The San Francisco call., 1909-04-20

me establishment OF civic center at
-- Nan Ness avenue and Market street.
ana the Location OF the new city hall
Z accordance with the plan were for
iaalty approved by the board of super
Flsors yesterday, and the project as a
unit VIII be put before the people IN a
bond issue for acceptance or rejection.
Nlne other minor projects were also
submitted. For all OF the 10 the board
ot works and the city engineer were
asked 10 submit accurate estimates and
speclications, upon the receipt Of which
the board VIII finally act
Ihe construction Of municipal
street railway system over the Geary
street route was declared a matter of
public necessity at last weeks meet
irE, and yesterday the board Of works
was directed to proceed with its pre-
p limlnary plans and estimates.
supervisors Giannini. Pollok and
Broderick voted No" on the submis-
sion of the 10 projects Yesterday, Clan
mini submitting a minority report from
tile committee. holding that the over
s-ladowing Importance of water should
prevent the board al this time from
trenching SO far into the city's bond
1ng capacity.
FEAR NOT SHARED
This fear was not shared by any
OF Giannini's colleagues. VINO are pro-
nounceo supporters OF Sierra water,
and former Mayor Phelan, appearing
Tor the committee on the Improvement
and adOrnment Of san Francisco. ex-
pressed the contrary belief.
Thomas Magee. the real estate ex-
CERT and former supervisor, put the
financial proposition
About S4.0O0.0o0'' he said. would
purchase the blocks proposed-those
bounded by Market, Franklin and
Hayes streets For the city hall lot the
city could realize S2,500.O00. The city
would gain by the exchange an in
crease in area OF about 1I3. 600 square
feet OF one block. The establishment
n tile center would itself tend TO raise
the value of the present site"
Architect Willis Polk hesitated to
speak To any one that was not deaf
and explained his advocacy after the
IRE OF another plan as adopted by him
with the inner assurance that this ae-
tiou on his part would insure the de-
feat Of the scheme he advanced.
Would BENEFIT MANY
Phelan called attention 10 the fact
tlar a = year bona issue for the pur-
pose would sit lightly on the people
while securing benefits 10 untold gen
eratlons, that iu truth the balance o.
s1-5G0.08e. the net cost of the land ac-
Quisition- would be overborne many
rImes by the location Of the city's nu-
rfcipai business at its scientific heart;
that one Incidental benefit would be Tho
acqHirelnent of the first block. between
F. Fell and Oak. needed 10 bring Golden
.iate parks extension 10 the center;
and that 81 every property owner were
told what the vast Improvement woulo
tax him on each $1,000. few would be-
grudge the sum IN view of the end
achieved.
RiEford impressed the view that the
project really called for only $500 600
net 10 secure the new city hal1 site.
-rhiie the board was willing a year
ago TO vote a s6.000.000 bond issue for
the hall alone. Returning to Brod-
erick's assertions earlier IN the day
anent city han blasting operations, he
said the present city hall was poorly
designed" anyhow
CONCLUSIVE As REFERENDUM
To the suggestion that the whole
matter be left undecided and referred
under referendum to the people, John
stou replied that a bond Issue sub
mission to a twO-thirds vote Of the
people was about as concrete and con-
elusive referendum as could be
imagined.
NcLeran. announcing his adherence
- the civic center idea, withdrew his
minority recommendation that sepa-
rate submission be made Of civic cen
ter and city hail. and the board went
TO vote upon each OF the 10 propo-
sitions enumerated above. Jennings,
with Pollok. opposed all the submis-
si0ns except the first, Jennings hold
ing il pre-eminent.
Upon the approval seriau Of all the
10. the board passed 10 print the
declaratOry ordinance by the following
vote:
AyeF-Bancroft. Booth, Connolly,
center. Comte. D'Ancona. Johnston,
1IcAlltster. McLeran, Murdoch. Jen-
nings Murphy Rixford, Hooks.
Noes-Broderick Giannini, Pollok.
"A Absent-PayOt-