The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-02
PLAN TO REBUILD.
San Francisco YIN Ask Government to
Guarantee Her Bonds.

San Francisco, May 2.=Victor H.
Metcalf, secretary of commerce and
labor, who is here as the personal rep
resentative of the president. win be re-
welt and the cabinet upon his return to
washington the plan proposed by for
mer Mayor James D. Phelan, of hav-
ing the government guarantee a large
municipal bond issue by San Francisco
for the purpose of rebuilding the city.
This action. it is said, was unofficially
decided upon at conference held last
night at Fort Mason between the
finance committee of which Mr.. Phe-
Ian is chairman and the mayor at
which the proposition for the rehabi-
litation of this city as suggested by Mr..
Phelan was discussed at considerable
length.
It is proposed that san Francisco
shall issue municipal bonds in the sum
of 5000, 000, 600 to run a series of years
and the payment OF which is to be
guaranteed by the United States. The
money is to be used in rebuilding the
burned sections and otherwise rehabil4-
tating the city. In order to issue such
q loan It Will be necessary to amend
the charter and have the legislature
remove any other obstacles that may
be in the way.
The electric lighting system Is rapid
~ being restored and street lighting
was greatly extended last night Where
only a few sfreefFffghts pierced the
Z
Illuminated this streets last night in al
most every section oEfthe sunburned dis
tricts and for the first time. in two
weeks the mint and the postof1ce- were
brilliant with lights.
The mint was enoircled with a string
of incandescent lamps which passed
around the outside of the building and
made every approach as light as day.
Electric light service for residences
will be available and resumed as soon
as the mayor considers it safe and that
/ there will be no further danger from
! fire. Commencing tonight the embargo
on lights III houses will be removed.
Mayor Schmitz has announced that
there will be no further restrictions
/ imposed as to the hours in which
candles may be used. but the use Of
kerosene lamps will not yet be per-
Next to electric lighting the street
car system Is making the most rapid
/ progress in restoring its lines. The
service was greatly extended yesterday
and many more cars were run. Last
night gangs of men were working in
! the burned districts repairing the
/ tracks and replacing twisted and warp
ed rails by the uncertain light of
torches and lanterns and locomotive
headlights.
All able bodied men must go to work
| or leave the city. This Is the dictum
of Chief of Police Oman. which it is
said he will strictly enforce. The re-
clothing is attracting certain element
to the city which does not desire to
labor while some already here prefer
to live on the generosity of others
rather than work. Chief Oman is de-
ternined that those who apply for re-
lief and refuse to work when it is Of
fered them shall leave the city or be
arrested for vagrancy- The police
judges have suggested the estab lishing
of chain gang and putting all Migrants
and petty Offenders a work clearing up
the ruins.
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 almost
every block in the residence districts,
there have been few crimes OF. any
kind. It is the opinion of the police
that most of the criminal element has
left the city. The saloons, in all prob
ability, will remain closed for two
months yet. The absence of liquor is
controlled by the board Of police com
missioners. 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 restored.