The record-union., 1896-01-29
THE CITY ART GALLERY.
An Order by the Trustees That is
Error.
The Matter of Knowing the Law and
Of Economic Heating of the
Gallery.

In the Record Unions report of the
proceedings of the City Trustees yester-
day it appeared that a bill for S13 for
u long ton of anthracite coal, to warm
the Art Gallery, was objected to in the
board though it had passed the certifi-
cation Of the custodian, and had the
approval of the Mayor A member of
the Board of Joint Control was asked
about it by the Record Union" and
thus replied:
1T was remarked in the Trustees
that the city uses cheap steam COAL
why, then, does the Art Gallery use
anthracite? and our bill was OBJ
jected to. It was ordered. I see. that
hereafter the custodian at the Art Cal
lery buy no supplies except on an order
by some member of the Board of City
Trustees.
Most people who are intelligent con-
corning the city and its affairs know
that when Sacramento took the Art
Gallery it engaged eminent lawyers to
so draw the deed that the gallery
should never drift into political con-
troll and management, and should be
kept free from patronage complica-
tions, and be governed by a board in
dependent of others so far as possible.
During eleven years the system adopted
has prevailed and it cannot now be
changed, even were it desirable. Under
It the Board of Control administers
the gallery, audits the bills and sends
them certified to the Trustees TO be
paid, and it never has yet hesitated or
declined to explain any and all bills
when asked to do so.
Politics have been kept out of the
gallery administration, and patronage
distribution has not been involved,
though the patronage is very small.
"A letter was yesterday addressed
to the Mayor by one of the Board of
Control that sufficiently, perhaps, eX-
plains the matter. It certainly puts the
Board of Trustees in the attitude of
neither knowing the law, knowing the
custom of the past eleven years, or of
knowing that which anyone of them
could have known by any day stepping
into the gallery, that the cheapest fuel
is used. as anyone familiar with heat
ing ought to know, and that the sug
gestion about steam coal or soft coal,
il adopted, would be sad mistake for
the city
Years ago the fuel question was test
ed under Mayor Brown, Mayor Greg
ory and Mayor Comstock, and latterly
under Mayor Steinman, and the pres
ent base burner stoves to use anthra-
cite coal were put in under knowledge
and by consent of the Trustees, and
they paid the bills, as in duty and in law
bound to do. One thing may be taken
as certain, that the Art Gallery, under
the deed of trust, cannot be admins
tered under the Monday night order
of the Board of Trustees and also under
the Joint Board of Control"
The following is the letter referred to:
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 2S. 1896.
To His Honor Mayor c. H. Hubbard
Dear Sir: In the Hon. the Board of
Trustees last evening objection was
made to paying the coal cost for
heating the Art Gallery and it
was ordered that the Custodian here
after buy no supplies except on an or
der made by some member Of the board.
The deed of trust creates a Board of
Joint Control of which the Mayor is
one-half and alone represents the peo-
pie. BY Article XIV. of the charter the
deed is ratified and the city agrees to
administer the Art Gallery according to
the provisions of the deed. This was done
clearly to take the institution as much
as possible out of political control and
influence and contention for patronage;
supplies are therefore purchased under
orders of the Joint Board.
To put the Custodian under orders Of
the Board of Trustees will be to defeat
the purposes Of the charter and subvert
the functions of your Office.
Your honor is aware that the Joint
Board administers the Gallery with
closest economy and highest regard for
the interests of the city and its people.
Tests long since made proved that
soft or steam coal is uneconomic in the
building The furnace (old style long
ago burned out, and temporarily base
burner stoves were put in. They are for
hard coal only, preserving uniform
heat and keeping the fire steady with
least labor. To use steam coal, as sug-
eested in the Board of Trustees. would
REQUIRE the labor of one man to con-
stantIy feed the fire and remove ashes
beside running the frescoing and the
pictures.
Accurate measurements, as you are
aware. have demonstrated that hard
coal is far the cheaper for base-burner
stoves in a large building.
The Board of Trustees of the Cali
fornia Museum Association cannot rec
cgnize other orders for supplies than
are made by your honor with its own
concurrence. In all these years there
has not been any difference of opinion
iii the matter Of economic heating Of
the Gallery between the members Of
the Joint Board of Control. I think it
can be demonstrated by all the citizens
who have ever served on the board that
this is true, and that all possible ex-
pense has been saved to the city, and
that no institution in the land of such
character is administered with such
economy. Very respectfully submitted
for the Board of Trustees, c. N. A,
J. A. WOODSON, Chairman.
MORE MEXICAN MINERS.