The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-29
FINANCES OF The YEAR,
Auditor Frederick Says There
Will Be no Deficit
After All.
MONEY TO MEET THE DEMANDS
A Suggestion Of the Treasurer That,
Acted Upon, Clears Away
the Last Anxiety.

In answer to their request for a state
ment of his estimate of the probable deficit
at the close of the fiscal year Auditor
Broderick yesterday sent a communication
tothe Finance Committee of the Board of
Supervisors, conveying the astonishing
and very cheering information that he
didn't believe there would be any deficit.
And this after all the anxiety and dis
cussion that sounded for many weeks very
like panic. Here is the letter:
Finance Committee, Board of Supervisors -
DEAR SIRs: In answer to yours of the 26th re-
questing me "to furnish statement in writing
OF the estimated deficiency for the present ifs
cal year." beg leave to say that with the de-
mands for salaries for May in suspension can
find no basis for statement of deficiency if
the data obtained from diligent inquiry of the
stated to me. If any claims be in existence
outside of those reported to me in answer to
earnest and careful inquiry, deficiency may
develop that you alone can ascertain at this
date. Respectfully yours,
WILLIAM FREDERICK, Auditor.
Perhaps it is in place to say that the auditing
OF the May salaries was the twelfth salary audit
of the fiscal year.
1t may be in place also to state that in
this snapper" at the end of it is the nub
of the Auditors letter. The Auditor is
forbidden by law to audit more than
was holdover salary from last year that
fell into this to be audited. So that when
the Auditor had audited the May warrants
this year it was the twelfth The June
warrants cannot lawfully be paid in this
fiscal year, and therefore, although there
are two holdoyers this time, only one
counts in the financial reckoning of this
year. The other must be counted as be-
longing to next year, the Auditor argues,
| and be specially provided for as such in
the tax levy.
As for the May warrants, which do be-
long to this year, the Auditor believes
there will be enough when the balances
are all struck to meet them. He believes
there will be something like 100000 sur
plus from various funds now in the treas
ury which can be turned into the general
I fund, and that there will be revenues yet
turned into the treasury from various
sources, such as delinquent taxes, that will
reach up to the desired mark.
The Finance Committee met yesterday
afternoon and this communication was
read.
Chief Deputy Widber and Deputy Jacobs
of the Treasurer Office was before the COM
| mittee at the latter's request, and in long
discussion practically corroborated the
| Auditors showing. They explained that
| the Assessor was daily turning in large
sums of money to the treasury from his
collections OF the personal property tax
| under the new law, and that that money
| was lying idle in the vaults, and would be
| for long time. Why not utilizeit? Why
| not pay the outstanding warrants with it?
| When the board made its apportionment
| of the funds for the next year, credit could
be made for the disposition of the money.
Chairman Taylor suggested that the
State had an interest in these moneys.
1 Chief Deputy Widber explained that the
next settlement with the State did not
occur until December, by which time
money sufficient to meet it's demands
would have come in many times over.
| Accordingly the committee directed that
a resolution be prepared empowering the
Treasurer to transfer the sum of $500, 600 of
the unappropriated monev in his hands to
| the general fund accruing from the collec-
ton of personal property tax for the year
| 1886, to the general fund, in order to pay
| the salary demands of May and June.
With this approved by the board the
| anxiety of the army of clerks and depu-
ties in the City Hall is at an end-to say
nothing of the contractors.
The Finance Committee, on the recon-
mendatiou of the Chief Engineer of the Fire
Department, favored the purchase of two
Clapp d Jones engines-a second and
third-class engine-for $500.