The morning call., 1894-04-22
WANT THEIR PAY.
Supply Contractors Are
Cautious.
The Supervisors Will Ask City
Officials to Withhold June War
rants for Thirty Days.

number of contractors who are fur
nishng the municipal Institutions with
supplies held a conference with the Finance
Committee of the Board of Supervisors
yesterday in order to obtain some assur-
ance that their bills would be paid. Among
them were f. j. Parsons, j. Ebbetts. Rob
ert Haight, c. L. Foster and Leon Guggen-
helm.
The contractors informed the committee
that they had reason to believe that their
bills would not be paid. as the Supervisors
would have to pay thirteen months sal
aries this year under decision of the
Supreme Court, which allowed one years
salaries to be paid out of next years rev.
enue. This, however, could not be done
with demands for supplies.
Chairman Jones Informed the committee
that the city finances had all been gone
over very carefully and their should be no
fear about payment.
Auditor Broderick stated that it ap-
peared as If the contractors wanted their
money before the goods were supplied,
and intimated that they were threatening
and growing before their bills had been in
more shan lew days, and that they were
endeavoring TO run the city government.
Tue Auditor mentioned case where
fifty-four tons of coal had been sent to the
of March, which could not be possibly
used in one month. He said he was going
to protect the city by holding back sufti-
cieDt money so that all the money would
not be eaten up before the expiration of
the fiscal year.
The committee In formed the contractors
that it was not responsible for what
had been done in previous years; that
thus far the contractors mad all been paid
during the present fiscal year. and that
there was money i'll sight sufficient to
meet all city obligations.
Subsequently the committee agreed that
if the contractors persisted in refusing to
supply public institutions with the usual
supplies according to their contracts it
would purchase supplies In the open mar
ket, as there was money on hand to pay
the bills.
In view of the fact that the Supervisors
wish to avoid paying thirteen months
salaries in one year, the finance committee
have notified the heads OF every municipal
deparlme to meet the board in a confer
enee on next Monday morning. at 10
O'Clock. The object OF the conference is 10
have the various city officials endeavor to
induce their deputies and clerks to hold
back their June warrants for 1894 until the
end of July, when new taxes will come
in under the next levy. By this means the
S135. 600 which otherwise would have to be
paid out of the treasury would be saved
with which TO liauidate other obligations
of the city government The June salary
warrants for 1893 were paid out of this
years funds, under decision of the SUI
preme Court If the June salaries for
1894 were also paid out of the present levy
it would make thirteen months salaries
paid in one year. The Supervisors think
that when the matter is fully explained
their method OF fin anciering will meet with
no objection, and that the clerks and
deputies Will cheerfully agree to wait
thirty days TOR their June warrants. This,
however, remains to be seen at the meet
ing on Monday morning, at which time
there is likely 60 pc some interesting talk
on the present administration of the local
government.