The San Francisco call., 1895-10-18
EXTRAVAGANT PRICES PAID BY
THE CITY FOR GOODS
PURCHASED.
SUSPICIOUS BILLS STOPPED.
SILK AND ANTIQUE FURNITURE
UsEDTo BEDECK THE BRANCH
COUNTY JAIL.

It is no wonder the funds in the City
treasury are exhausted, if there is any
truth in the story of a stack of bills pill ed
up in the Supervisors chambers and in
another stack which Auditor Broderick is
thumbing over. 1t is the old, old story of
the hard working taxpayer providing and
the improvident Supervisor disbursing.
On the face the bills show that merchan-
disc has been often bought at twice its
price on the open market; that more has
been paid for repairs on old fixtures than
new fixtures would have COST Enough
has come to light in one days hunt among
these bills to show that money has simply
been shoveled out of the City treasury on
the orders of certain Supervisors to paw
them.
There is bundle of papers in the hands
of Expert Williams of the Board of Super
visors now which shows the kind of bills
taxpayers pay in order to make easier the
daily lives of the favorites of the political
bosses.
Here is bill for goods sent to the House
of Correction, known as the Branch Coun-
ty JAIL One rocker $40, one rocker 81 so.
one rocker Sc 80, and one spring rocker
81 90 These articles were bought of the
California Furniture Company.
Here is bill for furniture ordered for
the Industrial School, which will give the
taxpayers good idea of the prices paid for
things ordered in a roundabout way by
politicians:
One yard blue tapestry, 81; No. 2 hair mat
tress, So pounds S25 one oak set, three pieces.
$40; one couch, 500; three feather pillows,
$12.
What the management of the institution
did with blue tapestry at $4 yard does not
| ~, l., paroo
hoisted at the flagstaff to arouse the pride
| of the taxpayers and make other County
| Jail managements sick with envy because
they could not fly blue tapestry at $4 a
yard.
The same institution sent in bill for
! $130 purporting to be que for recovering a
parlor set OF eight pieces. They had a
leather chair patched up at the same time
and charged 81 50 County Jail furniture
is usually pretty fine stuff, especially when
| the management has Il pull" but the
eight pieces that cost $130 to recover be-
long to the set in the New York City Hall
where the chairs cost $500 each. That set
cost good deal more to be sure, but then
| there was a scandal connected with its
| purchase. OF course there isn't any
scandal in the present instance.
This same branch County Jail sent an
other gem of a bill-one antique table,
! Sc 80; and four yards of silk, So.
There is no bill among the lot for
undermining the antique table, and max
| ing it match the $3.50 recovered parlor
| furniture.
There are other bills of the same kind
! so many OF them and of such character
| that the hard-working taxpayer will stare
at them pop-eyed and wonder who in the
name of common-sense and prudence at
! tends to the business of the City.
There is another kind of bin that will
10 10 nrdl foxyr fr1rv Job
with disgust, namely: bills for services
rendered. For instance, w. A. Mowrey
sent in a bill for $63 for some painting
done. 1t now transpires that a man
named Thomas says he not only did the
! job but furnished the material, and for all
this he was glad to get not $63, but $25
and he says he made profit too
! The bill is indorsed by Supervisor Ben
! jamin.
! There is another bill for $25 for painting.
! This same Thomas said he offered to do
| the job for $12 80, but he did not get it.
! He was told he asked too much How
! ever, the man VINO handled the business
knew how to make out bill if he didn't
! know how to paint, for the chances are
he'll get $25 for what painter could have
done with profit for $12 80.
Joseph McTigne has bill for $3.50 so for
harness repairs. The bill has passed all
right, so the harness repairs will never be
inquired into too closely.
One fine fat bill was loaded with so much
| suspicion that Auditor Broderick held it
out pending an investig 1t is for 400
yards of Brussels carpet furnished the
antique rooms in the branch County Jail
at 81 90 yard
The management of the branch County
Jail plunged heavily into all sorts of
orders for goods, with Supervisor Benia-
min behind it, but Auditor Broderick
thought this was little too much. 1t is
said that an exceptionally fine grade of
Brussels carpet can now be purchased at
81 yard. The experts want to see what
particularly fine points there are attached
to this order, which cost the extra so cents.
There is no truth in the report that it is
hand-painted Brussels.
Then there are bills in the batch for repair
ing all sorts of things; bills for repairing
wagons and vans almost at rates which
new vans and wagons can be bought
Most Of these bills passed the Auditor
because they were indorsed by Super
visors, who were supposed to have in
quired into the purchases and checked all
chance of fraud on the City treasury
Only the most fiagrant bills were held out
for experts TO inquire into.