The San Francisco call., 1896-10-31
NO HOPE YET
OF A TAX LEVY
Mayor Davie Declares He
Will Veto the New
Measure.
Speaks of a Plan by Which
Political Enemies Tried to
Insult Him.
NO DESIRE FOR DISCUSSION.
He Is Not Responsible for the Eighth.
Street Bridge and Is Anxious to
Have 1t Repaired.
NO DESIRE FOR DISCUSSION.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL, |

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL
9OS Broadway, Oct. 80.
Already four months of the fiscal year
have passed and the City Council has not
yet fixed tax levy. The time mas long
since passed when taxpayers have been
accustomed to receive their bills, and
the Auditors office is being swarm ed
daily by people who cannot understand
the cause for such delay.
Next Wednesday evening the City Coun-
Gil will meet and will. without doubt, pass
3 levy OF 81 10, being in excess OF dollar,
the Mayor will veto it and the whole busi-
ness will have to be gone over again.
Mayor Davie declares that the experience
of the past year has proved the sufficiency
of a dollar, and that he will in no case
attach his signature for an order calling
for larger sum.
Now that the heat of the animosity
shown toward Mr.. Davie by majority of
the Council has subsided, the fact is being
brought prominently forward that the
Mayor was subjected to an indignity last
week, such as is without precedent in the
peculiar history of Oakland's municipal
government. The Council, at previous
meeting, passed a reso luton unanimously
inviting the Mayor to attend conference
of committee of the whole for the pur-
pose OF discussing the needs of the city
during the present fiscal year and of at
tempting to arrive at an amIcable agree
ment on which 10 base the tax levy.
Previous to the meeting" Mayor
Davie said to-day, 81 was informed that
the purpose OF the so-called conference
was to openly insult the chief official of
the city. l was in my office and went to
the Council cham ber. where | saw a
crowded lobby or people, whom l suppose
had gathered there for the purpose OF
hearing businesslike discussion. Instead
OF any decent presentation of facts or ar
guments in favor of high levy President
Mott produced two long typewriter
speeches full of misstatemeDts and insult.
ing language, intended to be sarcastic,
the whole expressive of personal vindict-
Iveness. 1t was, OF course, his intention
that | should sit there while he read for
his own edihcation these prepared
speeches-prepared by 1 don t know whom
but can guess-and hear myself openly
insulted by the highestofficial in the Coun.
. Gil. In view of the fact that I had been
invited 10 what l supposed was to
be Z gentle manly discussion | cannot CO n
ceiYe of a greater insult. and on all hands
l hear remarks deprecatory OF such con-
duct.
zone OF the most stupid remarks ever
Eighth-street bridge. He infers that 1 am
responsible for its present deplorable con-
ditiou. If he were honest, he would ad
NIT that l have not and never did have
power to do anything to that bridge. Lei
the Council pass an ordinance making ar
adequate appropriation for placing the
bridge IN a stable condition, and see if
Will veto 1t. Until they place the powe
in my hands, l can do nothing, and any
insinuation to the contrary is simply play
ing TO the gallery, which Mr.. Mott has
practiced until he has reached the point o1
perfection. l shall certainly veto the levy
which will be passed Eext Wednesday,
. and do not think there will be enoug
votes to pass it over my veto. All kinds
OF ordinances appropriating money for
various purposes have already been made,
and will have to be met through the in
come raised by the tax-levy yet TO be fixed.
l contend that it was very unbusinesslike
for City Council to plan heavy and un-
necessary expenditures until they find out
how much money they Will have to spend. >