The record-union., 1896-04-25

Of the county and the date of its or
ganization cut in one side, to be placed
in the foundation Of the monument to
Commodore Sloat The board is also
requested to select some young lady,
the daughter or granddaughter of
Mexican Veteran or a Pioneer, and
native daughter of California preferred,
to bear small silk banner of red,
county upon 1t.
the Mayor.
the San Francisco Chamber Of Com
merce asking for the support by the
board of the report of it's sub commit
tee on pilotage of the passage of a law
embodying the recommendations en-
bodied in that report, as the pilotage
charges add to the costs of marketing
farm products, and the farmers are di-
rectly interested.
Mr.. Bailey's request for the remission
of the delinquent taxes on the old Post
office building, on the ground that the
assessment was covered by mortgage
of $4,000, held by the Regents of the
State University, which by law was
exempt from taxation, as belonging to
the school funds, was postponed till
the May meeting, as Chairman Morri-
son wished to investigate the matter a
little more.
County Assessor Berkey, who came
in little later, said that if the mort
gage was exempted, the property would
escape taxation entirely, and if he
could not make the tax stick this year,
he would find a way to do it next year,
as it was bringing in an income Of
5000 a year. He did not blame Mr.
Bailey in the least for making an ad-
vantageous bargain for himself, but he
thought the school funds should be in :.
vested in bonds or in some other way.
so that property should not be enabled
to escape taxation. There were two or
three millions loaned out in the same
way in San Francisco, he said, which
escaped taxation in similar way.
Then the board began talking about
the Grand Jury report, and expressed
great indignation at the charges made
THE idea of their talking about con-
tractors pools, and our having a knowl-
edge of them," said one why, even if
we had any knowledge, we could not
help ourselves, as the law stands which
was engineered through by the con-
tractors themselves, no doubt. 1t will
not allow us to formulate plans and
specifications for bridge and then ad-
vertiSe for bids. Instead of that, we
must advertize for plans and specifica-
tions, strain sheets, etc, and then de-
eide which we will adopt.
when we adopt one of the plans
offered, we must necessarily adopt the
bid Of the contractor who got up the
plan, as there is naturally only one bid
on that plan and competition is practi-
cally barred out. We cannot help our
selves
YES" said another, and look at that
charge about the Folsom bridge. There
is not a Supervisor on the board now
that was a member when the contract
for that bridge was made, and the
charge has been published broadcast to
the State in manner that will lead the
people to believe that we are the ones
who contracted for it, 1t is an outrage
that a body Of men can scatter such
charges with impunity against citizens
and endeavor to cast a stigma upon
them unjustly. If we have done wrong
and they have proof of it, they should
nave luOlCltQ US OH SpeClllc Charges.
That was their duty in such case, and
If the charges were true they have not
done their duty
Judging from the consensus of opin-
ions expressed, the members will prob
ably in the near future give the mem
bers of the Grand Jury chance to de-
fend themselves from charges Of crimi-
nal libel, on account of the report, and
the statement was made that in the case
of a similar report by a San Francisco
Grand Jury the Superior Judges there
held that the jury had no right to make
such report, and that their duties and
rights simply lay in finding or refusing
to find indictments.
Taken altogether, it is pretty certain
that there will be music in the air before
long.