The San Francisco call., 1904-04-21

OAKLAND, April 2o-The Progress
Federation OF Oakland. an organization
of delegates from various commercial
and fraternal bodies, improvement
clubs and labor organizations OF this
city, the express purpose of which is
to boost the proposed bonds for the i'm
provement of Oakland, effected perma-
nent organization this evening at
meeting held in the rooms of. the Oak
land Board of Trade. officers were
elected and plans formulated for Wig
orous pro- bond campaign.
Fifteen local organizations were rep
resented at the meeting which, which
was called TO order by John T. Bell. the
temporary chairman of the federation,
and after some preliminary discussion
the nominating committee presented
the names of the following members for
election as permanent officers:
President, Edwin Stearns; vice presi-
dent, Wilbur Walker; secretary. DIR. E.
r. Ta3t; assistant secretary. A. ".
Feight; treasurer, ]. c. Bullock. These
were elected unanimously.
Delegates from the following organi-
cations were present: Oakland Board
of Trade, Merchants Exchange, Oak
land Real Estate Association. INDIE
pendence Square Improvement Club,
Piedmont Improvement Club, Oakland
Boosters: Pacific Lodge No. Z, A. o. u.
w; Pythian Hall Association, Young
Mems Christian Association, German
Gardeners Club; Argonaut Tent No. 33,
K. O. T. NJ. Oakland Lodge No. 162,
/. o. G. T.; Oakland Lodge No. 76. Ma
tionaI Letter Carriers Association;
sub-Iocal No. ]. /. 3. e. w; Woodmen
of the World, and Oakland Grange, p.
of II.
Brief addresses were made by Edwin
Stearns. Wilbur Walker, III. B. Belden,
A. d. Coplin, Judge John Yule. J. c.
Estey, r A. Stearns, a. V. Feight and
others, and the meeting adjourned to
attend the school bond meeting of the
Oakland Boosters at the common school
assembly hall at the Chabot Observa
tory.
The Boosters rally was we'll attended
and addresses were made by Superin-
tendent of Schools J. w. McClymonds
on behalf of the Board of Education
and Councilman A. II. Elliott on be-
/ half of the city government. Both
speakers forcefully presented the need
/ of better school facilities for this city.
and appealed to the voters TO carry the
proposed bonds next Saturday. After
the addresses resolutions were passed
indorsing the bonds and the plans of
the Board of Education. Superintend-
ent McClymonds told of the conditions
! in some of the local schools illustrating
the great need OF Improvement. He
said in part:
our schools are greatly overcrowded and
many Of the rooms in the district now eecu-
! pied for school purposes are not suitable places
I in which 20 house children We have. rooms
/ in the Easements of of our buildings
We have rented rooms not htted for school
purposes. and we have constructed IN a very
/ Temporary manner many rooms TO tide over
deficiencies. The importance OF this proposed
| bond issue is such that all residents OF the
/ district should be interested enough to 90 to
the polls and vote
Councilman Elliott's address was in
part as follows:
When the school bonds were first proposed
/ Il was intended to Incorporate them in the
/ general bond issue, but when the proposed
amount was added 70 the $1,000 Oc0efor the
purchase Of q water suppy and s.. .oo0, 600 for
Il general city improvements the total was found
| to be more than the city could legally be
school bonds a separate issue. Better schools
are absolutely necessary. One school in
4 Oakland the capacity Of which is 600 is now
/ being used 10 accommodate more than 1900
children. The city government Is taking all
1 possible precautions to make theaters and
1 r-rhltc halls safe in case OF fire but iust think