44 EUCALYPTUS. 



Some jarrah piles were brought to San Francisco a 

 long time ago and tried by the harbor commissioners. 

 These were destroyed by the teredo and other pile eaters 

 in eighteen months. I saw the specimens when taken up 

 and they \vere entirely riddled and were worthless. The 

 question then arose as to whether the piling imported from 

 Australia really was jarrah. To satisfy their doubt another 

 lot of jarrah was ordered with such precautions as to 

 insure the importation of the real thing. Unfortunately 

 the record of this experiment was not made, or if made 

 has been lost. I learn from the present engineer of the 

 Board that there is mention of Karri piles but that these 

 were taken out some time ago without examination to 

 make way for the sea wall. So while several kinds of 

 Eucalyptus piling reputed resistant to toredo, etc., have 

 been tried in San Francisco, no reliable record appears 

 to exist of them. 



The San Francisco Harbor Commission is by no means 

 up to the average as an example of the extravagance and 

 inefficiency in our public service. 



Our machine system of politics develops the faculties of 

 trades, combines, direct or indirect briberies and political 

 fence walking in public men. The lower qualities are de- 

 veloped, the higher ones dwarfed by non-user certainly 

 never developed. 



Our public service is now manned by those who have 

 rendered partisan service, by their friends or by persons 

 with a pull, as by those going on official bonds, or by 

 those paying the police blackmail on dives and prostitution 

 or by large corporate interests using direct and indirect 

 influence both in elective and appointive officers. 



Merit and capacity are wholly secondary as a means of 



