The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-14
THE LAW IGNORED.
Heads of Departments to
Be Summoned.
ENORMOUS SUPPLY EXPENSES
Hundreds of Dollars Worth of Pencils
and Pens-Public Telephones in
Use in Private Houses.

There is a strong probability that most
of the heads of departments of the New
City Hall, the superintendents of some of
the public institutions. and two OF the
Police Court clerks will be peremptorlly
summoned before the Board of Super
yisors to explain why it is that they are
board with monthly statement of
their receipts and expenditures.
The Finance Committee has been look
ing into the matter, and has discovered
from the enormous bills being presented
that the neglect OF the heads of depart
menis to furnish their monthly state
ment has been productive of the greatest
extravaganza. The committee think it
high time to call halt, aud will insist
upon having an accurate knowledge of
what IS done with the supplies furnished.
They wish to do away with the pernfcious
reuuisition system and desire to have the
strictest business principles follow.
The law requiring monthly statements
10 be filed is as follows:
Resolu lon No. 16.0So new seriesl-
WHEREAS, 1t is desirable that this board
should be fully informed Of the actual monthly
ext enses OF each public office, department and
Institution OF this city aud county in OF der
that the cost thereof may be reduced as much
purposes OF the same and the expenditures
kept within The limits Of the revenue applicable
therefor; therefore,
Resolved, That tie heads Of all public Offices
de- ailments aud Institutions be and they are
hereby eQuested and required to file with The
clerk OF this board upon lie FIRST Monday of
each month a statement showing the actual
expenses incurred Tor The preceding month";
For regular salaries OF the office, department
or institution.
For salaries OF extra clerical or other assist
Rnce II any.
For stationery.
For provisions. If any.
For mater ial, II any.
For Incidental expenses, II any.
The departments affected by the order
are as follows: Assessor, Tax Collector.
County Clerk. Streets, Fire Department,
Hospital, Almshonse, Treasurer, Sheriff,
County Recorder, City and County Sur
veyor, License Collector. Fire Alarm and
Police Telegraph. Board of Health, Pound
keeper, Industrial School. Police. Coroner,
Health Officer, Justices Court Law
Library, Board of Election Commissi ion
eTs. Registrar, House of Correction, City
Physician, City Cemetery, Gas Inspector.
The law is very plain and mandatory,
but 1t appears TO have become a dead
letter. Clerk Russell sent to each head of
the new City Hall departments copies of
the law, but they have appeared to have
Systematically Ignored 1t, with few excep-
tons.
License Collector Lee always flies his
monthly report, but he stands almost
alone. Billy Gavigan is the only one of
the Police Court clerks who has obeyed
the law.
The Finance Committee has now taken
the matter in hand. and proposes to have
the law obeyed. Supervisor Donman has
had his eyes opened by looking at the bills
which have been presented by the heads of
departments. Speaking of the subject
yesterday he said: There should be some
aha hau 4
regular monthly statement the evil will
be greatly remedied, and the Finance Com-
miitee can see just how much the depart
ments are drawing on the funds. Why,
there was one Of the departments presented
a bill for S275f0r lead pencils alone. Down
in the Assessors Office they use more pens
than 100 pupils did when l was principal
of a school, and l always gave away pen
ellis freely. We must have these heads OF
departments hereafter file their monthly
statements, and theFiuance Committee is
going to see what is being done with the
supplies purchased"
Clerk Russell said that when the monthly
statements were filed the expenses of de-
partments always fell to reasonable fig
ures.
The Finance Committee yesterday also
took up the question of the great expense
to the city for telephones. The cost is
$1,000 year. In examining some of the
bills 1t was found that some of the heads of
departments have telephones at their pri-
yate houses and are charging the city for
the same. Some OF the departments use
as many as three and four telephones.
The Co!oner's Office charges the city with
four telephones, two of the deputies hav-
Ing telephones at places outside of the
morgue.
The Finance Committee promptly or
dered the committee to reduce the Coro-
ner's telephones to two 10 number, and to
one in the SheTiff's Office and Street De-
paTtment. County Clerk Haley's tele-
phone will be probably removed, as it is
used heavily by attorneys, who charge the
city for its use.
Expert Williams was instructed to COM
pile list of all the telephones in the pub
lie offices by next Saturday, when the
committee will do little pruning.
Bugbee, representative of the
Worlds Fair Association, appeared be-
fore the committee and asked that the
committee approve certain warrants
against the $4,000 which the board PROM
ised to appropriate for defraying part OF
the cost of the city's exhibit at Chicago.
The committee informed Mr.. Bugbee
that such thing was impossible and the
money could not be got until it was i'll
cllded in the next tax levy. Mr.. Bugbee
was Told that all his demands were faulty
anyhow, as they would have to be made
over, stating exactly what work was done,
by whom aud at hat cost.