The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-27
W|LLENJO|N THE AUDITOR,
The Civic Federation Will Try
and Stop the Big
Tax Levy.
READY WITH A TEST CASE.
Based In Measure on the Law
Points Laid Down by Mayor
Sutro In His Veto.

Attorney C. w. Reed, on behalf of the
Civic Federation, will begin suit to-day tc
restrain Auditor Broderick from taking
further action in the collection of the 81 25
tax levy. This will be the second effort
made to block the exorbitant lew. The
Solid Eight, though, are as cheerful and
confident as ever that the tax will go
through. They rest easy under the stress
because they have nothing to lose.
The action that will be filed to-day is
based in measure on the law points set
forth by Mayor Sutro in his veto last Mon
day to the Board of Supervisors. Jacobs
VS.. The Board of Supervisors will be one of
the leading cases quoted. The chief point
will be that the Mayor under the consoli-
dation act clearly has the right to veto tax
levy. 1t will be argued that the subse-
quent act enacted in the statutes deprives
him of that right. The history of vetoes
and the veto power in municipal govern
ment will be thoroughly gone into. 1t is
proposed to make rigid test of the mat
ter because so much is at stake.
Mayor Sutro, both in his official capacity
and as large taxpayer. will render the
plaintiffs every assistance possible under
the circumstances.
The position taken by Attorney T. 1.
Bergin, in his opinion, has made some of
the bankers little lukewarm about join
ing the action. OF course they want to see
the plaintiffs win, but after the opinion
expressed by Mr. Bergin, they feel dubious.
The active members of the Civic Fedora
ton are confident that they will make a
good showing in the fight Outside of this,
they are in hopes that in the details of the
contest they will discover methods of
curling the arrogant power of members
of the Board of Supervisors who form
combinations.
Auditor Broderick has been expecting
such suit for several days past. Indeed,
he went so far as to give notice that if any
one contemplated such action. to do it at
once, so he could get through with the gil
gantic job of writing UP the books on the
levy. These books must be in readiness
by October Z, so that the Tax Collector
may begin the business OF getting in the
money of this fiscal year. Auditor Brod-
and night on the task. Without any stop
page by the court it will be a tight squeeze
to finish the books in time. Ii the courts
interfere, though, that shifts the burden
of responsibility from Auditor Broderlck,
and he will do the best he can under the
circumstances.
Any stop now means that the collection
of taxes will be delayed by many days, and
that the City's financial snarl will be
worse than ever. A big corps of munich
pal employees are watching the tax levy
with anxious yearning eyes. Next month
the City will owe them three months sala-
ries. For two months past they have been
calculating on lining up before the cashiers
window at the treasury and demanding
the first money turned over by the Tax
Collector.
The suit filed by Attorney Reed will be
marked urgent and the court will take it
up at the first possible moment.