The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-07
DOES NOT KNOW GUNST.
What William AIvord Has to Say
About IL.

DON'T know Nose GunSts never mel
>him, though, of course, I've heard OF him,
was the remark made by William Alvord
as he sat before a coy fire in the drawing,
room Of his residence on Broadway yester
day afternoon.
The president of the Bank Of California
was rudely disturbed from his perusal OF
an interesting work of fiction by the intel
igence that al the next meeting OF the
Board OF Police Commissioners the place
owned formerly by genial Dan Burns vii
be tenanted by Nose Gunst. Some rnmol
of this had reached his ears, but MT
Alvord awaited confrma ton of it before
giving it any serious reflection.
II have very little to say about the ap.
pointment," he said after awhile. You
see l really do not know Mr.. Gunst per-
sonally, SO how can tell whether ne will
be good Police Commissioner or not!
He may or he may not. But l suppose he
will or else Governor Markham would not
have appointed him. The news. however.
has taken me by surprise, as Mr.. Burns
never said anything about mis- resolve to
either Judge Tobin or myself. / should
have thought he would have done so.
ION reflection Pm not sure that Gov
ernor Markham did wise thing. In ap-
pointing successor to Burns he should
have selected good out and out Demo-
crat. That would have evened up the
board in politics.
You see, wien the Legislature sixteen
years ago established the Police Commits
SIGN it was intended that politics should
be out of the question. 1t was impossible
TO appoint men who were evenly minded
in political opinion-non-partisan, SO to
speak. So it was intended by the LegIs-
lature that the members OF the board
should even up. half Republican, half
Democrat. Two and two. Now, this
man, Gunst was once a stanch Dem :
Graf. Only quite recently he has gone
over 10 the Republican party. and The first
thing we know Governor Markham ap-
points him one of the Police Commits
sioners.
IF the Governor had waited and al
lowed his successor. Budd. to make the
appointment, we should no doubt have
had a regular Democrat, and the board
would have been even. according to the
ideas the Legislature expressed sixteen
years ago.
81 remember Burns appoint ment at the
death of Major Hammond some two years
ago. 1t was a surprise to me. The board
is full of complications. We have one
peculiar thing bout Chief Crowley. The
Chief was made a member of the Board OF
Police Commissioners for life. When be
dies that appointment is extinct, as the
next Chief will not be member OF the
board. Thereafter, l suppose, the board
will ron Siat Of thrnA nam hers 0ulV
$50 Nose Gunst has been chosen, has
has lie? Well. | haven't the pleasure of
his acquaintance as yet, though Imay have
called at his cigar-Store often enough. l
suppose he'll be all right. There is no
reason TO suppose NJ will not do the right
thing. OF course, if any man came on the
board who wished to mix matters up there
would always be Judge Tobn and myself
to keep him within bounds. | say if that
we're so. / don't refer to Mr.. Gunst, for
really don't know the man. l never had
any dealings with him. business or other.
But my remark applies generally. Mr.
Tobin and myself have been on the board
q long time, and we won't permit anything
that is not square and above board.
/ but | do think that the power of
making such appointment should be taken
out of the Governors hands. You see, the
Legislature, when it established the COM
mission, set no limit upon our services, so
l suppose we are there for life. The Gov
ernor is powerless TO remove US. If we had
new charter | suppose other arrange
ments would be made. Well. it will be a
good thing for everybody, for we should
then give the authority 10 make these ap-
pointments to the Mayor OF the city. He
would be the right man and the most COM
petent That is my opinion at present,
anyway"
Mr.. Alvord said that he expected to see
Nose Gunst at the NEE ting of the Police
Commissioners this evening. 1t is the
quarterly pension fund meeting, and all
the Commissioners are required to be
present.
eff Mr.. Gunst does not show up there
can be no meeting" said Mr.. Alvord.