The record-union., 1896-12-29

tendent Of Streets Croly said the county
| had always paid a portion of the cost,
| and he thought it should now do SO. Su-
pervisor- elect Mclaughlin would do
| what he could in the city's interest
when he took his seat, and he thought
the matter had better go over till that
| time.
| Mckay said he thought by that time
the Supervisors would be willing to pay
half the expense.
| The matter went over till then.
THE CHAIN GANG.
| Devine said that in the past the pris-
oners at the County Jail had cleaned
| the streets, and he thought if the board
| asked for it the Supervisors would allow
| them to do so now. Some people were
opposed to it, he knew, on the ground
that it interfered with free labor. The
city has no money to pay for cleaning
the streets every day, and could only do
it in this way, and it would not, there
| fore. interfere with free labor. He
! favored the plan.
Bentley spoke very strongly in favor
of the project. 1t was universally con-
INSuCu lidl tCpiIiS W do tliC oNot-
Private parties are doing it on K street
and it is preserving the street. He be-
lieved that it would also deter from
crime, as prisoners who at present are
glad to go to Jail for the winter, would
seek other cities. Heretofore the city
has paid one man and the county an
other, to watch the prisoners. and he
thought it would be a paying invest
nent
Kent opposed the measure, saying
that it had proved a failure in the past
and he thought it would be so again
and cost as much as the present system.
Leonard called Mckay to the chair
and opposed the measure. He had al
ways been opposed to convict labor and
thought no other city employed it now.
There are people who wish to work. but
cannot get it, and he believed that they
should have chance to do So If hand
sweeping would be best, let the work
be done by contract and let the con-
tractor hire these men. He believed
that by putting on another sweeper
good work could be done and the streets
swept every day, which the present
sweeper cannot do alone.
Devine said the city could not pos
sibly pay for hand sweeping, and it
was useless to talk of it. He thought
the exercise would do the convicts good
and would not interfere with free labor,
and he thought 1t should be tried for
the winter, a least.
| Mckay thought it would be we'll to
take the buns out of the County Jail
who are living on the fat Of the land at
the expense Of the taxpayers, and who
get into Jail for that purpose, and make
them earn their living. The plan would
deter crime and be good for the city
and would not interfere with free labor
| Bentley believed the plan was feast
bic. The question of convict labor was
an old one. 1t has been tried success
fully in some instances and unsuccess-
fully in others. He moved that a COM
mittee be appointed by the chair to con-
fer with the Supervisors and see if they
will allow the prisoners to be worked
in that way.
Tozer was not opposed to convict la
Dor, but had other ideas that he would
like to present to the board in executive
session.
Kent thought the Water Collector
could furnish the committee with
ieHOuSH HleH 10 90 the WOTk, w no WOulu
be glad to work enough to pay up their
back water rates and prevent the water
being shut off. He moved that COM
mittee of three be appointed to confer
with the Collector and report to the
board on the matter. Lost.
Bentley's motion was then carried
and the chair appointed Bentley, Kent
and Davis as such committee.
Bentley pointed out the fact that
Kent and Davis, who objected to being
appointed on the committee, were bo.n
opposed to his idea and it would be at
surd for him to go alone as representing
| the board, when the majority of the
committee was opposed to the plan.
The motion was reconsidered, Leon
ard declining to change, and was re-
ferred to the Street Committee, Kent
who is a member, still objecting and
saying he would not CO.
On motion of Davis. f. Halves was
granted free water for one year, at
Eleventh and Twelfth, B and c streets
After some discussion, Pennish was
granted further time in which to report
on the Harbormaster ordinance.
THE BOND SUIT
| Bentley, for the special committee on
the bond suit, reported that it had been
in correspondence with Bishop &
Wheeler a San Francisco firm of law
yers, who agree to take the appeal in
the case of Kendall VS.. Porter for the
city on contingent fee. Since then
Judge Holl has consulted with them
and placed the brief as well as that Of
r. T. Devlin in their hands. They say,
! however that thprp hincy in
briefs to overcome the opinion of Judge
Henshaw and the Judges who gave the
decision against the city. This time it
will be heard in bank. The firm will
take the case on a cash retainer of 500
and a contingent fee.
They propose not only to save the city
from paying the interest, but also to
save it from having to pay the bonds of