Rangitikei Advocate. FRIDAY MARCH 8, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8759, 8 March 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. FRIDAY MARCH 8, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

The unenviable record of having produced the most corrupt adminis- [ iratfon that a city has ever known belongs indubitably to San Francisco. Such is the verdict of a correspondent of the* London Times. Up to 1899 the city was governed under a system which made abuses and graft almost impossible unless practically every member of the administration connived at them. The system worked well except in one respect. San Francisco grow rapidly, and it was found that there was not sufficient elasticity in the method of government. Demands for reform became more and more insistent, and in 1898 the Legislature was induced to grant what is known as tho Charter to the city. Tho idea of the new schema was to centralise power in the hands of the Mayor, the theory being that the mayor elected by tho citizens would be responsible to them. The plan would be an ideal ope if an angel from heaven could be obtained to occupy the chair, and it works very well when a really able and honest man is chosen. Mr Phelan, the first mayor elected under the new system, was a really capable man and gave the city a good administration, blit, unfortunately for his chances of reelection, he offended the labor organisations during s strike by ordering tho police to protect pon-Unionist teamsters. At the election iji 1901 the labor party nominated Eugene E. Schmitz for mayor and the support of Euef, a French Jew, who practised as a lawyer, and was considered the most unscrupulous “ boss ” the United States has produced, was secured for this candidate. Since that time Euef has practically controlled San Francisco, as Shmitz is a mere figaro-bead with no qualifications for command except a glib tongue and a pleasing address.

The details of tbs system o i-‘f graft-” which has gradually been evolved by Euef provide a marvellous chapter in the history of crime. The old officials were gradually removed and replaced by bar room politicians, ropghs, ward heelers, bullies and other interesting products of American political life. These men are hopelessly ignorant, ’ and often can hardly read or write, but they show singular skill in extracting money from the unfortunate citizens whose interests they are supposed to protect. It would take a volume to describe the whole system of 11 graft ” and wo can only indicate the general methods adopted. .A considerable proportion of the regular revenue of the gang came from indirect taxation. Take the case of a disorderly house, for instance. The-proprietor had to buy his wine and spirits from a concern in which the chiefs of the municipal administration were partners, and he had to pay pz- | orbitant pi;-.c for inferior goods. Similarly, he v,oc obliged to obtain his cigars and cigarettes from a firm in which city officials were interested. Even his glassware bad to be purchased from one company, on pain of a police raid. But this was not all. Proprietors of disorderly houses are frequently brought into conflict with the law in one way or another. There was only one attorney whom it was advisable to consult, even though his fees were extremely high— none other than Mr Abraham Euef. Even this system was afterwards improved by the establishment of one gigantic disorderly house owned by the-City-ball gang. It was. the only disorderly house in San Francisco to which a liquor license was granted, and as soon as it was opened other disorderly resorts in the neighbour hood were raided m order that

3 might have a clear field. The cost 1 of establishing it was about 20,000 ° dollars. In one year, it is estimated, 3 it made 800,000 dollars for its promoters, Another source of revenue - v.ss of course the gambling es--3 tablishments, which were (and are) ( numerous, and conducted with , practically no attempt at conccali men t. It is assorted that the * gambling interests have boon paying' ! at least 200,000 dollars a year for 1 protection, which was extended not ’ only to pool-rooms and ordinary ■ gambling houses, but to thimbleriggers and similar swindles at fairs and race-courses. The Chinese gambling houses were mulcted in heavy sums. The publicans, of course, paid heavy tribute. Even when a place was run in a perfectly legal manner the proprietor was not desirous of offending the administration, which could “ put up a job ’’ on him if he refused to pay blackmail. The alliance between the.“grafters ” and persons who lived by breaking the law extended even to pickpockets and “confidence men.” They wore protected so thoroughly that they were regularly organized. There were gangs of these criminals, each under a “ captain,” who marched thorn every day to their particular , field of operations and supplied them < with cash, if any wore needed to 1 start the game, and with the para- ' phernalia of their trade. It is the ( l amazing thoroughness of the system ,of “graft” which makes the Bm 'J

Francisco gang pre-eminent. It would seem as though absolutely nothing which could be made a source of revenue was overlooked. From the seller of pea-nuts to the railway corporation, from the newsboy to the merchant who wanted to use the sidewalk for storing goods, every one who desired a favour of the administration, every one who could be attacked, fairly or unfairly, under one or other of the multifarious State laws or municipal ordinances, every one who could be made to suffer through municipal red-tape or official delays, was made to pay.

The earthquake came as as a perfect godsend to the grafters. Where the thieves had one opportunity to rob tho people before the destruction of the city, they had a dozen opportunities afterwards, and before the debris had cooled they had begun to take advantage of the situation. An ordinance was passed permitting the erection of temporary wooden buildings if the Board of Public Works approved the plans! As a result of this, it is asserted, practically every concern that has put up a temporary building has had to pay for the privilege. It has been proved that the “ grafters ” have demanded, in return for permission to erect temporary theatres, S 3 per cent, of the profits made by the theatres. As for the “ big graft,” 750,000 dollars is the sum which, according to current reports, was paid to the gang for the concession which permitted the street railways'to replace their underground cable systems with overhead trolley wires. In some directions criminal proceedings against the “grafters ” have resulted in stopping their activities, and small blackmail has to some extent ceased. Apparently the idea is to make as much money as possible while there is a chance to do it. Such is the terrible record of the labor union municipal government of San Francisco. Its members are the men who are loudest in demanding that the “ immoral Japanese ” be excluded from the United States.