The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-05
THE GRAND JURY'S WORK,
Their Final Report Will Be
Made Wednesday of Next
Week.
CITY OFFICIALS TOUCHED UP.
The Earrv Foundation and Other
Public Works Receive Their
Attention.

The Grand Jury meets to-day at O'Clock
for the first time since last Friday. The
session is practically matter OF form, as
the main work of the jury has already
been accomplished, the only thing remain
ing to be done being to ratify or REJECT Tie
various reports.
The present Grand Jury has been ID
session since December 9, 1894. or about SIX
months. During that time 1t has accom-
plished much good and been the means OF
instituting reforms and corrections hlth-
erto unthought of. A week from to-day
the Grand Jury will adjourn, and their re-
port in many respects promises to De
novel and interesting one.
Instead of passing the usual comph-
mentary recommendations, 1t is UNDER
stood that it will indorse absolutely moth
ing, but to the contrary will contlne ltset
almost exclusively to series OF attacks on
existing evils, which are only too well
known to the taxpayers of San francisco.
For instance, in the matter of the ferry
foundation 1t has been enormously re-
ported that the Grand Jury could find no
fault with this work, or the manner in
which it has been conducted. This, how
ever. is an error, Tor the jury will, if all re-
ports be true, severely censure the con-
tractors and ask that a further in
vestigation be made. The only thing
that has prevented a closer inspec-
ton on its part is the shortness of
funds and time and it will recommend
that the succeeding Grand Jury investigate
the matter more carefully. The Grand
Jury is practically certain that there is a
leak somewhere, but with its limited re-
sources 1t has been impossible to locate the
stealing.
The City and County Hospital will also
receive its share of attention. The charge
will be made that that institution is re-
ceipting for lot of fuel that is not deliv-
cred. Just where the trouble is the Grand
Jury has not been able to determine, but
that it exists is shown almost be-
yond a doubt. The City receives, ac-
cording to the proposed report, only
about half the coal it is entitled to.
That there is some truth in this is shown
by the statement of gentleman well
versed in the matter of coal. at costs the
contractors" he said yesterday, "$5 ton,
and yet they deliver it at the hospital for
So 50, or in other words for SO cents ton.
Any man with common sense knows that
this cannot be done if full weight and
measure are given. The City Hall anthra-
cite contract could be done at the figures
named, though it is doubtful if they are
receiving more than half what the contract
calls for. The same is true of the Fire De-
partment and the Almshouse."
1t is understood that the Sheriff's Office
will come in for its share of censure on the
fee bill question. The Grand Jury as a
whole is not at all satisfied with the
Sheriff's Interpretation of the law. though
it is obliged to satisfy itself with
mere reprimand. The County Clerks
Office will not be lost in the general shuttle,
and Clerk Curry will come in for his share
nf rhn lai,
expense of his Office was due to the clerical
work being behind is discredited.
Probably one of the most important
items in the Grand Jury's work will be
found in the report on Judge Campbell
and straw bond. Judge Sanderson will
probably be mentioned also for his de-
cision regarding Judge Campbell. These
matters form an important part of the re-
port, and the exact action of the Jury will
be eagerly looked for by the public.