The San Francisco call., 1897-01-23
Ugly Alterations and ErasureS
in the Records of the
Timekeeper.
a CARPET DEAL THAT IS a
MYSTERY.
Bills for Repairs Were Improperly
Paid Out of General Supply
Resources.

Behind the revelations of the manner i'll
which the City and County Hospital was
managed during the past year stalks the
specter of theft.
Money has been ruthlessly squandered
and willfully wasted. In the auditing and
payment of bills there has been a negli-
gence that is almost criminal. Funds
have been paid for work that was never
performed The actual repairs accom-
plished, in which the appropriation of
$4,000 made in the last tax levy was eaten
up, are visible only to the practiced eye.
As far as the instit ution is concerned as a
whole it has not been benefited to the ex-
tent of one-fifth of that amount.
There are only surface indications yet.
The deeper goes the inquiry Instituted by
the Board of Health the uglier becomes
the condition of affairs. When the limit
of the loot of the regular appropriation
for repairs had been reached, the general
funds of the hospital were used to pay
''kited" bills. Supplies we're purchased at
almost double their market value. There
are oveEcharges for labor and carpenter
work OF which no record can be found in
the hospital timekeeper's book. Men
In short, everywhere there is evidence of
deliberate and wanton plundering.
The greater portion of the $40, 900 appro-
priaIion was paid out on accounts for
plumbing, carpenter work and ca alcimin-
ing. James J. Flynn was paid just $1275
for calcimining the thirteen wards in the
hospital, with annexes in the way of ope-
rating rooms, corridors and closets; at
least that is what Flynn put in his bills
for. The facts as they exist SAVIOR closely
of receiving money under false prete nses.
Setting aside the quality of the work,
which beggars terms of poverty, Flynn
was paid for much work that he did not
do at all. The Investigations of Expert
NJ. D.. Griffin, and they can be corrobo-
rated by any casual observer, show this
state OF affairs.
In ward A no calcimining was put in
the closets. In ward B the pantry and
office were overlooked. In ward C the
pantry, office and bathroom were forgot
ten. In ward D the pantry, Office, closet
and bathroom never saw a brush. In
ward E the same annexes were neglected.
The office, nursery aud two anterooms in
ward + we're paid for, but not calCimi ned.
In wards G, II, l, ], K, L, NJ. n Flynn
falsely charged for repairing the walls of
the offices, pantries, bathrooms, sinkrooms
and closets. Ward n leads the list, for
although the bill was allowed and paid no
work of any kind was done on its walls
Ward winds up the list with false
charges for the pantry, operating-room,
sinkroom, bathroom and closets. Over
looking the fact that great portion of
the work was not done at all, Flynn was
paid at the rate of $98 ward, while DIR.
Titus during his incum bency had similar
work done for $16 ward.
The work actually done by Flynn is dis
graceful. The calcim1ne, although barely
a month old, is falling from the walls in
big flakes. 1t can be obliterated by sim ply
rubbing the finger over it on any of the
walls, and the hospital people say that
they would forgive Flynn for his over
charges and call the account square if he
would undo the work already done.
There is another Flynn on the list Of
those who sat down at the tax-eating
banquet. His first name is Timothy, a
contractor according to his billheads, and
he was paid $265 for lathing and plaster
ing Just Az square yards of walls, which is
a little over Sc per square foot. But as far
as any body about the hospital is con-
cerned, there was no occasion for Flynn to
do any Iathing at all, so this item is prob
ably inserted in the bill to add weight to
it, so to speak.
The bill OF w. D. Habro for plum bing
the building aggregated $3292 45, but of
this sum $142 was taken from the general
hospital resources, the remainder being