he better posted on the Criminal
Code than any lawyer in the State.
Sullivan went into Office absolutely ignorant
of all the working details of the police system.
and from his testimony at this investigation he
has made no effort to master the subject. He
was forced 20 admit he was ignorant or some or
the common provisions of the Criminal Code
and he revealed a lack of knowledge in regard
to affairs in Chinatown that was appalling.
The investigation was largely the result or re-
venSe the part of n newspaper which triea
to get share of patronage from Phelan. but
II was made plausible by the fact that the police
have protected Chinese gamblers and keepers
of brothels, while they arrest white men en-
gagged in the same disreputable pursuits The
investigation can have practical results be-
cause the Legislature has no legal power over
any branch of the city government The gist OF
the whole matter is that the police have at
tempted to license gambling and vice in China
town because they know it is impossible TO
suppress either evil. and the church people have
raised a storm over the system
Unusually heavy rains have fallen this week
over all the State and in the lower San Joaquin
Valley and about Los Angeles the downfall
produced floods that caused considerable dam
age. Throughout ths northern part OF California
the rainfall is only slightly in excess of last
year 10 this date, but all through the San Joa-
qun Valley the lower coast counties and the
citrus belt the rainfall is double and frequently
treble the total Of last season to this date Thus
in San Diego 1t is 5.62 inches this year. against
2O6 inches last season; in Los Angeles, 1888
inches against 45I: in San Luis Obispo 20
riches against $50: in Anaherm. 10sl inches,
against 451: In Mendoza. S.22 inches. against
524. and in Fresno S.62 inches. against 6.15.
All through the south there will be good crops Of
grain with one more rain in the spring, and all
there IS promise Of one Of the greatest crops in
the history of the State.
BY far the most thoroughly furnished passen-
ger vessel in the coast service is the steamer
Guatemala. OF the Pacific Steam Navigation
Company and the Campania sud Americana de
Vapores which arrived here this week from
Valparaiso She Is a vessel. and has ac-
commodations for l20 first class and $50 second
class and steerage passengers. Inc company
expects a heavy freight and passenger traffic as
II is we'll esta blshed
The new hattIeship Wisconsin was put in COM
mission this week without any ceremony. and
she now lies in Mission Bay. flying the nag or
Captain George II. Reiter. She will be detained
here for several weeks waiting for full COM
plement OF men, and then will sail on south
ern cruise.
The Supervisors are considering modification
Of the ordinance which limits the height OF fire
proof buildings 10 10 feet Several builders
have petitioned that the maximum height be in
creased 10 40 feet. and that the limit for a six
story building should be raised from eighty 10
hundred feet. These arbitrary limits have
prevented the construction OF several fine build
ings and there is no doubt the Supervisors
will grant the petitions.
Among the deaths Of the week was that Of
Colonel j. u. Fry. of the best known Cali
fornia pioneers and lifelong associate of the
late Senator sharon. He prominent in
many business enterprises. being president Of
the California Safe Deposit and Trust Company
since its organization nineteen years ago; di-
rector of the Bank OF California and OF the
Spring Valley Water Company. He also
largely interested in mining
Mrs. Fiske did not score great a success in
Tess as in Becky Sharp" and half Of her
fourth week will be given to the more popular
play founded on Vanity Fair" The Henschells
have appeared in concert here this week. after
absence OF three years. and though san
Francisco has had much music recently they
have drawn good houses.
Statistics show a marked diminutlon in the
number Of vacant houses In San Francisco. In
January. 1900 the vacant residences numbered
1923: last month they fell 10 2,9O2. The water
Company's records show that there has been no
abnormal increase of families. statistics showing
a regular increase OF 800 families a year for
ten years. The reason for this shrinkage is the
failure to build residences TO meet the demand
Most of the recent building has been of flats.