The San Francisco call., 1910-12-29
One Central Organization Is for
the Best interests of
the City
bureaus Should Be Established
to Watch Legislation and
Work for the Public
By THOMAS MAGEE

were consolidation. however. win not
insure better results, but consolidation
Tor the purpose Of centralizing work
and Of giving enc body an increased
income and Increased power. and a de-
termination to work along practical
business lines might be a long step
In the right direction.
There is a body in San Francisco
today with a distinct purpose. work
Ing te a single end. known as the
trafhc bureau OF the merchants ex-
change. This body is headed bv an
ernclent manager. who is so we'll re-
munerated for his services that he can
give al his time to the one purpose
on securing Tor the shippers and. mer-
S-lants tair and equitable freight rates
he IS not looked on in an unfriendlv
way by the railroad and steamshfn
corporations as they are glad to CON
Ter with him and adjust rates FOR ali
Shippers through the medium Of one
authorized representative. The chief
reason that this bureau has been so
successful is because Of the manner fn
which il is operated The salary IS
suInciently large TO insure the services
OF the best brains and experience that
can be found.
BEST MEN SHOULD BE OBTAINED
Now, If the commercial bodies con-
solioate, they should do so with a de-
termination to work along these same
ines A small executive committee
should secure the services Of the best
men, competent TO handle different de-
paIlnents bearing on the upbuilding
ana prosperity of the community
At the head Of bureau on civic af-
1alrs high salaried man should be
placed, whose business should be to at
tend every meeting or the board Of
supervisors and its different commit
tees, 10 inform himself thoroughly on
All the business TO be transacted by the
board, and TO keep himself posted on
an matters Of public interest, on which 4
the supervisors intend to take action /
A competent and reliable man thus
following all OF the legislation about 1
10 be enacted by the city fathers. will 1
De IN position to advise with au-
thOrity the executive committee of the
consolidated bodies. After consulting
with the head Of this bureau ii viii
be in competent position to recon-
mend or oppose proposed legislation.
such an authority should investigate
clearly and closely such questions as
The purchase OF Spring Valley and the
sierra water supply. The citizens Of 4
san Francisco have voted on the ques- /
uOn Of acquiring the Spring Valley I
plant but Of all the thousands who I
voted, the circular doubts If two per
cent were competent TO pass on the /
value Of the real estate, the reservoirs !
and the distributing system
COLONIZATION
Another bureau on immi grafton and /
colonization should be headed by a 1
nigh salarled man, whose business In /
life would be TO devise ways and means /
for Increasing the population of San 4
Francisco The population Of Cali 4
fornia and Of san Francisco can be 4
enormously increased by systematic 4
advertising. The only advertising on 1
large scale for California has been /
done by the railroads. This state is /
capable Of supporting FIVE times the /
number Of persons now here. The /
head of a bureau on population with /
money at his disposal, should send jars /
of California fruit TO every grocery
throughout the country. No keeper 1
q such shop would refuse 4
TO put such jars in his windows This I
and many other ways Of advertising
the state would be followed by this /
bureau.
Another department should give its /
time solely to raising money through /
out the city for numerous public causes, /
Tor which up TO date only a few have 4
been asked TO subscribe. The bur- 4
den Of receptions, fairs aviation meets /
and the many other projects affecting 4
the advancement Of the city has fallen 4
on the shoulders Of a few. The bank |
ers. real estate agents, the hotel keep /
ers and the well known merchants are /
asked every week to contribute to some /
fund TO be expended for the general /
good. If a high salaried man were !
paid by the consolidated commercial /
bodies to give all of his time to the 4
raising of a general fund for such pur- /
poses the "old guard" which is contin- 4
D, ,faafa
a fourth as much as 1t is now giving 4
10 a fund that would be 10 or IL times 1
as large, for this bureau would make it /
its business TO call on everybody, from 1
small merchants TO large property own /
ers. TO contribute his proper proportion /
Of the whole. One annual subscription /
70 this bureau would make the donor /
immune from all financial calls i un /
derstand there is such a bureau in Chi
csgo and that Marshall Field contrib
utes TO It $1,000 a year and no more
CONSOLIDATION
It would be well to head one bureau /
with a competent man, who would give /
ali his time to bringing about the con-
solidation OF the cities about the bay. 4
The consolidation Of these cities was l
first discussed about two years ago and /
at a very inopportune time. Oakland at
that time had an idea that its popu- |
lation would soon exceed that OF San |
Francisco. Oakland might then have /
consented TO join San Francisco if San
Francisco had agreed to call the en-
Isrged city greater Oakland" What
an opportunity TO bring Oakland and |
san Francisco into world prominence
was there lost
The eyes of the world have been on
San. Francisco ever since the fire. What |
an advertisement it would have been
for ali the communities about san |
Francisco bay if the recent census had
announced the population Of greater /
san Francisco at 677.s4S. That oppor-
tunity Is lost, never TO return again. |
and Oakland and San Francisco have /
both suffered. The main question be-
fore both Of these cities is not TO see
how much population one can take
from the other. but how much new pop
lllation can be brought TO both.
Another bureau might be headed by
a careful, cool headed student. who
would advise this great commercial
body on the relations between employer
and employe and how for the good of
The city and the best interests of the
nublic. to solve the difficulties that are
.o/nstantly arising, with a view to es-