The San Francisco call., 1904-09-02
o1NEVVS OF THE COUNTY OF AIAMEDA ho
BOND CAMPAIGN OPENS
WITH BRIGHT PROMISE
Councilman Howard Delivers Able Address on an import
ant issue and Is Followed by Colonel John P. Irish
Who Urges Necessity of Public Parks and Improvements

arfae the question What will be the enecI "a
'nIt II Is proSosed to issue So SOC. 900 Of per
] cent bonds TO run forty years with anklns
fund provision to retire ~ per ee ths extreme
view assuming that all the proposals ma 49,, az
adopted and that the entire expenoIsuIv t.t IT n
be raised annually for bond redemption viii e De
S62 800 and the average OF the yeariy tei ~
payments win be $5l. 25O. or yS yeary on IT,
S1l3 T5O equal to 81 % y per tnousano On q ~
tai assessed valuation OF $5OOOV,0O1; 49, +b,.
1t must not be hastily concluoeo dninz IrIu the the
rate of taxation will be permanent ouIIns -
entire period Of forty years. On Ine con- I a.
we have reason TO expect rapid yeAiiS
crease. -. o|
l. Because ths table Of assessable values OF
the city shows gradual increase. ., ,bs..
2 Because. with the compieIlon Lono+ fail 10
repeat itself in respect OF accelersIlns -
increase in taxable values. not merely @S M
properties Immediately adjacent TO theni, a -
also values throughout the city Will aPRLs5
ciate in sympathy with the general up"S'N
movement. - -,
g. 1t is expected that our citizens will feel
the necessity for early change in our char
ter provisions In regard to the making Oh
sessments. 1t is clearly apparent tnat win
the adoption OF a better system and its busi-
nesslike prosecution there viii result mors
equable distribution OF the municipal burden
and very appreciable increase in the totaI
Given a low tax rate and wise municipal
administration and your city VIII connihenu
itself 10 the favorabls consideration OF cap
| ital.
( titled in the belief that the total value as
sessed in the city Of Oakland should reach
between $50, 900, 900 and $40 100000 by tne year
1917, and OF course with each increase OK
S1,OOOOOO in the value OF taxable property De-
yond the $5O.OOOO 900 assumed there will be
ratable diminution in the 81 271z per thousand
To those Of US who must consider the fact
that the needs OF our city and the demands
| of its departmental heads grow in faster
ratio than our income, perplexing problem
is presented. For the present We must con-
to be kept within the resources This process
cannot be continued indefinitely or suffering
Is the abolition of the expensive incubus OF the
present county government.
During last year the valuation Of Oakland
property was increased 20 per cent and upon
this augmented assessment the contribution
by its tax-paying citizens for county pur-
poses was 500 cents. more rnan $4Oo. 900.
What proportion OF it spent for the
benefit OF Oakland?
What advantage was derived by Alameda
county?
1 do not contend that under consolidation
the total of these contributions would be saved
TO the united cities. but il may with safety
be said that under wise and clean admins
tration an astonishingIy large percentage
could be saved and devoted TO purposes in
which the three municipalities have an imme-
diate and direct interest
Regarding the projects submitted for bonds.
no claim for originality Is made on the part
All of them and more are seIf-evident propo-
sitions In some form other all OF them
have been discussed. and those that are Of
fered are the limited and official elections
that should commend themselves on the ground
of necessity or expediency.
They will not appeal to the unprogressive
or to the sectionalist.
They will appeal strongly to that public
spirit which believes in focusing the maximum
amount of intelligent work and the minimum
amount Of talk upon all measures that promise
good TO the city
They solicit the support OF those who be-
lieve that no good come to the whole city
/ NNr11 1o1u hat rCOd fe afo hw~u H+z owNe
Let US not deceive ourselves that we have
had the full measure needed OF this public
taSes OF our situation would have been more
availed Of than they have been.
Following Howard. Colonel John P.
Irish was called upon and began his
remarks by complimenting the city
upon having a man of Councilman
Howard's ability who was willing to
devote so much Of his time to its well
fare, and he made a motion that a
resolution of thanks be passed for the
paper Mr.. Howard had prepared. En-
tering upon a discussion Of his subject,
Colonel Irish esignated a few points
which seemed of Importance to him.
BY reference to a map he pointed out
that leaving out the fOothill park, East
ard West Oakland are about evenly
balanced in regard to benefits to be re-
ceived by the establishment Of parks
This was in answer to a feeling which
he said existed in his part of the town.
West Oakland, where il was stated
most of the property was being bought
for East Oakland.
Another point he made was that
eventually the big foothin tract would
call for the establishment Of a like
,or1- IN yUast OAKLAND opd that IN a
few years he would not be surprised to
see a park in West Oakland which
would connect by bouIevards with the
foothill tract. In speaking of the bene-
fit to be derived from a bond issue he
illustrated his remarks by stating that
a few years ago, when similar propo-
sition was before the people, he had
bonded a tract of $50 acres of marsh
land in West Oakland, to be purchased
in case the bonds measure passed for
$50. 900 for the establishment. of a park.
To-day you cannot buy that land for
twice $50, ,O00," he said. This will show
you how the value of property is en-
hancing and why we should buy this
land when it is cheap. The improve
ments themselves aid in raising the
value of the property"
Other speakers were G. w. Langan
and p. ]. Keller. Notice was given
that meetings are to be held from now
on until the election.
A vote of thanks was also passed to
City Engineer Turner for the prepara-
ton of a large map upon which are
marked the pieces of land proposed to
be purchased for park sites.