Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-05-04
PLAN BOND ISSUE
TO REBUILD CITY
SAN FRANCISCO WILL SEEK BACKING OF GOVERNM
Proposition VIII Be Laid Before PRESIDENTIAL AbeBoded
Men Must Work or Leave City, Declares Chief of
PoliCe---Little Crime Reported.

| San Francisco, May 3.-Victor H.
-Metcalf, secretary of commerce and la
bOr, who is here as the personal repre-
sentative of the president, will be re-
quested to lay before President Roose-
welt and the cabinet upon his return
to Washington the plan of ex-Mayor
James ID. Phelan of having the gov
ernment guarantee a S200000,00 mu-
nicipal bond issue by San Francisco
for the purpose of rebuilding the city.
This action, it is said was unofficial
ly decided upon at a conference held
Tuesday night at Fort Mason between
the finance committee, of which Mr..
Phelan is chairman, and the mayor,
at which the proposition for the re-
Mobilization of this cit suggested
by Mr.. Phelan was d at con-
siderable length.
To Issue 5000, 900 Bonds.
1t is proposed that San Francisco
shall issue municipal bonds in the
sum of $200,000,O0O to run series of
years and the payment of which to
be guaranteed by the United States.
The money is to be used in rebuilding
the burned sections and otherwise re-
habilitating the city. In order to is
sue such loan it will be necessary to
amend the charter and have the legis-
lature remove any other obstacles that
NOV he in the wav
All Akle-Bodied Must Work.
All able-bodied men must go 70 work
10 ,a{,,
of Police Chief Dinan, which, it is
said, he will strictly enforce. The
relief work and distribution of food
and clothing is attracting a certain
element to the city which does not
desire to labor, while some already
of others rather than work. Chief
Dinan has determined that those who
apply for relief and refuse to work
when it is offered them shall leave
| the city or be arrested for vagrancy.
| The police judges have suggested the
establishing of chain gang and put
| ting all vagrants and petty offenders
at work clearing up the ruins.
Saloons Closed; Little Crime
Perhaps never in the history of the
| city has there been SO little crime in
San Francisco. With the saloons
closed, Chinatown, the Barbary coast
and other haunts of criminals wiped
out, and soldiers and marines on al
most every block in the residence dis
tricts, there have been few crimes Of
any kind. 1t is the opinion of the po-
lice that most of the criminal element
has left the city. The saloons, in all
probability, will remain closed for two
months. The absence Of liquor is con-
troled by the board of police commits
sioners Some of the city officials
| have intimated that they will not per
NIT the saloons to open and liquor
to be sold until the present armed
forces in the city are withdrawn and
normal conditions are entirely re-
stored Business is being rapidly re-
sumed by retail tradesmen of every
description throughout the destroyed
sections of tha citv
Seek Passage of Claims.
Washington, May 3.-At the begin
| ming of Tuesdays session of the SEN
ate Mr.. Perkins presented tele-
graphic petition from Gov. Pardee Of
California for the payment of the
claims of that state aginst the gov
ernment for the settlement of which
bills are now pending. The text Of
the petition was as follows:
"WiIl congress in Californ:a's pres
ent great need pass our five per cent.
public lands claim amounting to about
81 100000; also our war of rebellion
claims aggregafing $4,000,000; also
our Indian war claims originally $780,
900, on account ef the destruction Of
| 30OO00,000 Of San Francisco proper
| ty which represents one-ffth of the
assessed valuation of the entire state?
| Our state funds, including mainte-
nance of asylums, penitentiary and
repairs of public buildings injured and
destroyed by earthquake, will all be
greatly hampered unless congress can
see it's way clear to pass these claims
the Justice of which has never been
seriously questioned. We are under
great obligation to congress already,
but we venture to ask for this further
aid"
The petition was referred to the
| committee on claims.