The morning call., 1895-01-20
SOME GREAT CHANGES.
FreehOlderS Framing the
New Charter.
A SWEEPING RESOLUTION.
Stewart MenieS Is Closely Watching
Finances.
INITIALS on CITY BLANKETS.
Prison and Hospital Supplies May Be Con.
tracted For AnnHaIIy-Night
Sessions.
INITIALS on CITY BLANKETS.

The Board of Freeholders did not waste
any time on preIiminaries when they met
yesterday afternoon, but got down to work
with a dispatch which carried them
through a large amount of their task be-
fore they adjourned for the day. In their
desire to expedite matters several plans to
facilitate business were discussed, but il
was at length decided that the surest way
was to take the charter up in open meet
ing, discuss it for the benefit OF the COM
mittees, allow them to draft their changes
and then bring the proposed notifications
up before the full board again for final
passage.
Freebooter Hecht stated that on Mon
day he would introduce a motion that the
board hold evening sessions as well as
afternoon sessions. He said that if toward
the end of the time allowed them the work
was not in a fair way TO be completed the
ensuing hurry might cause plumbers and
he wished to Obyiate this so far as possible.
The first section calling for change was
the one relating to the period within which
parties or corporations granted franchises
by the Supervisors must enter into the
actual use of their privileges. 1t was
changed to read SIX months instead OF
twelve
The question of vesting the Board of SUI
pervisOrs with the power of annuiIing
franchises at their pleasure, whether or not
the parties receiving them live UP to their
agreements, was bone of contention for a
few moments. The majority favored an
affirmative vote, but the matter was finally
left to the legislative committee for further
consideration.
1t was decided to incorporate a clause in
the charter compelling all street railroads
receiving franchises from the city to pay
per cent of the gross receipts into the
general fund after running for certain
period.
Mr.. Marye wanted that period to be
three years, while others thought 1t should
be one or two years. The length of time
viii be decided at another meeting.
The mention of a general fund brought
Colin NJ. Boyd out Of q brown study and
he arose to make his regular protest
against it.
Gentlemen" he said, e'there is in reality
no general fund. We have so-called gen
eral fund, which is made UP of a number
of smaller funds, which are intended for
specific purposes, and that is where the
trouble arises. The Registrar or some
other official makes demand on this So
called general fund and it is paid Some
one else wants something paid and again
the general fund is called upon. Even
tually the smaller funds which 90 to make
up the larger are exhausted, and then we
have deficit instead of fund.
1T should be abolished as it now stands.
and demands should be paid out of the
funds specially provided. We must hedge
these smaller funds about so that they can
not be made the general raiding ground.
a general fund might be created by plac-
ing any surplus left over from specific
funds To its credit, but it should be limited
to that"
DID I
OF having a detailed statement OF the
balance in each specific fund posted each
day for the information of persons desiring
to make contracts with the city. This was
left to the committee. Mr.. Menzies offered
the following resolution:
Resolved, That no committee of the Board Of
Supervisors nor anv member thereof shall on
any pretenSe whatever, authorize, incur or
contract any liability against the city for any
sum under $500 without first having an
authorization introduced and passed by a ma
iOrity Of the board in open session, authorizing
said expenditure and stating in the authoriza-
ron for what purpose the expenditure is de-
sired.
In explanation he said that through
their power of spending sums under $500
without going into full board session the
committees frittered away much money.
These small matters did not crop up until
the bills were to be paid, and then thew
were passed without scrutiny. He wanted
everybody to know all about them before
the expense was actually incurred and try
in that way to stop the leaks.
Mr.. SloSs moved that the contract for the
city advertising be open to bids annually.
instead OF every two years. This was
carried.
Mr.. Menzies sprung another sensation
when he introduced a resolution demand
ing that the supplies Of blankets, sheeting
and other materials for the hospitals and
jails, and the hose and other apparatus for
the Fire Department be contracted for an
nually to the lowest bidder that the mi
tails of the city be woven into the blankets
and 1t be made mlsdemeanor to have the
same in possession outside of the institu-
tons for which they are intended. He
said that he did not claim that the officials
connected with the prisons and hospitals
got their blankets free Of expense. but that
he did know that the amount of money ex-
pended for these goods should go much
further toward filling the necessities of the
prisons and hospitals than they do. The
matter was laid over for further considera-
ton.
1t was decided that in case the Fire Com
nissioners are made salaried officials their
compensation shall come out of the Fire
Department fund.
Freebooter Marye thought that in view
of the fact that large and unnecessary sums
are spent in transcribing the notes of the
Police Court stenographers the COM
pensation of the reporters should be re-
duced to So day and TX cents folio in
stead of SO a day and 10 cents folio.
This was not decided.
After Attorneys Gibson and Clement had
been added to the legislative committee
the board adjourned until Monday after
noon.
THE SWIFT CHARTER.