t had seemed wise to me to allow the
term of the mayor to remain two years, but the friends of Mayor McCarthy
were so confident of his re-election that they insisted on a four-year
term. As so amended the matter went to the people and was adopted. At
the following election Mayor James Rolph, Jr., was elected for four
years, two of which were an unintentional gift of his political
opponents.

I served for four years under the energetic Rolph, and they were
fruitful ones. Most of the plans inaugurated by the Taylor board were
carried out, and materially the city made great strides. The Exposition
was a revelation of what was possible, and of the City Hall and the
Civic Center we may well be proud.

Some of my supervisorial experiences were trying and some were amusing.
Discussion was often relieved by rare bits of eloquence and surprising
use of language. Pronunciation was frequently original and
unprecedented. Amazing ignorance was unconcealed and the gift of gab was
unrestrained. Nothing quite equaled in fatal facility a progress report
made by a former member soon after his debut: "We think we shall soon be
able to bring chaos out of the present disorder, now existing." On one
of our trips of investigation the City Engineer had remarked on the
watershed. One of the members later cornered him and asked "Where is the
watershed?" expecting to be shown a building that had escaped his
attention.

A pleasant episode of official duty early in Rolph's term was an
assignment to represent the city at a national municipal congress at Los
Angeles. We were called upon, in connection with a study of municipal
art, to make an exhibit of objects of beauty or ornament presented to
the city by its citizens. We felt that San Francisco had been kindly
dealt with, but were surprised at the extent and variety of the gifts.
Enlarged sepia photographs of structures, monuments, bronzes, statuary,
and memorials of all kinds were gathered and framed uniformly. There
were very many, and they reflected great credit and taste. Properly
inscribed, they filled a large room in Los Angeles and attracted much
attention. Interest was enhanced by the cleverness of the young woman in
charge. The general title of the collection was "Objects of Art
Presented by its Citizens to the City of San Francisco." She left a
space and over a conspicuous panel printed the inscription "Objects of
Art Presented by its Citizens to the City of Los Angeles." The panel wa