The San Francisco call., 1896-05-05
TAKES A SHOT At MANY
Significant Remarks by the
Mayor About the City
Engineer.
School Census Marshal Friend Also
Receives a Thrust From the City's
Chief Executive.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
90S Bro idway, May 4.
Several new numbers were added to the
usual programme of the City Council to-
night.
While Mayor Davie was absent in flesh
he was present in spirit and caused hi:
opponents much diversion and some
worry by several communications which
he had addressed to that body.
The first was bomb for his associate on
the Board of Public Works. The little
matters between members of this board
are not frequently brought out at their
own meeting, as then they are close neigh
bors, but as Mayor Mr.. Davie expresses
his opinion of Mr.. Wilson as City En-
gineer. In to-night's communication the
Mayor goes at great length into the affairs
of the Engineers Office. He says:
AS the present administration is in its clos.
ing year 1t is necessary TO have complete
inventory of the surveys field notes, ETC., of
the Engineers Office on file so as to enable the
authorities TO ascertain at any time what data
belongs to the city and so prevent the misap-
preparation Of valuable matter al the outgoing
of each administration OF the City Engineers
office, which has taken place in the past, and
now is the time to apply the remedy.
The average cost for conducting the Office
for four years from 1889 to 1892, time when
street WOIk ana PUBIC npTOVementS were lVe
times more each year tnan at present was
1852, and yet the cost for the present fiscal
year is $S399 A, or 353 per cent more than in
1889 to 1898 or $1,000 more than il COST IN
run the office for four years.
AT the beginning OF the fiscal year your
honor able body created the Office of deputy
city engineer and fixed the salary at $1,000
per year with the supposition that the Office SO
created would lessen the expense of that Office
for extra assistants during the year, but to the
contrary it has assisted to increase the ever
fraur civzer 0zr rlorlCl Fara iCfo
/ respectfully make the following recommen-
dations for the consideration of your honora-
BILE body:
That your honorable body order the CITY en-.
gineer 70 file with the city clerk and the Board
OF Public Works an inventory of the maps
data, etc, in his possession and belonging to
the City.
That contemplating the fixing of the tax.
levy for the next fiscal year the position of
deputy city engineer be abolished on and after
the LIST day of July, 1896.
That the city engineer be instructed to pre-.
sent all demands for assistants in their respec-
tive names, giving the character of the work
performed and for what purpose and the rate
per day allowed
The second communication referred to
the son of w. III. Friend, the leader in the
reform movement in party politics
whereby the Republicans of the city and
county were given primaries wherewith to
select delegates to the convention which
meets in Sacramento to-day. 1t is as
follows:
I respectfully call your attention TO the
matter of the work Of the census marshal ap.
pointed by your honorable body for the pur.
pose OF supervising the taking of the census
for this year
The said census marshal receives q salary OF
So per day during the time of taking the CEN
sus. Upon investigation l find that the said
marshal does not attend to his duties as re.
quired OF him, but employs a student to do his
work while he is attending TO his studies at
the university. He has been present but a few
days OF the many required for the work.
When your honorable body makes an ap.
poin tment with salary of So per day the law
does not give the right to the person so ap.
pointed to farm out'' the work to others.
The matter smacks much of the political
methods OF old, when the person performing
the Work did not receive the full compensa-
tion allowed by law.
i respectfully recommend that your bonor.
able body appoint some person to the said
position who will devote his time to the
work. 49,
The Mayor returned, without his an
proyal, the ordinance providing for the
expenditure OF $1,000 for dredging Sins at
the City wharf and in front of the City
wharf, between the pierhead line and the
Government channel. He gives as rea-
son for such veto the fact that there are mn
funds available for such purpose, nor had
such sum been placed in the tax levy of
this year, and recommends that the deem
ening of the slips be deferred until such
time as the entrance to the harbor has
been com mpleted.