The San Francisco call., 1896-03-23
NERO HANTS DETERMINED
Pen a Letter Of Quiet Sarcasm
to the City Hall Com
missioners.
They Express a Willingness to Stand
the Expense of the City Hall
Directory.

The action on the part OF the Board Of
City Hall Commissioners in questioning
the validity of the Supervisors authority
to grant the merchants the fitting up of
directory in the new City Hall has aroused
deal of sarcasm in the Merchants Asso-
citation, which was yesterday precipitated
in the following letter:
SAN Francisco, March 81, 1896.
To the Honorable, the Board Of Neao City HaI
lmisSi0ners-GENTLEMEN:T The necessity of q
concise vet complete directory and index to
Hall is fully recognized by every person hav-
ing occasion to go to the City Hall. The diff
Guilty in finding the various offices in that
large structure has been experienced not only
by visitors to the building, but also by its oc-
cupants. 1t is daily occurrence to see parties
hunting along its dark corridors and question
ing on all sides, in vain search for certain
courts or officials.
Believing that this long-feIt want in the
City Hall should be supplied without further
delay, the board of directors of the Merchants
consideration. Six m0Hths the engineer
OF this association Was INSTRUCTED to prepare
plans and sspecifeations Tor the work: After
finally prepared, and, together with full speci-
ications and estimates, presented to your hon
orable board last January. Although this as
sociatlon offered, ii necessary, to bearsthe en-
tire expense of the work, majority of your
board would not consent to any plan being
placed din in the h IN new City Hall until the final
Over twenty years have already been con-
sumed in, the construction of the new City
Hall; and, according to your last report, as
80, the "total expenditure and cost of the new
City Hall TO July 1, 1885, reached the almost
incredible sum OF $5 POI, ,243 II. Turning to
dated February IL. 1895, upon the :"probable
cost of the completion of the building" q
specified list is submitted of all the necessary
to complete the new City Hall. Yet, among
all the items enumerated, no reference is even
made 10 any directory or index for that build
ing.
completed and turned over to the Board of
Supervisors within year, we still firmly be-
lieve that the positive benefit derived from a
simple directory in the building would more
than warrant the insignificant expenditure of
$121 and the occasional outlay OF few dol
lars In altering the plans to meet any possible
changes in the offices. Moreover, we respect
fully contend that after spending nearly
Sc, 100000 upon their new City Hall, the
weary and patient taxpayers of San Fran
cisco would willing endure the extra $121 to
be safely guided through its many labyrinths.
No private Office building of any magnitude
anywhere is without the plans of directory
at its entrance and along its corridors. No de-
sirable tenant would care to have an Office in a
building without such necessary directory.
And yet the new City Hall, supposed to repre-
sent the public Offices OF over 300 900 people,
sistance to guide the citizens of the City in
their constant visits to their great municipal
temple.
Under such circumstances the Merchants
Association decided to submit the question
directly to the City Fathers. The Committee
on Public Buildings at once most cheerfully
recommended the work, and the Board of
Supervisors on the 18th inst. unanimously ac-
cepted the plans, specifications and estimate
of this association fer introducing this neces-
sary directory into the new City Hall. The
=. rsr~ nrop 6<.f Co..
been received, empowering the Merchants
Association to execute the work at a cost of
not over $125. At the regular meeting of the
board OF directors of the association, held yes
the chairman on Public Buildings of the
Board of Supervisors that one of your men,
beers as q City n md to raise the
and the other as Auditor would probably re-
fuse to audit the demand.
AS to the possibility OF the latter event. it
will not prevent or delay the work. for this
association is willing, if necessary, to defray
the entire expense. As to the validity of the
action of the Board of Supervisors, 1t appeared
way part of the City Hall building itself, but
rather movable fixture, just like, for in
stance, the pictures now hanging in the
Mayors Office of the previous illustrious
Mayors of this City, we made mistake in the
beginning by going before your honorable
board regarding this directory. We believe
that we only corrected our error in addressing
ourselves subsequently to the Board of Suber-
visors upon this subject. Nevertheless ii our
efforts in this direction res ult in nothing more
than certain determination IS to who is
responsible for the long delay in providing
such directory, something useful will have
been accomplished and our efforts will not
have been in vain.
We cannot seriously believe, however, that
your honorable board really intends to inter-
fere to the extent of excluding this directory
system from the new City Hall at the present
time But as there seems to be q question
about the authority to do SO and your inten-
tions in the matter, we respectfully ask TOR
your views and wishes before going to an ex-
pense. which would be wasted II the use OF the
vented. Very respectfully yours.
MERcHANTs ASSOCIATION.
F. w. DoHRMANN, President.
I RICH EpHIrn Sacrafary