RE-BUILDING SAN FRANCISCO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8166, 25 June 1906, Page 5

RE-BUILDING SAN FRANCISCO.

By Telegraph—Per Mail Steamer at

Auukland,

SAN FRAN CISCO, May 31.

San Franoisoo is the busiest city imaginable to-day. The rains nre tragic. A thousand men are at work in them cleaning up the debris, constructing temporary buildings for business purposes, repairing steel structures which were only damaged and not -destroyed, patting op wires, and mending street car tracks. The extent to which business has been resumed is amazing The banks have all re-opened, and have demonstrated their soundness by paying all the demands. The insurance companies have not, ' for the most part, been so prompt. Some of them, notably the London, Liverpool and Globe Company, have patd promptly'and without question all fair demands presented. It is believed that all the oompanies, exoept one, are perfectly solvent, and will all payj in due time. The question whether they will pay on the buildings damaged hy the earthquake previous to the fire is not yet decided, and is the subject of grave anxiety on the part of policyholders. The San Francisco merchants have found their credit abroad practically unlimited. This has given them courage to undertake the great work that is before them. Tne tendency to change>he business centre was checked when the banks opened ' in the old quarters, and the present deßire of the business men generally is to get back to their former looations. The great hotels will all be re-built. The Saint Fraucis , will have one hundred rooms ready by July Isc, and the Palace Hotel, which was built many years ago at a cost of six million dollars will be re-built on an even more magnificent scale. As to the plans for beautifying the oity by widening the streets, cutting new boulevards, establishing many down town parks, it is not so certain that muuh will be accomplished. The cry of the hour is for utility and the speedy resumption of trade. The faot that the improvements suggested can- be made now better than later may not weigh much at a time when the city oaa hardly meet municipal expenses even on the old Boale. Sohool buildings must be rebuilt among other things, and, though Portland has begun good work Dy offering to re-build one sohool, and although other parts have signified their intention of doing the same, the o ! ty will cer- , tainly have to meet the heavy expenses of reconstruction of oublio improvements that are entirely neeeßsary. The history of the work going on would make a considerable volume. San Franoisco is undaunted and appears to be unconquerable.