The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-03
OF THE FOURTH.
Cutting the Celebration to Fit
the Amount of Money
on Hand.
NO CONTRACT FOR FIREWORKS.
The Goods Manufactured and the
Committee Feels In Honor Bound
to Take Them.


An interesting scene took place in the
executive session of the executive commit
tee for the Fourth OF July celebration yes
terday afternoon when one member pro.
tested against what he termed an improper
and unbusiness-like method of conducting
things. His protest was overrUled, how
ever, and the proposed measure carried
with but one dissenting vote.
The committee had met 10 act upon The
report of the committee on retrenchmenf
consisting of Messrs. Reichert. Toy, Itch.
nor. Doan and Marshall, 20 whom was in-
trusted the task OF pruning the expenses
OF the celebration so as 20 remedy a prose
pectiye deficit OF over 92i0V. Among 0gher
reductions the committee recommended
that the allowance OF S15OO for fireworks
be reduced TO $1,000. and, the members fore
seeing trouble in the executive committee,
agreed to stand together and tight for the
reduction against the influence of di-
rector of the California Fireworks Com
pany, who is also member OF the COM
mittee.
In looking into the matter it was found
that no contract for fireworks had ever
been made with the company. A con-
ditional resolution had been passed as fol-
lows:
RESOLVED, That the contract for fireworks be
awarded TO the California Fireworks Company
on condition that the company give bond
for the full amount of its contract that its
goods should be 100 per cent home manufac-
ture and on condition that the committee
shall finally decide TO have any fireworks at all.
The sum of $500 was set aside for fire.
works in case the committee should decide
to have any, and this amount was TO be
increased in case the funds warranted it.
No further action was ever taken. The
committee did not decide to have or not to
have fireworks, nor was any bond fur
nlshed by the company as required IN the
conditional resolution.
At the executive committee meeting,
however, representative of the corpora
ton claimed that he had taken the con-
tract in good faith and that his company
could not scale the price of $500 for any
sum. He claimed that the goods had been
manufactured under the assum ption that
the committee wanted them, and if they
were not purchased they would be dead
loss to the company; hence the COM
mittee should take them and pay the full
price of $500, which amount had been
allotted for fireworks.
A long discussion on lack of money fol-
lowed without result. At last the point
was made that no contract had been en-
tered into and that the committee was not
liable for one cent. Also that no bond had
been offered by the fireworks company as
required by the resolution. a member OF
the retrenchment committee called for the
reading of the resolution, but before this
could be done w. 7. Galloway secured the
floor. He said many fine things about
honor and declared yehemently that con-
tract or no contract the committee was in
honor bound TO pay for the fireworks. So
far as his vote was concerned his honor
hlI Gil OF
As he resumed his seat he remarked in an
undertone to a neighbor, I'm settle that
thing right here"
The protesting member retorted that so
far as his honor was concerned the COM
mittee was bound to the public, which it
had promised that the affairs of the cele-
bration should be conducted in strictly
business like way. 1t was far more bust
ness-like TO keep their expenses within
their cash than 70 allow any mandatory
TO force its goods upon them and make
them pay for them and then have deficit.
Mr.. Sonntag, who is director of the fire.
works company, secured the floor He
was surprised that any member of this
committee should suggest the reputation
OF contract to which he was in honor
bound. He had not thought such a thing
could happen, and he was sorry that it had
as he had thought that every member was
an honorable gentleman" His talk was
long one, and at its close he offered as q
director of the California Fireworks Com
pany to accept the sum of $3.50 for the bill.
He described feelingly how many of it's
annual 1900 contracts it had been COM
PEELED to refuse, and how it had been forced
to take men from the Santa Cruz carnival
display to accommodate this committee.
A motion was made to accept Mr. Sonn-.
tags proposition. The protesting member
tried to get the floor, but Chairman Davis
refused to recognize him till demand was
made on question of privilege. He OBJ
jected to Mr.. Sonntag's remarks concern
ing men OF honor, and then made one
more attempt in behalf of the $500 reduc-
ton. None of his fellows on the retrench-
ment committee would take up the fight,
however, in accordance with the agreement
OF the night before, and the motion carried
with only one dissenting vote.
The entertainment ommittee completed
its work yesterday and adjourned sine die,
after passing resolution of thanks TO its
chairman, David Rich, for his uniform
courtesy toward the ladies and his kind
ness toward the little ones.
Last evening the executive committee
finished its examination of the report OF
the retrenchment committee. The deficit.
had been reduced nearly SLIGO. and the final
allowances approved were as follows: