The San Francisco call., 1904-02-17
OAKLAND BONDS.

~ UR lively and ambitious nelghbor, Oakland, il
1 awakening TO her opportunity. The City Coun
- Gil has decided upon bond issue of $500, 900
of which SI11oooo for additional schoohouses Tha
item only creditabe but significant 1t shows ha
the population has far ougrown existing school
modatons. The public SCHOOLS of Oakland enjoy dis
tincton beyond those of any other city in the Unec
States. They possess completely equipped astronomi
cal observatory donated by the late Anthony Chabot
which physical and mathematical astronomy may bt
studied with the of telescopes and other instru
ments.
The bond issue also devotes $4,000 to the equip
ment OF polytechnic school. which is in line with the
latest developed necessity of the school system. In
pupils will be taught the essentials of all mechanica
training and may learn the handicrafts in all their de-
tails The progress of juvenile ncorrigbility in the
country is traced to the lack of training in the hand
crafts To that lack we owe the creation of the juvenile
and other devices restraining the tendencies
youth which have their origin in idleness. poytech
mic school has become necessity in all large Cities
Oakland will get most favorable results from the one
which the bond issue will create
In another respect the Council has been mindful of the
health and good order of the city. 1t is proposed tc
park system in the foothills supplemented BY
pazas and children's Fairgrounds in different parts o
the city One of these located the filled ground ir
West Oakland where it is in sight from the main line o
the railroad That part OF Oakland has for years done
much harm to the whole city by its unsghtliness 1t is
to be hoped that this playground will as
nucleus for the transformation OF the whole marsh
park, causing the removal of the garbage dumps and
every offensive feature.
No city in the Union favoraby situated as Oak
land to receive the adornments of art The climate
leaves nothing be desired and the good shown
by private citizens in architecture and the adornment
lawns and borders has always been most comnlenda-
bic. 1t has long been proper subject of complaint
that public enterprise has Jagged behind. The determ
Of the citv 70 with
the procession in that respect will be long
membered by the people.
San Francisco appreciates the junction of Oakland ir
aiding this larger city retain here the commercial SUI
premacy which IS of much Importance California
There is limit the capacity of water front tc
accommodate trade Though that limit has yet beer
reached it may well be- Then will arise the question Of
diversion of trade elsewhere San Francisco should give
TO Oakland all support necessary securing harbor IA
cities and dock room TO the end that ample bay
may continue the fleets of the world We
that the municipal authorities of Oakland appre
cate the Importance of this view and if need be will
show in that respect the awakening enterprise thai
is in the bond issue for the purpose of charging schoo
facilities and securing parks
Another important feature in the bond issue is the ap
preparation for new City Hall A man is known by the
house and its surroundings in which he lives He owes
it to the community to make these the best he can
proportion his If this be private duty how
much is it public duty in the government of a
city. to house its administration we'll and properly The
Oakland City Hall has long been eyesore 1t looks
like the stepdaughter of the San Francisco custom
house, and with such stepmother what could be ex-
pected? In the basement is noisome jail that affects
the Board of Health and violates constitution by in
ficting cruel and unusual punishment upon prisoners
The building is bistered like the lips of an ague patient
and its exterior would be improved by painting it over
with patent medicine and tobacco signs after the fashion
of country barns. The proposed in the bond
issue for City Hall will erect proper building
with nobility of architecture suited city of the rank
and dignity of Oakland
In all OF these proposed improvements San Francisco
takes lively and friendly as if they were
her In this there is disposition to treat Oak
land suburb of this city We salute her our COM
ing equal in all things Her progress in no sense inn
pedes but is essential part of it. San Francisco
wants dead neghbors but requires that they all be
alive and strong working for the general progress bv
working for their own In the bond campaign it will
surely be the pleasant duty of The Call to urge its read
in Oakland to go forward with the assurance that the
experience gained by the proper expenditure of the
avas of the issue proposed will ncte them to fur
ther efforts until they for themselves the most at
tracve, heathfu and impressive city of its size on the
continent
San Jose welded her deceased husbands
brother the other day in order not to risk oei,, - ,