The morning call., 1891-01-23
CITY HALL COAL.
1he Finance Committee Wrest.
ling With Big Bills.
Inc Solid Nina" Made Away With Nearly
Eight Tons Day-Not Stoves and
Grates Enough to Have Burned 1t.

he Finance Committee of the new Board
OF Supervisors is having some interesting
experiences with many of the bills that ac-
cuhluiated In the various departments of the
ne" my Hall during the last month Of the
oolid Mines" administration.
1T was only few days ago that the head
porter, while canvassing the field left by his
predecessor, found in dark unfrequented
room under an oil sofa upward of two
uoAeh me china cuspidOres, that to all ap-
e"iaHces haa been placed there subject to
spe'u removal when the time arrived. In
o'hei places small pieces of available furui-
'uie' busters, brooms, rubber mops, dust
pans. COAL mods also. wristbands, rules pens.
pehelS, paper and all kinds of stationery
h"u disappeared in large or small quantities
according to the opportunity.
WHERE HAS IT GONE?
Now the Finance Committee is taking nm
the canvass, only in another department.
Almost tile first bills the members over
halled were the coal invoices for the month
OF December. All noticed how enormously
urge they were, and began to knit their
DioWS the epoment they opened them.
supervisor Jackson was the first to speak
OUT; lie, by virtue of his long familiarity
WIN coal and coal supplies, as agent of the
racine Coast Steamship Company, knew
Almost at glance that il would be nearly
Impossible for the City Hall with every fre
burning to consume all the coal that the
tags and bills called for.
II VIII be remembered that the month of
december was throughout unusually warm
anu Pheasant, quite as much so as the present
month thus far, and there was little demand
ior nfe. Notwithstanding this, the Finance
committee find in reviewing the demands
OF IHaL month that fOr
alone the tags show that 1907 tons
OF coal were delivered at the City Hall
lgr consumption, outside of the furnace,
mat IS, Tor use IN The stoves about the build
ing. IL was this remarkable total and the
DIS Tor the same that set the members Of
The committee agOg.
AN INVESTIGATION ORDERED.
1t Is hardly necessary to add that the bills
were not approved. The committee agreed
at once to set an investigation on foot. They
called the newly appointed mead porter,
Matthew Smith, asked him few questions
about coal supply and instructed him to keep
an accurate account in future of all coal that
comes into the building and to weigh every
sd, X; also to prepare a list of all the stoves
ana CRATES IN the building, and note how
much they consumed daily.
Mr. Smith has carried out the order TO the
letter and in comprehensive manner, and
these are MS results Number Of fires, ABOUT
so; number OF hodj Of coal consumed daily,
about 146, each hOd weighing on an average
10 pounds. 1t requires but very simple figur-
ing 10 show that the daily consumption of
coal in the City Hall in cold weather is about
1850, or 30 pounds less than three tons. la
colder weather it would of course be more.
STARTLING RESULTS.
Presenting, then. that every fire in. the
building was kept burning thirty days IN
the month (Which is never the case, the
total consumption would only be ninety tons.
These figures lock little lonesome beside
the 1907 tons renIesented by the tags for
seventeen days in December.
Mr.. Smith has also kept accurate account
of all the coal that has been delivered at the
hall since he was installed rs head porter,
January 9Th. Time, sixteen days; coal de-
llYered, fOrty-four tons This shows little
less than three tons 4 day coLs umed, and
tallies exactly with the estimate made with
the fires.
The members of the committee will con-
tinue the investigation in other channels,
and reach their conclusions at to-morrow's
meeting.
Harry NJ. Kelly of 236 Fulton street is the
contractor who supplies the hdl with coal.