The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-28
NO RELIEF is IN SIGHT.
The Empty Treasury Puts the
Supervisors at Their
Wits Ends.
SALARY PLAN NOT POPULAR.
A Meeting That Came to Naught.
VIII Talk 1t Over With
the Court.

The emergency meeting of the heads of
departments of the City and County gov
eminent, held yesterday morning in the
office of the City and County Attorney,
took no definite step toward the end for
which it was called. That end was to
pledge the salaries of all the employees of
the City for one month or two months,
allowing the money to be used for the pur-
chase of supplies-food and medicines for
the hospitals, Almshouse and iails, feed
and coal for the Fire Department, etc.
There is no money in the treasury, but it
is expected there will be enough from
various sources of revenue to pay salaries
during the next two months, but no more.
The question to have been determined was
whether the employees would keep their
warrants in their pockets until the end of
May and allow the money due them to be
diverted to the other uses named in the
meantime, accept what might remain in
the treasury at the end of the month, and
then hold out their May warrants in like
manner for another month.
1t is difficult to realize that the City and
County of San Francisco has come to such
an extremity as this, but the reiteration of
those in authority and the refusal of the
tradespeople to sell it a barrel of flour or a
ton of coal, forces it home as distressing
fact.
The plan of borrowing from the City's
employees for month or two the money
which they have earned is an expedient
suggested not so much because there is no
other money as because it is declared to be
l. ! o dc l. -
fiscal year must be paid for with the money
of the year The salaries of employees,
however, do not come under this constitu-
tional provision, because 1t is said thew
are a continuing" claim or obligation
So the tradespeople refuse to furnish
goods because the money of the general
fund for this fiscal years exhausted and the
money of the next fiscal year cannot be
legally paid to them, while the clerks NAV
withhold their warrants, allow the trades
people to take it and themselves be paid
| later on.
The salary list amounts to about $130 600
a month, and would be ample to cover the
situation but there are drawbacks to the
scheme besides the fact that the authori-
ties are by no means unit in their judg-
ment about its fulfilling the conditions of
the law.
| AS first essential to carrying out the
plan, however, the employees must consent
! to it, and at the meeting held yesterday
there was not manifested that eagerness to
do so that was anticipated by the father of
| the idea. The argument was offered by
several of the heads of department that
the men needed their money and very
many had drawn their months salary in
advance through brokers, and the brokers
cannot be pledged. Their being required
to wait for their money through another
month those who had not heretofore
sought the brokers would be compelled to
do so and 1.-The brokers would rob them"
| But the gravity of the situation is such
that everybody in the employ of the City
admits that some heroic measures must be
taken, and the City Hall is suffering a
nervous tension tina thas scarcely been felt
before in its history. The salary question
is being discussed in every office, and
another meeting will be held on Monday
| at which it will be finally determined.
At the meeting held yesterday morning
nearly every department. was represented,
| there being first, Mayor Sutro, City and
County Attorney Creswell, County Clerk
Curry, Street Superintendent Ashworth,
Sheriff Whelan, Coroner Hawkins, Deputy
Assessor HerZar Deputy Tax Collector
Cook Acting Chief Dougherty of the Fire
Department, License Collector Newman,
Clerk Williams of the Justices Courts,
Clerk Sullivan OF the police court, Super
Hospital, Deputy Treasurer Jacobs, Chief
Crowley. besides Chairman Taylor and
other members of the Finance Committee.
Chairman Taylor presided at the meet
ing and stated the case.
City Attorney Creswell backed up the
statement, and declared that the men in
his office were prepared to allow their
warrants to stand for the month.
Mayor Sutro made a short but strong
plea to the heads of departments to help
the Supervisors out of their dilemma. He
hoped that some decision might be gained
from the Supreme Court that would enable
the City to pay its debts and SO restore the
confidence of the contractors.
Deputy Treasurer Jacobs said he be-
lieved there would be money enough in
the treasury to meet next months de-
mands, and that nothing would be re-
quired of the salaries for April. While the
treasury is empty now, there is some
revenue expected Immediately. He pre-
sented an estimate of that, as follows:
May l, 1S95-Cash on hand after paying
all April bills and salaries ............ $4,000
IaNeS 10 come IN 1000
License fees to come in. ............... 10000
SundrleS to come H.. 10000