The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-27
HORSES WILL Be HUNGRY
The City and County Treasury
Empty and Supplies
Exhausted.
CONTRACTORS CALL A HALT.
A Grave Situation-SalarieS of En-
ployes to Be Withheld for the
Purchase of Food.

The theory that the treasury of this City
and County would become exhausted in
the course of so many days or weeks as
result of reckless drafts upon it for election
and other expenses has given way to a con-
dition.
| The treasury is exhausted and trades
people refuse to honor the acquisitions of
the Supervisors. Superintendent Weaver
of the Almshouse says his cattle are
hungry, and within few days, unless re-.
lief is given, the 900 inmates will be crying
| for bread.
Fire Commissioner Bohen says there is
no food for the horses of the department
and no coal for the engines, and none can
be had until there is money to pay for it.
The gravity of the situation was made
known at a meeting of the Finance Com
mittee of the Board of Supervisors yester-
day afternoon, at which both the Mayor
and the City and County Attorney were
present.
Chairman Taylor announced that what
they all knew would take place about this
time had taken place. The contractors
were refusing to deliver supplies with the
knowledge that the treasury would be
empty for some two months until the rev.
enues from the new tax levy begin to
come in; that it was absolutely necessary
to devise some means for tiding over the
interval; that he had conferred with the
City and County Attorney and ex-Judges
McKinstry and Rhodes with the hope of
discovering some way out of the difficulty
through the law, but without making any
| Roadway.
Under the law the claims of every fiscal
year must be paid out of the funds of that
year, and the only way of making an extra
tax levy to meet a contingency such as
| this is to get the sanction of the people by
special election-so it is held. That
takes time and is expensive, and some
sanction of the law for other methods is
desirable, and to that end it was hoped
that some method Of getting before the
Supreme Court in quest of a favorable de-
cision could be desired. Just how to get
there and what to do in case they did was
not clear. In the meantime the situation
is strained.
Mayor Sutro said something must be
done and at once. He presented the fol-
lowing letter which he had received from
Superintendent Weaver of the Almshouse,
and who was present at the meeting:
CITY AND COUNTY ALMsHoUsE,
P. L. WEAVER. superintendent
San Francisco, April 20, 1895. }
MAYOR SUTRo-Dear SIR: I sent this day
requisition duly signed by Jos. King, chairman
for load Of hay, and they refused to deliver
it on the ground OF no money in the City treas
ury to pay the bill.
Our cattle and horses are hungry and we
have no feed. We have three days stock of
-four on hand and no more will be delivered on
your contract when that is gone, and 600 peo-
pie crying for bread.
I ask you, with all others in authority, what
I shall do in this emergency? Yours respect
fully, P. /. WEAVER,
superintendent City and County Almshouse.
Fire Commissioner Bohen, who was
present. stated that the Fire Department
horses were in need of feed, coal was run
| ming short, and the contractors had re-
| fused to supply any more.
eve must provide for these things" said
| the Mayor. For these and for the people
in the jails and hospitals; that is first con-
sideration. After that we can consider
other things; But we must pay our debts,
all of them"
Clerk John A. Russell explained the sit
uation at length. He said it did not grow
out of shortage in the levy of last year as
made to cover current expenses or those
that could be foreseen, but from expenses
that had arisen since and were in large
measures beyond the influence of the SUI
pervisors, such as the election expenses,
which had gone far beyond the
limit placed upon them. As for the
expenditures of the several funds
for the operation of the machinery of the
government they were well within the
estimates, but there was no money, be-
cause it had been eaten up in other ways.
He thought 1t well to go into court with an
agreed case and simply tell the truth about
it. 1t being shown that these expendi-
lures were for the running of the govern
ment and beyond the discretion of the
Supervisors the law would be found suffi-
GENTLY elastic to permit of assuring the
supply contractors that they could be paid
with the funds of the future. So assured,
they would continue to keep the larders of
public institutions full. As it is now, how
ever, it is almost a sign of insanity to ask or
expect it of them, with the City owing them
$40, 900, and when they ask for it being
met with the declaration that their claims
are illegal.
City and County Attorney Creswell went
all over the ground from legal stand
point. He could see no way of getting be-
fore the Supreme Court without a case to
go with. He suggested as a means of It'd
ing over the immediate difficulty that the
clerks and other employees of the City and
County be called upon to withhold their
warrants till the end of the month and al
low the money to be used in the meantime
for the purchase of supplies.
This was greeted as practical sugges-
tion although Mr.. Russell stated as a mat
ter of his knowledge that the salary of
many of the employees was already pledged
to brokers.
However it was decided to call meet
ing of the heads of departments to be held
in Mr.. CreswelPs Office this morning at 10
o'clock, when the plan will be discussed.