San Francisco: Exit Rossi

In a broom-wielding mood, San Franciscans last week swept out the 13-year regime of bald, bland, bumbling Mayor Angelo J. Rossi. Newly installed under the City Hall dome was a newcomer to politics, but an old face to San Franciscans: genial Shipowner Roger Dearborn Lapham.

Roger Lapham has all the 'attributes which make a man successful in business, but are supposed to damn him in politics. He is rich, belongs to swank Pacific Union and San Francisco Golf & Country clubs, plays "awe-inspiring" contract bridge, is regarded by his admiring son, Lewis, as one of the world's "two or three best putters." All these things might have added up to a "Barefoot Boy from Nob

Hill" smear campaign. But the other candidates were too busy smearing each other; and Hearst papers, while supporting Rossi, kept their gloves on.

On the vote-getting side, Lapham turned out to have virtues: a World War I rec ord; a start in life as clerk of the American-Hawaiian Steamship Co. (he is now board chairman). As an employer member of the National War Labor Board, Lapham won praise from Franklin Roosevelt for his fairmindedness; once he was even praised as a "fair and honest" employer by militant Longshoreman Harry Bridges.

Despite the earlier endorsement, Harry Bridges and C.I.O. fought Lapham. He was no Labor candidate to them. But Labor split its vote three ways, and like Angelo Rossi went down to defeat.

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