The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-29
ON THE TkX-LEVY TRAIL,
The Civic Federation Has In
Stituted MandamuS Pro-
Ceedings.
IS THE MEASURE INVALID i?
Bartender Law to Be Pushed and
the SunnySide Franchise
Investigated.

The executive committee of the Civic
Federation held a meeting at the office OF
the president, 1. ]. Truman, yesterday aft
ernoon, and took active steps in regard TO
the tax levy. Other matters were also
considered.
President Truman was by motion in
structed to institute proceedings looking
to the issuance of writ of mandate
against the Board of Supervisors, demand
ing that the board show cause why the
City and County tax levy fixed by that
body should not be declared invalid.
Charles Wesley Reed. the attorney for
the federation, was instructed to file pc
tition for writ of mandate in the Supreme
Court, directing the Board of Supervisors
to show cause why the tax-levy ordinance
should not be declared invalid. The petit
ton was in the name of /. j. Truman, as
1t is necessary that such an action should
be brought in the name OF taxpayer.
As it was too late to file the petition yes
terdav the proceedings had to be deferred
until to morrow, at which time a copy Will
be served upon the Board of Supervisors
by Mr.. Reed.
In the petition the law relating how the
tax levies shall be made was set forth on
the action Of the Board of Supervisors and
Mayor upon the matter at issue. The
petitioner said that the Supervisors did not
| fix by ordinance or resolution the amount
and rate of City and County taxes for
| the present fiscal year, but that at meet
| ing held on September 7, "a certain ordl-
nance, known and designated as Order No.
1908. was introduced in said board" and
on the 10th il was adopted by a majority
of the Board of Supervisors. The ordinance
was presented to Mayor Sutro who re-
turned it without his approval and with
his objections thereto.
The board refused to enter the Mayors
objection in the journal and refused to
publish them in a newspaper, as required
by law. Accordingly said ordinance,
known as Order No. 1908. is, as this petit
Toner is informed and believes, void"
The petitioner then prays that an alter
nate writ of mandate be issued directing
the Supervisors to ''act upon the objections
of said ordinance of the said Mayor
and TO proceed to fix said amount and
rate of taxes, and, in the event OF their
refusing to act, to be and appear before
the court and to show cause why
peremptory writ of mandate should not
issue therein, compelling them to act"
As explanatory, the petitioner stated in
the document that he believes that the
rate as fixed by the Supervisors is ex-
cessive, and therefore the ordinance is
void. To have taken the matter to lower
/
termining the matter and would have
entailed an endless amount of trouble, and
the case might not have been determined
for a year should an appeal have been
taken.
Such delay would have clogged and in
many cases stopped the business of the
City. The people would have refused to
pay taxes, officials would not be paid, and
no contractor would furnish supplies to
City institutions and take the chances of
not being paid The petition closes by
matter at once and afford the people Of
San Francisco speedy relief.
The committee decided upon motion to
take action to compel the Market-street
Railway Company to place tenders on its
streetcars, and President Truman was en-
powered to take the necessary legal steps
in the matter. The ordinance requiring
tenders goes into effect on October l, and
the Civic Federation proposes to see that
it is obeyed.
The committee on bylaws reported prog
ress and was ordered to again report at the
next meeting, to be held next Tuesday at
M
On motion Attorney Maurice S. Wood
haus was authorized to investigate the
matter of the Sunnyside Railway fran
chise, and, if necessary, present the facts
to the Grand Jury.
A committee was appointed to prepare
an address to the public setting forth the
aims of the federation. The committee
| is composed of NJ. S. WOODLANDS, Rev. H
\. Bevier and l. L. Case.
g. T. Garden was elected treasurer, and
Rev. Thomas Filben and Rev. H. \. Be-
vier were elected members of the Central
Council.