Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-28

adopted. Corruption of public officials
and it's concomltant evils ana vices
must be discOuntenanced ana pun
ished."
There is no doubt that the committed
Of public security will have a stren-
uous task cut but for IT, Aside from
whatever action may be taken toward
stirring the police department to uc-
tion, It is proposed to make thorough
investigation into charges recently
made that Abe Ruef, the boss, and
Mayor Schmltz who has seized this
"opportune" moment to go abroad on
an extensive vacation, received S500,000
from the United Railroads for granting
the overhead trolley franchises. This
charge was made at two public meet
ings, and the accusers of the mayor
and the boss also declared that each
member of the board Of supervisors
had received $1,000 for voting for the
franchise.
The popularity of the bandmaster
mayor has been growing in the in
verse ratio for weeks. He is now uni-
versally denounced for leaving the
city at time when n municipal eX-
eCutiVe is so sorely needed. There Is
no doubt now that the mayor, Ruef,
and their ring" made NJ fortune out
of the necessities of the city directly
after the fire by forcing the diverse
"burned-out" city departments to pay
exorbitant rents for offices and build
ings that had been leased or bought
by the ring"
Rebuilding is Hampered
Whatever announcements may be
made i'm the east by the California pro-
motion committee to the contrary the
progress Of San Francisco toward re-
building Is being seriously hampered
Every day building projects that were
advertised widely are being laid aside
until the strenuous situation shall have
found relief. 1. w. Hellman, one of
the richest bankers on the coast, an
nounced in Los Angeles a few days
ago that he would invest Sc. 200, 900 in
building schemes in that city, where
there is no tyranny of labor unions
and "gougng" by material dealers
Other capitalists refuse to reinvest
their money in permanent buildings on
account of the cxorbitant price of
labor and materials, to which must
be added the graft that has been de-
manded by municipal officeholders
who are in position to hamper and
obstruct building operations. Shacks
within the fire limits are under NUM-
cipal ban, but they are still going up
the burned district
Though the decentralization of the
police department has been followed by
an unprecedented wave of crime, it has
served the purpose of rousing the people
of the city from their apathy. Affairs
had been drifting along negligently.
Graft in San Francisco has never
aroused much public indignation. and
after the calamity of April there was "a
furious march into real estate specula-
ton and small commercial enterprises
that We're started with golden promise.
ForgetfuIness of Housed Iders
In the first few months of prosperity
Il was seemingly forgotten that house
holders had to restock and reclothe
themselves and families. Insurance
money was pouring in in small sums.
This at first was spent with California
lavishness. Now as commercial affairs
sink back to their normal level the
small merchants begin to feel the pinch
of the high rents they have been forced
to pay. Fillmore street is no longer
thronged boom-town lane, and the
shopping crowds on Van Ness avenue
have gradually thinned
At night the streets of the city are
practically deserted, and the trolley
cars almost empty. Even travel in
automobiles is not safe, two having
been held up by highwaymen within the
past three days. In the clubs at night
members are found comparing the
weapons they carry for self-defense
and discussing the best lighted streets
for the homeward journey.
The present condition of affairs has
revived discussion of the wild western
days of the early fifties in San Fran
cisco. Many speakers and writers have
urged that the old, grim spirit is dead;
but the pioneers were remarkably
patient before they were finally stirred
to the organization of the vigilance
committee.
The maintenance of 10000 refugees by
relief funds is now being denounced as
iE part responsible for the existence of
so great community of criminals in
the city. w. j. Dingee, one of the city's
largest property owners, declared that