The San Francisco call., 1896-06-06
STATIONERY BILLS
THAT CLIMB UP,
Large Increase in the Quan-
tity Used by the
City.
REPORT OF AN EXPERT.
The Grand Jury Will Not
Finally Adjourn Until
July Next.
WILL WAIT AND WATCH.
Assurance Given That Certain Re.
forms Desired Will Be Accom-.
pliShed Soon.
WILL WAIT AND WATCH

| The Grand Jury met yesterday afternoon
and fled another indictment against Won
| Tiedman, as the one filed some weeks
since contained a clerical error. The Won
Tiedman case involved perjury, in wit
nesses swearing that Mrs. Spencer ap-
peared before a notary here and signed
papers conveying property. When the
papers were signed Mrs. Spencer was in
Chicago, and subsequently produced
proof before the Grand Jury that she was
not in San Francisco.
The members of the Grand Jury yester-
day expected visit from the Supervisors
of the Finance Committee, but the latter
either ignored the engagement or deferred
the visit. The Grand Jury waited until 5
o'clock, and then adjourned for the day.
The question of adjournment sine die
has been freely discussedin the jury room,
and decision has been reached to hold
on until July. The present fiscal year
will end on June 80, so on the following
day the various departments of the muni-
cipal government begin work on the basis
of the allowance for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1897. The critical period for tax
payers is now at hand, and while the
Grand Jury may not be able to check the
threatened riot of extravaganza in the
allowance of public money there is feel
ing among the members that the present
jury, with the knowledge gained during
the past six months, should be in position
to act.
Other reasons exist for deferring ad-
journment until next month. The jury
has been assured by the Spring Valley
Water Works that certain reforms and re-
ductions in the matter of supplying ships
with water will take effect in July. The
special privileges accorded by contract to
Goodall, Perkins & Co, are to be revoked
and the service of supply is TO be per-
| formed directly by the water corporation.
The Grand Jury wants to see how the sys.
| tenn will work
| Assessor Siebe has given the mem bers of
the jury positive assurance that the next
assessment roll will be as complete as pos
sible in the listing OF all property for taxes,
| such as money, franchises, etc., and hen ce
ethe jury would like to be in session when
| the roll is ready for inspection.
Horace Dunn, the expert of the Grand
| Jury, who was recently detailed to make
an examination in regard to the quantity
of stationery consumed by the City gov
ernment, submitted O report Yesterday.
The report discloses some information
which, if not startling, is decidedly inter
| esting to the Taxpayers. Some of the de-
| partments, notably the Police Courts and
Surveyors Office, have used or ordered
| four times as much stationery during the
present fiscal year as was ordered during
the year preceding. The jury will en-
deavor to ascertain why t. large increase
was demanded. A hint was received by
the Grand Jury that there was a LOB" in
the stationery supply.
Some reforms in the matter of handling
Police Court fines and forfeitures must be
introduced. The report of the expert
shows that the clerks of the court do not
adhere to the law requiring daily dep sits.
Sometimes a clerk will carry along for
two or three weeks 5000 or more, and will
not deposit the money until attention is
called to the fact by the City expert. In
the mo alternative" fines it is difficult to
determine whether the person fined paid
or neglected to pay. A suggestion has
been made that the Judge himself as well
as the clerk should keep record of fines
imposed, fines remitted and money col
lected.
1t is not sure thing that the Grand
Jury has finished the investigation of in
stitutions controlled by the Board of
Health. Some further inquiry in this line
NAV he necessary