The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-06


Hannah Haley. Observation-Disclosures. 10000
Henry ], Gallagher Observation-Disclosures. 5000
Reuben IL, Lloyd 10000
| Reuben II. Lloyd was not one of the
original sureties, but took the place on the
| bond of William Kreling deceased.
! One of the charges against Haley is that
he neglected to obey the law regarding the
! inheritance tax OF 5 per cent, and that in
| consequence of his negligence the school
| fund has lost a large sum of money. Yes
! terday an investigation of the records in
this particular matter was made by re-
| porter of THE CALL, and while the negli-
| gence of Haley was clearly shown the fact
was also brought to light that the excellent
system adopted by County Clerk Curry
| will save to the school fund large sum of
| money that Haley should have taken
| measures to collect. Some estates have
| been distributed and the money wholly
| lost to the school fund.
| The law was in force during year and a
| half of Haley's term of Office, having been
enacted by the Legislature of 1898. The
| books in the Office of the Treasurer, which
were examined yesterday, show that the
| collections on reports rendered by Haley
amounted to 1900. The same records
| show that during the seven months that
County Clerk Curry has been in Office the
collections approximate $50, 900. Mr.. Curry
has also made returns to the Treasurer on
sums due under the law which amount in
the aggregate to $3.50, OOO On this point
Mr.. Curry said: II think the City can
well afford to pay for two clerks to per-
form this duty. Judging from collections
already made and the amounts returned to
the Treasurer for collection, the sum taken
in during my term will pay all the ex-
penses of the Office and half the expenses
of the succeeding term. 1t IS probable
that So 000, 600 will go to the school fund"
One needs only to look at the inheritance
tax record book kept by Haley to get an
idea Of that officers comprehension of the
| law. 1t Is true that the books show the
| name of the deceased person, the appraised
| value of the estate and the amount of the
| tax, but there was nothing else to guide
| the Treasurer. Under Haley's system the
Treasurer had no alternative but TO collect
| from the deceased" Under the system
of record-keeping adopted by County Clerk
Curry the record shows:
Number of the case.
Name of the testator.
| Date of decease.
Name of executor.
Name OF attorney.
Name of legatees.
Amount of the estate.
Amount of the tax.
Amount paid.
When paid.
The Treasurer said yesterday: 1.-THE
record supplied to this Office by the pres
| lections can be readily made. The record
| furnished by the previous administration
| of the County Clerks Office was incomplete
and of very little service in making coIlec-
| tions under the law"
| Since County Clerk Curry went into
Office the Wilmerding estate has paid in
| heritance tax of $4,000, and the Kate
| Johnson estate $27,50O.
| County Clerk Haley's record-keeper
made two entries of the Stanford estate,
| the corrected return placing the valuation
at $50 900. The Treasurer said nothing had
been paid on the Stanford assessment, but
| the estate will have to pay before final dis
tribution is made. Haley neglected alto
| gether to report on the Wilmerding and
| johnson estates.
| The work which has been imposed on
| County Clerk Curry in extricating the
Office from the bewildering confusion in
which Haley left the records. minutes and
| papers, simply defies description. When
| the Grand Jury goes through all the de-
| partments the members will be astonished.
Judgments were left unentered, bonds I'M
registered and minutes unwritten. Wills
were found among out-of-the-way papers,
| letters of administration and articles of
Incorporation were unrecorded. Confu-
sion reigned in every department., with
| two exceptions. Minutes of the Probate
Department were six months in arrears.
1Ac pICSCHG OOuHty OlClh Wdb OuilSCo W
open new sets of minute books to allow the
old clerks to finish up the delayed work.
| 1t is question whether the minutes are
| now up.
| The records of the Criminal courts were
as bad as the records of other depart
| ments.
| Facts came to light some time ago which
can now be published, since the sentence
of death in the Fredericks case has been
executed, that the records of appeal to the
| Supreme Court were never entered as of
record by Haley's clerks. The present
administration was obliged to send to the
Supreme Court to get the information for
entry.
| The seals of the court were not original
| ly placed on the information in the Stern
| berg case, and were put on June z, 1895, by
order of Judge Wallace.
| A clerk, whose experience in the County
| Clerks Office has been desired through
several administrations, said yesterday in
| speaking of Haley's conduct:
HE was trying to make political re-
cord by assuming to run the Office for $4,000
a month-something which could not be
done when David Wilder was County
Clerk twelve years ago when the work was
one-half lighter than it is now. Haley's
clerks left the Office six months before the
election TO do politics. Haley was so
sure of winning that he thought the
neglected work could be picked up after
| the election, but when defeat came, his
| office was in confusion beyond his power
| to extricate it,