The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-25
TWELVE MEN GO.
Big Changes on the Water
Front.
POLITICS IS THE CAUSE.
The Harbor Commissioners Sever
Many Heads.
ALL DONE IN A VERY QUIET WAY.
Taking on New Men Who VIII Assist
the Machine at the
Primaries.
ALL DONE IN VERY QUIET WAY,

GUS GIGNAC, harbor police.
WILLIAM HUDSON, engineer OF pile
driver.
CAPTAIN WRIGHT, State carpenter.
THOMAS WHALEN, cartman.
JOHN RYAN, sweeper.
HERMANN WOLFINGER, sweeper.
GEORGE SMITH, sweeper
Two carpenters and two pIle-driveE
men.
The above-named persons have been dis
charged by the State Board of Harbor
Commissioners.
The news of these changes was sup
pressed. but THE CALL has found means
of securing information that Is not buried
in the Commissioners minutes of meet
ings.
A session of the board was held yester-
day morning. so 1t Is said. but no one
knows the truth in the matter. 1t is known
that meeting was held in the afternoon.
but up to 3 :45 o'clock NJ record had been
made by the secretary of any new appoint
menIs. Nevertheless two-thirds Of the
changes were made some time yesterday
morning.
The discharge of dozen tried men just
before the primaries of course called forth
much comment along the front when the
facts leaked out. When the news became
general it amounted to almost a sensa-
ton.
1t has been an open secret tor months
that city-front interests have become sub
servient to those of political factions, ward
politicians and railroad magnates.
ut may seem severe to criticize the Com
missioners at this particular time said a
gentleman who is worth a half million
dollars and who has been struggling for
months to secure justice from the har Dor
fathers, ''but really this thing Of turning
the water front into local political clap
trap to the detriment of shipping and COM
mercial Interests has gone little TOO far
THE Commissioners are calling on GER
tain men in their employ to 40 politics
when they know very we'll that the State
does not pay Its employees pig salaries for
that purpose. The men should be allowed
to exercise their political judgment with
out being dictated to-"
The Suppressed news" OF the wholesale
change of employees on the front, and the
promise of more TO come in few days,
has caused a great deal of excitement
among the large number of applicants
who are waiting to receive favors at the
boards hands.
Commissioner Chad bourne expects TO
make large number Of changes. but he
will not disturb any one of the wharfingers
or collectors until their terms expire.
Persons who profess to know something
about the political machinery that governs
the harbor employees say that the present
sudden changing of men in all branches of
the service was instigated to patch up
quarrel between President Bassett and
Dan Burns that occurred several months
ago.
Burns wants all the county committee
men he can get and Commissioners Chad
bourne, Cole and Bassett have undertaken
to bring about peace by giving up lot of
places to friends of the County Committee.
John j. Hayes, whose probable ap-
pointment was mentioned in THE CALL
some days ago. was put in through Com
mitteemen King and Chandler 1t is
rumored that new superintendent of the
belt railroad was appointed through the
same influence.
No one seems to blame King and Chan
dler for looking out for their friends, but
everybody does blame the Commissioners
for making an election wheel out of the
front.
There is quite an interesting little story
said to be connected with Hayes appoint
ment. Gus Gignae. the recent incum-
bent. was given his position through
ex-Commissioner Brown. 1t is claimed
that Governor Markham promised Brown
that Gignac should be held, but tie wild
scramble of the Harbor Board to curry
favor with the County Committee caused
Gignac to be forgotten.