The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-22

| full amount allowed by law for Its maintenance
and improvement The amount expended on the
! park for the year ended July 1. 1892. was 49,
| III. When TIE extent and importance of the
imprOvem snis are considered this outlay seems 10
| We dnd the House OF Correction 10 be con.
| due Cd with economy and Ia systematic aud
orderly manner.
The New CITY Hall Commissioners have. In onr
| judgment deliberately and persistently violated
| the provisions Of the laws under which they act.
An examination OF the books OF the New City
| Hall Commissioners shows nat The same have
| been kept IN negligent and unDuslnessilke
| manner, the rough minutes kept in pencii not
| containing items of business said TO have been
| transacted and for which demands had been
/ audited and paid. Although the examination
made by The expert OF the Grand Jury was III the
| latter part Of OCTOBER. 1892, tile permanent or
written records were only up TO May 2 1892.
The term of the present Commissioners expiring
within less than two mouths OF tile receipt OF
the experts report IL would have been useless
10 have brought accusations for their removal
from office.
We mad the Coroner's office In apparent good
order. the books and records fairly we'll kept
and tile Morgue ana its appliances In as good
condition-cieanly aud well taken care of--as
the circumstances OF confined space inadequate
supplies and official staff and a too SC ,nty
appropriation Will permit. We believe the time
has come when the necessity for better
abe action on the psrt OF the city government.
we have found no lime TO make any thorough
investigation OF The official acts OF tue Board OF
Supervisors. SO far the office OF the clerk of
The board Is concerned IL Is not too much TO say
that il Is conducted In the most economical and
buslnesslike manner. The volume OF public
business Is too large to be handled by twelve
men, all I'm active business, whose lime must be
divided between their private affairs ana their
ofncldi duties. The city has outgr0wn It's oinelal
machinery. Nothing shoit of new charter
giving TWO legislative boards and Board of
Public Works can relieve the oYerweighted con-
dnon OF things IN the Board OF Supervisors
We find in the Office of the County Clerk
peculiar state OF affairs. IL has been for years
tie especial catcI-penny OF the political con-
Fenilons ana subjected 10 spirited sort OF
mock auction, wherein each party yies In pledg-
ing It's candidate 10 run il" Tor the smallest
sum OF money.
The present County Clerk, when nominated
for office pledged the convention naming MIN 10
run the Office for $4,000 per mOIth. lie has eX-
pended SS450 peg month. which IL s2450 more
than appropriated by the Board of Supervisors
who took him al his woTd and fixed his appIo-
pTiation al the amount OF his party pledge.
The AlmshouSe was found TO be In good cond-
tion and It's management excellent ia every re-
spect. Among the important wants OF this
institution is hospital building for the woman's
department and he substitution of 800 or 400
iron tedSteads as sanitary measure.
Regai ding the educational interests of the city
there would seem 10 be an increasing cost with
out increased efficiency. The schools OF San
francisco are K morally good, but IL Is without
tom that has grown up OF allowing each director
TO name proportion of the new teachers is
vicious one, based on the demorallZing principle
That such positions are patronage 10 be dis
tibuted. II is wonder that there are so many
competent and admirable teachers I'm the School
Department when We consider that influence or
favoriism, and not superior merit has gained SO
many their places. The present method of APP
poinIment Is vicious also from the temptation it
offers for the absolute sale OF postlOns-a
temutatfon, lt Is feared, not always resisted.
Some radical change should be made by which
new appointments would be made by competitive
examination In connection With experience and
personal character or fitness, 10 be determined
by disinierested commission or committee.
or The permanent shame known as the social
Police Department claims that, In the worst
quarter, Il has succeeded IN making tie exhibi-
lion OF the disgrace less open by driving the
wemen from the first story of their houses, thus
preventing The most Objectionable form of solicit
tation. In 80 far a. This makes our public
streets more decent and decreases the democrat
ling effect IL is TO be commended The most
that can be expected is some such control. The
hnal abatement OF the wrong must await the
slow growth or public sentiment.
The jury is unable TO fiud any authority for
the Assessor TO reduce, or for the attorney 10
consent to the reduction Of assessments, except
ing when that reduction results from The corTec-
ton OF clerical error, omission or defect. IL is
the opinion OF he jury that the only safe course
for any public officer 10 pursue Is TO follow
strictly the plainly expressed provision or The
law. The law allowing The Assessor OF san
francisco 10 per cent commission on poll tax
collections seems an unreas0nably generous pro-
vision for that officer and should be amended.
Regarding the charges OF uufaTness aud
discrimination In the valuation of per-
sonal property, we fad that many and
great inequalities exist, as. Tor instance, ia the
assessment OF the plant and mat rial Of news
paper Offices; 10 The assessment OF The fixtures
and appliances OF manufacturing concerns;
the assessment OF the substructuIe of cable and
electric street railroads, aud also the assessment
of the rolling stock OF such roads We also find
that the method, or rather, absence OF method,
IN assessing the franchises OF insurance GONNA
MES and banks results In inequltabie and diSpro
poftlOnate assessments.
e ind the general management OF the SheT-
ms One satisfactory ana buSiuesslike but there
seems good grounds OF complaint al tie working
OF the amended insolvency act making the Sher-
IN receiver IN ali cases IL does not appear TO
tighten the expense bat rather TO Increase n 10
such an extent that there Is frequently lille left
for the creditors. IL Is doubtful II the Sheriff
has right 10 the fees lie collects receiver. It
useless 10 refer 10 the especial disgrace of
San Francisco, the County jail. We urgently
recommend the erection Of a new jail at the
earliest nc<1lbie moment.
The public stleets are far from being in a sat
isfacOry condition. The accepted streets being
neither kept In good repair nor cleaned - they
ought 20 he. Perhaps the system under which
Tie Work Is done Is partly The cause OF tsis, and
In III II Is the Iaut OF tie officials In charge,
bur there Is no doubt tDat, one way or another.
i large amount OF the liberal appropriation set
apart Tor the maintenance Of The accepted streets
Is wasted or misapplied. One OF the things 10
conn ection WITH tile doing OF new sireetwOTk that
| deserves attention aud condemnation Is the ex-
Orbitant charges for printing and engineering. In
several Instances these charges amount 10 more
| than the cost OF lie work performed, aud In
twenty six pieces OF stIeetwOfk done within the
| past year The printing charges alone amount 10
| over % per cent OF the cost OF The work on an
| average. We nnd that the surveyors or engl-
| neering charges are often unreasonsbly large
and out OF all proportion 10 the value OF the work
| performed.
Ia biIumen paving-in several cases called to
our attentiOn-we lind tiIe work very poorly done,
the thickness OF the biiumen Itself. or the foun-
| datiOn under H. being below the requirements.
The spirit OF the original consolidation act
| should be perpetuated In a new charter pgoYid-
Ing for prudent and economical administration
| Of municipal affairs. frugality In public eX-
penditures Is lesson that cannot be too severely
taught In eommun iiy accus omed 10 ideas of
| extravaganza In municipal matters. Every dollar
OF the public money should 20 into the treasury
aud not be Withdrawn IherefrOm except with
the most stilgent safeguard. Restrictions
| upon public REGULATIONS are as necessary as
upon private pilferng, and temptations to thiev-
cry In trusts created for the people should be ID
moved. 0fficial honesty Will be promoted by the
| vigorous removal Of temptations. We would
freeholders be selected TO frame a charter TO be
| submitted 20 the voters OF the city.
Patrick Lynch, the coal merchant at 61O
| Market street. one of the members Of the
| Grand Jury, filed a minority report. He
refused to concur with all that portion
relating 10 the City Hall Commission.
| Touching the removal of the girls from the
| Magdalen Asylum, he says he is convinced
| that the gentle influence and religious
| training given by the sisters TO girls whose
| lives need to be reformed are the only eff
| cacious means 10 obtain the result so much
! desired. MI Lynch reports that he visited
| the PesthOuse and found Ii In a very filthy
| condition and not fit place for human
| beings 10 be confined in. He recommends
that the salary Of Supervisors be fixed at
| 500 a month and Of Judges Of the Superior
| Court at $1,000 per aunum.