The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-08
MORE MIXED THAN EVER,
The Council Passes Measures
That Override the Mayors
Objections.
CONTRACTORS ARE WARNED.
All the Municipal Departments Come
in Contact With the Dollar
Tax Limit.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco GALL

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALI
9O8 Broadway. Jan. 7. {.
1t is very evident, after last nights
meeting of the City Council, that there is
to be bitter political warfare between the
Mayor and the city's chief administrative
body SO. long as they continue in office.
NO possible opportunity is ignored by
either side to fire at the other, and the re-
suits are now beginning to be seen. The
Mayor, anxious to prove that dollar tax
is sufficient to run the city economically,
will not sign any requisition that he does
not feel certain is necessary, and an at
tempt TO take this power away from him a
few months ago failed for want of votes.
AS no requisition can be legally supplied
without the signature of the executive
the city's expenditure was checked for a
time at the pl asure of the Mayor.
To Chief of Police Lloyd belongs the
credit of having discovered way to cir
cumVent the situation and arrive at the
desired end by other means. 81 felt con-
WINGED" said Chief Lloyd to-day, that
there must be clause in the charter that
provides for just such an emergency. l
read carefully till | came to section that
distinctly confers upon the Council the
power to make such requisitions | re-
ferred the matter to the City Attorney, and
he told me | was right, so | had to show
the Mayor that his unwarranta BILE inter-
ference with the Police Department would
not be tolerated. George Kaufman, whose
standing | know not, was behind the rail
OF the Police Office On Saturday, and L
ordered him to move out unless he showed
me an authorization that he was sent by
the Mayor in the capacity of an expert"
After the Chief of Police had successfully
enlisted the sympathy and action of the
Council against the Mayor, Superintendent
OF Streets Miller tried his hand with equal
success. Councilman Bassett, the tried
friend OF the Mayor, gave some figures
that required an explanation from Mr.
Miller. When the Perry-street sewer was
ordered to be repaired Miller sent a requi-
sition to. the Mayor. calling for supplies
amounting to $312 90. When the Job was
finished the material consumed footed I'D
$l26 81. This, Bassett said, was a fair
sample OF the Judgment shown in the
Street Department. The Council accepted
Mr. Miller's explanation that what was
not used on one job would be used on the
other, and granted new supplies under the
same section OF the charter by which the
Chief OF Police had been accommodated.
The peculiar part of the acquisitions con-
sists of the fact that they were passed by
the Board of Works, of which the Mayor
is a member, and then tarried in the
Mayors Office.
IF those supplies are granted without
my signature, said the Mayor this morn
ing, there Will be lot of trouble, and |
warn contractors against supplying them.
AS a matter of fact, the present condition
of affairs at the City Hall is the veriest
kind of farce. The Council has under
taken to break me politically by expend-
ing all the money they can, and by this
means prove that the dollar tax is not
sufficient for the city's needs When |
try to check them by refusing to sign ex-
trayagant acquisitions they try to get
around it another way. One-half the city
officials do not know their duty and the
other half is run by their friends. The
situation is absolutely funny, If it were not
serious. 1t is not easy at this stage of the
game to predict the end'