The morning call., 1893-09-30
THE STREET FUND.
An Argument Against
Letting Contracts.
WORK FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Max Pepper in Favor of a Non-Par-
tisan System of Giving Labor
ers City Work.

The Board of Supervisors met yesterday
morning as committee of the whole for
the purpose Of considering the manner IN
which the street fund should be expended.
A committee was present representing
the Democratic general committee. 1t con-
sisted of j. E. Kenney, }. O'Byrne, Gavin
McNab. FL. jackson, f. Foley and Thomas
Regain. Max Pepper was present and in
troduced Chairman Kenney Of the visiting
committee, who spoke for some time. He
said he appeared on behalf of the unem-
plOyed workingmen. whom he thought the
board should take care of as far as posi-
Bile during the winter months. The
speaker referred to the recent action OF the
Supervisors In voting TO let out consider
able work by contract. Mr.. kenney asked
that the board rescind this action, and vote
to have the city do the work through the
office Of the Superintendent of Streets.
He claimed that by the latter method more
men would be given employment.
IhOmas Regain, on behalf OF the com
mittee. followed with a strong plea that
the work be not given to contractors. but
be performed by the city.
He said that the contractors would make
all the profit ana the labOrers would benefit
but little. He said he had worked as a
bdhOA lul DULH tUc Cil1 duu COu dCIOI duu
knew whereof he spoke. He claimed that
city work was always better done than
that performed by contractors.
Give us wOrkingmen chance" he
said. I'VE are In desperate straits. At
present there arc only two PAYERS working
for contractors and three for the city. The
other day L went out TO Lewis street, the
only place where any extensive improve
ments are going on. When l asked for
work thew inquired. Are you married
man% Yes | replied. Have a family q
Yes answered. We'll. we have no use
for YOU
SIS not this strange condition of affairs
in oan Francisco?" asked Mr.. Rrgau.
when workingman with a family to
support is at a disadvantage like this.
Why, they told me they wanted single men
who could live in their cabins"
Max Pepper addressed the board, and
said that from the report furnished Ivy
! Supervisor Denman recently II was plain
that the street fund was in such a condi-
ton that it was i'm possible for the Super
visoTs to undertake any work in addition
10 what had been already planned. The
Supervisors were confTOn ted with an in
herted Indebtedness of S450.000, aud
many of the contracts of last year were be-
ing paid out of this years funds. If the
! Supervisors wished 10 keep their pledges
! they must ecOnOmiZe, for If the same plan
were pursued it would not be long before
| the city would owe millions.
! Mr. Pepper referred TO the consolidation
| ACT, which provides that only 500 worth
Of work shall be done on each block for
repairs, but Deputy Superintendent of
| Streets WEIGH informed him that this law
was repealed by the VrOOman act, which
made the repairing Of accepted streets a
matter OF discretion with the Board OF
/ Supe viSors.
MIR. Pepper said that he was in favor Of
/ the adnDilnU narfisan
method of employing laborers for city
| work s;milar to the plan pursued at Mare
| Island, where the men have to register be-
fore employment is. given. He believed
that politics should have nothing to do with
employing laborers, and that preference
should be given to the most needy and de-
| serving.
The fault is this" said Mr.. Pepper.
MEN who expected better positions ioT
political services. in the end were contenV
to take jobs on the streets al 81 and SIS a
day. The result is that men were put t.
work who knew nothing about street
work. This is the complaint about the
Street Department. and if it be true the
system should STOP"
The speaker also said that Oakland had
already taken steps to provide for the en-
ployment of the IDLE on public improve
ments during the winter. He SAID the sit
uatiOn in this city was very grave and
serious one. and that San Francisco would
have one of the stormiest times in this re-
sDect in its history. He urged the Super
visOrs to give the matter their deepest
thought ami study.
Gavin McNab spoke for some time on the
subject, and said that If the Supervisors
thought that by means of letting contracts
they could obtain more work and at the
same time give as much employment tC
the idle that rlan should be adopted.
Chairman Denman announced that the
| Supervisors would take the matter under
advisement and the committee adjourned