The San Francisco call., 1906-06-06
CLUB AGAINST
PROPOSED LAW
Mission Improvement Body to
Fight Street Widening
Amendment.
Representatives Will Present Me-
moral to Legislature
Today.

The representatives Of the Missioa
Improvement Club will make fight to-
day on the fioor of the Legislature
against the bill recommended by the
committee of forty providing for the
widening, Iengthening and creation OF
streets. The chief reason for the 0p-
position is that the club does not believe
ID a time TO tax the people of this city.
and to support their arguments the ro1-
lowing memorial will be presented 10
eac4 member OF the Legislature before
that body is called to order.
To the Honorable. the Senate ana
Gentlemen: The undersigned, the ex-
ecutive committee OF the MISSION rro-
motion Association. body OF eitlzens
and taxpayers of the Mission district
Francisco. most respectfully ask thu
Legislature Of the State of California
to oppose and defect the Proposes Proposes
comforting on the Board OF SUPERVISORS
of said city and county Tor the period
of two years the rights and powers
specified in proposition No 30. included
in the Governors call for an extraor-
dinary session Of the Legislature Sa1d
proposition No; 32 was included IN ne ne
so-called committee Of forty, here
tofore appointed by the Hon: e. r
Schmitz, Mayor OF the said city ana
certain measures for the reconstruc-
tion and Improvement OF San Fran
CISCO
said committee prepared its report and
submitted the same to the Board OF
Supervisors and said board duly ap-
proved the same. Should said consti-
tutional amendment be proposed oy
your honorable bodies and be ratified
by the vote of the people OF the state
said committee of forty in it's said re-
port will be carried out: ,,
We hereby specify the following
reasons why said proposed amend
ment should be defeated. and why the
alleged Improvements provided Tor IN
the report Of said committee OF forty
should not be made:
i. Said plan OF alleged improvements
provides for the creation. widening and
extension of many streets and avenues
almost exclusively in the nOrtheaSterly
portion of the peninsula. the expense
of which will be sustained by the gen
eral body of taxpayers resident witnln
the city and county or san Francisco
The land that will be benefited by said
improvements is in the business sec
tion and is now the most valuable
ried out will render said property more
valuable at the expense OF great ma
jority of citizens The improvements:
IL such they can be termed, will add
TO the wealth Of the rich at the ex-
pense of the great body OF small prop
erty-holders living in the Western Ad-
n.
triet. the Mission, Potre- ,, South san
Francisco and Ocean View. who will
receive no benefit whatever from said
y The report of said committee OF
forty contains no estimate whatever
of the cost. approximate or otherwise,
of the contemplated improvements; but
we aver that the actual cost of said
improvements to the general body OF
taxpayers will amount to tens OF mil
8. ANY attempt 20 carry out the plan
as recommended by said committee OF
forty will unsettle for many years to
by said Improvements; will result in
long and expensive litigation, and
will materially retard building opera
tions in San Francisco. o..,.
in force provides ample means and
methods for the Improvement OF the
city for the creation. widening and eX-
tension of its streets and avenues
5. Before considering any PROPOSE
tion for bonding the city for the fabu-
lous amount of money required to
carry out the contemplated improve
ments. the city should be bonded for
an amount sufficient TO furnish II with
an adequate supply OF water Tor the
use of its inhabitants; for the con-
struction of cisterns and reservoirs.
for the storage of water-fresh and
ment of fires. fushing of sewers.
sprinkling of streets and other pur-
poses.
Equal In Importance with the wafer
supply is the reconstruction OF public
buildings. including City Hall. Court
house. Hall of Records, fire engine
houses. jails. police stations. and prin-
cipally our public schoOls-high. gram
mar and primary-mOSt of which were
destroyed in the recent calamity For
this purpose alone many millions or
dollars will be necessary.
To the recent disaster there should
not be added the in1icti0n upon our
city Of an enormous debt for the sole
purpose of improving or beautifying a
small portion of its territory for the
benefit of a few, when other absolutely
necessary improvements will in them
selves involve an expense TO our cfti-
zens which will require generations 70
liquidate.
MATT SULLIVAN
JAMES ROLPH JR-,
GEORGE CENTER,
ID. o. CROWLEY.