The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-01
Mayor l.. r. Ebert Upon a
New Charter.
BETTER SYSTEM NECESSARY.
The Governor Should Not Rule
San Francisco. ,. i !
.. o.
FINANCES NEED CONCENTRATION
Under the Existing Order of Things
There Is No Harmony Be-. ::
tween the Departments. >. s :.

Mayor L. r. Ellert feels proud of his
nomination for the Mayoralty. He fully
appreciates the honor conferred upon him |
by the Non-Partisan convention of San
francisco, and positively asserts that II re-
elected he will continue to be Mayor for
reforms and the good of the city. :::.*
Mr. Ebert is an earnest advocate OF
mauy needed reforms in the city govern
ment-changes that, in his opinion. are
necessary TO carry on works of public i'm
provement with efficiency and economy.
In an interview last night he said - -.
''As it is at the present time. under the
existing charter, there really Is no SYSTEM
no concentration of authority, such as Is
necessary for the proper and efficient con-
Quoting of the city's enormous; PUBLIC
work. The executive power Is too: much:
divided, and the several departments%ca
not work in ha rmony with such#a state: of
affairs Deficiencies in appropriations CON-
tinue to occur. and the SuperYlsors: are.
blamed for ii. This is not always=rlght:n0r.
1usf, but, on the contrary, very wrong ana
unjust =. .::=:.. !: : -: ::
For instance, the board make an ppro-
priatlon on fla ir estimate. of "a seer aln:
amount to pay for supplies for the various
depaI tments. Well, If Judge of the SUI
perior Court, t or instance, wants a thous-::
and or fifteen hu ndred dollars for: furn1-
ture or other office fixtures for his court he,
makes reQuisiton on the supervisors
If the board has not the mo ney avail liable
and cannet grant the, reques 1: the: Judge
can simply order the Sheriff: TO procure: the
articles desired. and the latter can; on IN g:
Judges authority make a demand on the.
City Treasurer and get the mo ney* IN spite
of the Supervisors objections: X HenCe
there ensues a deficiency which could not
have been anticipated u. u: -: -
''How would you remedy this eyil?''! wi s.
asked. =. .. =: 2. :: ~. !: =: =
.'Tnere is only one way to do it, Mir.
Ebert replied. "The city must have anew
charter which shall. contain the: needed
provisions concerning these matters %0f
vital importance. It=is:neces sary To- pro-
vide for Board of Public Works, whose
duty il shall be to take charge of ST. reefs.
sewers, lights and other: public: propert els
and improvements: This wonld=syst ma
tie matters at once, and should do, away
with the office of Street: erintendent
and all this haphaZard. work: by pl zee meal:
Furthermore, the Board. of PUBIC Works
should be appointed by. municipal autaor-
ity, either by the Supervisors, or by the
Mayor with the consen tan d: approval: Of
the Supervisors. :-::
.sAnd l VIII go still further, he. c5n-
tnued, shy saying that the Governor OF
the State should nave no hand In the city
government. think that the new ch arter
should provide for the :appoin I'm ent,* by
municipal authority of the Park. Commits
sioners. the Board of Health, and the III re
and Police mmissloDers. lean see
good reason why: the Governor: should be
left to exercise that authority: San Fran
cisco, as a municipalities quite, able. fo
govern herself = - :: = :: :.
"As said before, there should. be more
concentration of authority reg ardlng the
city's finances, and unless this is dc ne It: IS
almost lmpossible.to= knew how: N alters
stand from time to time / may I ere i cI:
dentally refer 10 the Election Commission-
ers as another example OF diversified
authority. They, like the Judges OF the
courts can draw as they please.On the:crty
treasury without regard tO.preYious ap.
propriations or existing reso urces. =: s
Mr.. Ebert: was.thenz asked his opinion
on the Influence of:tllt railroad companies
and other Interested factions on municipal
politics and officials. :; =:
'Of course, the Southern Pacific Com
pany eXerts a certain Influence or mrnfci-
pal politics, he said, *"but not: as uuCiI as
is generally: supposed. There are: many
influen tlal" MEN and good: eirlZen 8: moi
directly connected with the: railroad: co T:
poraton who are. more r*less In erested:iI
its affairs, and no dou BIT these will take the
side of the railroad com pany on~lnost occa'
sions. As 10 the Southern. II Pacific Com.
pany's influences on me-, i don't ( nc w o.
any and don't think any; one efse::dees
E, Still there is no question but that the cor
porations exercise ceTtaIn#In fQence IN: the
nomination and election of public off ciafs
But how TO step that Influence Is IN orr
than | know. e. / think the railroad is nj or
deeply 10 terested in State pc lltics a an ii
municipa affairs, though tits undo ubtedlJ
very much concerned in the latler,<
81 expect to see an bones7, featiess, un
impeachabe Board of Supervisors elected
at the coming election. To my mind tn
outlook is favorable for such a happy con
. summation. But whatever else happens
the city ought TO have a new charter tina
will provide for "a proper system of con
centrationin the city government =
What are, your ideas in regard to taxa
tion and the dollar limit?" was asked.
Elf the charter changes l have men
TONED are made, the dollar limit will b
all right and perfectly safe. Under
proper system of concentration in tinan cia
matters the: dollar limit on the tax ley
would be quite sufficient; for all need:
But without sucn centratlon in finan
ciaI matters NO one knows where 4
stands. So far as assessment values ar
concerned it is a: fact we'll known ~fhu
San francisco has paid more in preportio
under the State assessment than an
other city in California. What we need j
economy properly directed at the prope
time.
Patronage, did you say? Oh, haven
much of that TO deal:out. There are: yer
4" few appoin tments under nv authority a
the charter now stands. However. | wi
say that so far as my opinion and Unfit
euce2 can 90, ] insist that good and comp,
tent men, should be placed and kept i
positions the same as many other bushes
OF course, political affiliations Will slway
have some Influence in such matters an
create a preference, other things bein
equal. In al important positions l thin
that CIVIL Service rules should strictly al
ply. For instance, take the Clerk of tt
Board ofSupervisors. The present iDcun
bent has held the position twenty-eigl
years, and he is really Indispensable. We
he removed, 1t would create no end of co
fusion, annoyance and delay. l say, con
potency and in tegrity above all other col
siderations in the appointment of publ
officials, no matter what may be their r.
Iigious or political beliefs Ii am calls
upoD to appoint man to public positio
shall not ask him which church he a
tends or what kind of ticket he voted
the last election"