The San Francisco call., 1897-09-23
WHO IS TO BLAME?

THE the tax levy passed Monday by the new
Board of Supervisors is examined and criticized the more
apparent becomes that many serious mistakes have been
made in the distribution of favos One of these errors
not found in the total amount which will take from the tax
payers The levy itself is as near the dollar limit pledge
accepted by the Supervisors upon their entry into office as
practicable That limit is exceeded by few cents, but the
is caused by the necessities of the city and the tax
paying classes will not quarrel it The mistakes to which
refer found the apporonment of the among
the various departments of the municipal government
From this time the Supervisors will probably strain
every cutta expenses. Wherever they can do so
they will undoubtedly op off useless employees, endeavor to
place every office upon strictly busnSs basis and so far as
possible, prevent the wastefu disbursement of the public
money
But in all those departments in which the expenditures are
fixed by they will have power to interfere Take the
County Clerks office for instance They have appro-
prad for his deputies the of sS50z5 The law author
ICES him to expend $4,000 This will create in the County
Clerks appropriation alone deficit of $4,000. For the fees
of stenographes they have appropriated $4,000 The
law authorizes these officials draw whatever they please
AS general thing they draw about $4,000 year, There is
here deficit of $4,000 For printing and stationery the new
board has appropriated $4,000 This material usually costs
from $4,000 to 10000 There is here deficit of about
$4,000
Notwithstanding the board will have the entire City
Hall upon its hands before the expiration of its term of office
has appropriated for lights furniture repairs and fuel
less than the that has heretofore deemed
necessary There here unknown deficit The $780,
cut off the park improvement fund be saved but how can
the Assessor make the next assessment oo when last
year he expended sI25, 900?
These only few of the instances in which the
board has made mistakes which late repair
quite evident that with the cessation of work upon the
public streets and sewers and the posponement for
of the Improvements planned the Fire Department. the
board will complete the fiscal year of I8o7oS without
deficit The levy has been made entirely in the interest of the
taXpayng classes The welfare of the great public which
has right demand wepaved welghted and wecleaned
Streets green and heathu parks and clean efficient sewers
has not been consulted The parks the Schools the public
buildings Streets and other municipal institutions
which the people interested have been brushed aside
order that taxation limit to which the board not
pledged and to which had given its adherence might
be maintained.
Perhaps it work of supeerogaon at this time to dis
the mistakes of the de acto levy But cannot be
said be idle attempt fix the responsibility for those mis-
takes The Supervisors entered upon their duties in
hurry They called suddenly from their places of bus
the responsibility of conducting disodered
and chaotic government To great extent they
PEELED to pass such tax levy laid before hem They
had time to investigate make the inquiries necessary
ascertain and determine the necessities of the city, for
giving them judicial consideration They can therefore, hardly
be held responsible for the financial condition into which their
levy has thrown the municipality.
Mayor Phean however, is in such situation. He has
office for months and is familiar with the de-
mands of the government He knows ought know that
deficits created when inadequate appropriations made
for Offices in which the expenditures fixed by law He
knows that Market street needs paving and that unless money
expended upon the the coming winter rains will de-
soy many of them He knows, ought to know the
sites of the Fire Department. and whether not economy
be enforced in the School Department He is chairman of the
Board of Supervisors and he expected to lead it with
wisdom and discretion
When the financial troubles that imminent begin
appear and when at the end of the year, balance struck
showing that public Improvement has ceased that the Fire De-
parmnt has stood STILL and that the parks and schools have
barely existed he will be called upon render accounting
What hen will be his to the charge that he has sac
feed the real interests of the city in order further his own
political ambition?