The San Francisco call., 1897-02-26
TIE COVE ERNOR'S
SECRET SERVICE
A Motion Lost to Decrease
the Appropriation
One-Half.
Another Financial Scandal Has
Sprung Up in the
Assembly.
Friedlander's Connection With the
Contested Elections Committee
at SIS Per Day.

1und Tor the next two years an evidently
concocted attack was made upon il by
few Repu blicans who have been interest
ing themselves particularly to obtain the
appropriation of $4,000 needed for the
State Printing Office.
Melick of Lancaster, whose smile is as
eternal as the sun that bakes the sands of
his home on the Mojave Desert, pleasantly
moved to cut down the appropriation TO
5000. He made no explanation at the
time, but smiled and smiled and remained
a Meiick still.
Guy of San Diego, chairman of the
Ways and Means Committee. defended
the Item in the bill. The State Controller,
who was aware Of what had been done
with the original appropriation of $10,090
made two years ago, had estimated that a
similar amount would be required for the
Governors secret service during the next
two years.
Valentine of Los Angeles inquired of
Mr.. Guy what had been the occasion Of
. making $4,000 necessary, and Guy re-
piled that the secret service fund had been
used by the Governor for the purpose of
investig eating crimes, and the executive
was no: required by law to make any &C
count OF the fund to any one.
Meiick smillngly remarked that the
Governor had sent a private detective
down TO Kern County to look after the
coyote scalp breeding industry in that pro-
ittc region. II don't wonder at all that
the Governor says ne needs the money"
continued Melick, land l am not willing
10 shove $40, 900 into any mans hand just
. because he says he needs it,"
Caminetti, rushing to the rescue of the
Governor, said that the work OF experts,
paid out of the secret fund, had saved the
Safe 100000 within the last few years.
"Whtre have they saved Sl00, ,OO0?" in
suired the smile from the desert.
In sending experts to investigate and
report as to the expenditures made by
various boards and commissions, and COM
pelling them to comply with the iaw,"
responded Caminetti with a sweep of his
hand as broad as his statement.
D.. Leavitt of Alameda, who last night re-
commended the Governor 10 the tender
mercy OF Shanahan and wss rebuffed
therefor as politician, hoped that the
amendment would be adopted. He be-
lieved IN placing in the hands of the Gov
ernor such a sum as would enable him 10
hire good expert and send him around
the country. The proposition was to pay
$4,000 into fund without compelling
any one to account for it.
Melick came to the front again. "While
il sounds we'll to say that $lO0 600 was
saved by the use of this secret fund l
think 1t is more sound than ANYTHING
else" he said. The State Board of Ex-
aminers has an expert whose business it
is to look into the accounts of these Off
cials.
Shanahan started in to explain that the
appropriation was needed, when lie was
asked by Leavitt whether he knew tnat an
expert had been employed and paid out
OF the Governors secret service fund
Il know nothing as to that, sir,'' re-
piled Shanahan, with great dignity. II
presume that the expert employed to in
Vestigate those institutions has been en-
ploved by the Governor"
1T has been minated, said Guy, ''by
one OF the gentlemen that he didn't be-
lieve that so large an amount should be
placed in the hands of any one person
without requiring him to account for it.
Ii /. not proper that the Governor
should have SIC, 600 for fear that be might
misuse it the same objection could with
equal force be applied to $500O l have
been informed that three or toCr OF the
most notorious criminals now in the pene-
tentiaries have been detected by the use
. OF this fund. l have the utmost conf
dence in the discretion and integrity of
the Governor in using this fund"
Valentine of Los Angeles asked whether
the appropriation had been objected to
the same orizontal cut of 10 per cent as
he understood had been the case with
other appropriations.
Guy explained that the salaries and
com pensation of officers had not been
touched at all.
Dihble spoke warmly in favor of the
$40 200 appropriation. and LeavItt took the
floor again and aSkeu whether the fund
had not been 5000 previous to Governor
. BIdd's Inauguration, after which it had
.been.inc reased to $40 900.
In res )onse 10 q question Guy informed
Dibble that the Governor himself had
asked for the $4,000 appropriation.
cutter spoke In favor of the appropria-
ton. Ii IL were cut down, he SAID, many
people would think it was done through
revenge because OF the attitude of the
GovernoT toward the State Printing Office
Inc anne ndmenJ was defeated b. viva
voce vote, Valentines mo- b ing the
onIy negative heard
Another scandal has cropped up in the
Assem- Oily, TINS time, however, not involv-
lns ether tie honor or the jud dgment of
the members. A. a. Friedlande San
Francisco attorney, is the Iarty involved
He was appointed sergeant-at-arms of the
Contested Election Committee when it was
investigating the Hovey- Power contest
After returning from San Francisco and
drawing ms weeks pay and mileage,
n
tro Ter at the end of the second week for
the second weeks salary. The ControIler
said Friedlander was not on the roll and
not entitled TO any more pay and insisteJ
that Friedlander's payment mad been onlv
for one week. Friedlander afterWard
brought him what purported to be certi
fed copy OF an appointment on file with
the clerk of he Assembly. The document
stated that Fried ander had been appoint
ed sergeant-at-arns 10 the Contest sted Elec-
tions Committee with the au .hori y.sof
Speaker Coomb bs at a per diem OF S. and
was signed by Chairman Kenyon
Kenyon stated that he had signed the
appointment, but that the statement that
Speaker Coombs had authorized the ap-
pontment and the words, "at per diem
OF So, had been added by some one after
Kenyon had signed il.
Friedlander made the following state
ment tonight TO a CALL reporter: ION
January ID l spoke to Speaker Coombs
about being appointed on the permanent
roll, having been recommended by several
persons standing high in the ranks of the
Republican party, and was told then that
there was no vacancy, but on pointing out
the necessity of an assistant sergeant-at-