The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-16
GRAND JURYS REPORT.
An Elaborate Document Will
Be Presented to Judge,
Slack.
Rsview of the Work-Many Instances
of Extravaganza in the Local
Government.

The Grand Jury which was impanele6
| last December will meet Thursday or Fri
| day of this week and present its final re-
| port to the presiding Judge ofthe superior
| Court. Several OF the members me-
| downtown yesterday afternoon and de
voted several hours to a consideration o.
the report, and incidentally discussed
some business which may be transacted
at the next regular session.
Frank Maskey, foreman of the Jury, re.
Gently returned from an outing in the
high Sierras of the Lake Tahoe region.
The altitude was too much for him and
he had a narrow escape from severe at
| tack OF pneumonia. He was obliged to re-
treat TO lower levels, and so came home to
San Francisco almost exhausted by his
trip Tor recreation.
John Landers, one of the members OF
the Grand Jury, is in Hawaii, having been
called there to adjust agency business OF
the Manhattan Lite Insurance Company.
The final report, which Is now very
nearly completed, is an elaborate docu-
ment, embracing 1900 words. Much
SPACE is devoted to a discussion on NUM-
cipal extravaganza, showing the reckless
waste of public money at the City Hall
and in other institutions maintained by
the taxpayers.
While the jury has indicted several
notorious felons, some of whom have
been tried, convicted and sentenced to
the penltentlary, the memb ers are in
ciined to regard the accusation lodged
against the Supervisors as the most i'm
portant work of the term. The ruling of
Judge Seawell holding that the Supervisors
must respond and explain why the assess
ment of light and transportation compa-
MES was reduced is regarded with sa it's
faction.
1t is believed that the District Attorney
Will be able to convince the trial Jury that
the accused Supervisors BETRAYED the tax
pay ers, especially the owners of real es-
tate, and by favors granted TO the corpo-
rations forced one class of citizens to sus-
tain an increased burden of taxes
The list OF reduced municipal estimates
which was prepared by the Grand jury s
expert Tor submission to the Board of Su-
pervisors will be set forth in the final re-.
port. About the time that the jury had
this list ready to submit to the Super
visors, the latter exhibited such surprising
and basty action on the assessments, that
the members OF the jury became con-
WINGED that the board was not disposed to
listen to recon mendations. The estimates
prepared by the expert will specially de-
slgnate the departments that are extraya-
gantly conducted.
a
plan OF action was adopted which had in
view reduction in the expenses of the
local government in order that the taxes
on merchants and home.owners should
be lessened. Early Investigations con-
WINGED the mem bers of the Jury that in
stitutions supported by the City, yet gov
erned by the Board of Health, were not
only badly managed, but were unneces-
sarlly expensive. An unexpected visit
was made to the Almshouse and City and
County Hospital. and the result was an
overhauling of the latter institution.
The Grand Jury gave a great deal of
attention to the subject of supplying ships
With water. 1t was found that the monop-
oily or special privilege which the Spring
Valley Water Company had granted TO
Goodall, Perkins e. Co. for supplying ships
with water was the cause of many griev-
Gus complaints from ship masters and
owners. Theodore f. Payne took the sub
ject in hand, and after patient investiga-
ton an arrangement was effected whereby
the special privilege was revoked. Ships
are now supplied directly by the water
company at cost slightly in excess of
meter rates, and so commerce has been
relieved OF one unjust exaction.