The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-31
P. II. MCCARTHY
TELLS WHY HE'D
BECOME MAYOR
Candidate for Union Labor Par
ty Nomination Sets Forth
His Views
Relates Story of Life as Organ.
izer and Declares Position on
Campaign Issues
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

=. n mccarthy is candloate Tor
mayor. He seeks and expects to re-
ceive the union labor party nomina-
ton. He has sought and received IT
before.
P. h Mccarthy is an interesting per-
sonality quite aside from his aspira-
tions to be mayor. Any man who has
devoted half Of his life to the better
ment OF civic and industrial conditions
IS interesting. Mccarthy began the
work OF improving conditions in Am
erica within year after he arrived
in this country. That he has improved
American conditions he modestly ad-
mits.
Probably every one in San Francisco
has heard OF P. H. McCarthy's views
as expressed by himself. If there be
those who have not heard Mccarthy,
the fault is theirs. The views Of P.
H Mccarthy, candidate for mayor, in
so far as those views touch public
issues. are OF general public interest
even importance.
One Of McCarthy's mana gers or spon-
sors seemed to fear that The Call did
not appreciate that fact. He appeared
TO doubt that. The Call intended TO ask
Mccarthy the questions it had asked
other candidates for mayor. That his
doubt was unfounded is beside the
question
CONDITIONS OF INTERVIEW
He informed me by telephone that
Mccarthy would talk I had previous
" heard similar limitations. He in
formed me that he had arranged to
have Mccarthy talk TO me. was
grateful subsequently, I came TO ap-
precfate how much I owed TO the man
who arranged the engagement
With all.the preliminaries settled, the
Interviewing Of the man VINO wouio
talk was by no means a simple matter
mccarthy would not be interviewed
save in the presence of his legal ad-
wiser and a stenographer. 1 offered nc
objection TO the legal adviser and there
could be none to the stenographer. The
arranged interview nearly fell through
though. when Mccarthy insisted that
put my questions to the stenographeI
and depart. The answers. he said
would be sent around to The Call office
in little while Mccarthy said he
was sure that / was a nice young man
but he had been betrayed by a news
paper woman TO whom he talked out OF
the fuHness Of his heart. Never more
for him. said Mccarthy: the interview
was of his list. I was forced to, tell
Mccarthy that his answers would be
given TO me or this particular inter-
view was of my list The interview
went on
p. H. MCCARTHY, BY HIMSELF
At its conclusion comparison of
notes. word by word. conducted in the
presence Of Mccarthy and his legal ad-
wiser. disclosed that the stenographer
and had the following on P. H. Nc
earthly by P. II. Mccarthy:
Il am IS years Of age was born
in Ireland, county Limerick. I went to
Chicago from Ireland in 1880. ! came
10 san Francisco in 1886. 1 was edu-
Gated in the Irish national schools
here they are the public schools.
learned the carpenters trade in Ire
land.
with others I organized the united
brotherhood Of carpenters an6 joiners
OF America on August y. 1881. That
orga nizatIOn has today a membership
or 235.Q I organized the San Fran
cisco building trades council in 1894
organized the state building trades
council in 1901. ] have served rs presi-
dent Of the San Francisco building
trades council for IA years consecutive
y. I nave served as president Of the
state council since its organization.
am married and have three children, q
boy and two girls.
since 1881 I have devoted my time to
the betterment Of industrial and civic
affairs and I surely have improved
them. In 1895 / was q member of the
California labor council, which intro
duced p bills to the Legislature, one
OF which dealt with the vicious time
check system
4 was a member Of the charter con
vcntion of 100 and member of the
board Of freeholders which drafted the
charter. Aside from that ] was never
2 candidate for elective office nrfnr- I
TWO years ago. l was appointed Z
member OF the first civil service COM
mission in 1900 and served sour years
WHY HE Is A CANDIDATE
Why. are you candidate foi
Because replied Mccarthy. Il be-
lieve 1 can do more for San Francisco
in the rebuilding of San Francisco by
way Of rehabilitation and otherwise,
the bringing together of the people and
the removing of any doubt as to the
stability OF peace which in itself In
sures very largely happiness and pros
perity. I am candidate for mayor
because I believe San Francisco needs
= man in that office who understands
how to DO things for the benefit of all
the people and il ] am elected I will
be mayor of all the people. 1 believe
/ can give San Francisco the best adj
ministration San Francisco has ever
had. I believe I can bring San Fran
cisco TO the position she occupied prior
10 the fire when she was considered by
ali who visited US the Paris Of Amer.
lea"
Are you in favor of the Hetcf
Hetchy water project and the acoui-
sition and development of the proposed
municipal water supply2'
Il am absolutely in favor of il.
believe the time to get this is right
now. I believe that when San Fran.
cisco extends, as IL will, down the pen.
Ursula 10 San Jose and across into
Marin. Alameda and Contra Costa coun-
ties. which are destined to constitute
the greater San Francisco. we will need
ali the water that we may be able to
procure from Hetch Hetchy as well as
the present Spring valley system, the
purchase OF which / favor at a fail
and equitable valuation, taking over
with it all the rights. titles and priv
ileges now controlled by that company
I believe that the Hetch Hetchy system
should be built in the very best pos
sible manner at the lowest cost"
FAVORs LOW GAS RATE
Are you in favor of continuing the
tight made by the incumbent super
Visors Of an So cent gas rate, and what
IN your opinion should be the gas
-ste?"