The San Francisco call., 1897-01-30

they retired from Office and San Francisco has
ever since been scandalized all over the world
as "bad pay"
If those Supervisors had been little more
careful to respect their pledges and their oaths
of Office, and if they had confined their action
TO the requirements of their terms of office, IL
would have been far better for many good
people who now hold claims and demands
allowed by said Board of Supervisors. They
are not worth the paper on which they are
printed. Had they placed the responsibility
where it belongs ION the board instead of on
the City they might have received som ething.
The retiring Board of Education has been
guilty of like 1ndiscretion, and this has
caused the trouble that brings Mr.. Hyde from
his seelusion.
The reference to the Board of Super visors'
appropriation of $4,000 for High School
is rather haZy. 1t implies that II the Board
of Education saw fit to use it for something
else there is no law against it. and If they did
use 1t for other purposes they need not bu1ld.a
High School. OF course not. Howcou they?
That would be a downright dishonest trick
uDon the taxpayer, however, If 1t were pos
sibe to use the money for Its appropriate pur-
pose.
In the case at issue the. situation is all sup
posed to be settled. The lot has been bought [,
though somewhat larger than needed. Con-
tracts have been entered into and bonds given
for the construction of the school building, at
q cost equal to the amount appropriated. II
these contracts be valid and legally made 1T
would be the sheerest nonsense TO include the
5000 900 thus appropriated and pledged in
the estimate made of the amount OF money
availing under the one-twelfth act. l there
fore do not include 1t in any calculations as TO
supplies salaries, etc. 1t does not mt there.
The contracts were made by the retiring
board.
Ii money be not retained or transferred
from other funds and carried over into the
next fiscal year to meet these contract obliga-
tions when the work is completed, the con-
tractors will be losers to the amount OF dehcit,
aud no levy of tax can be made for the pur-
pose of paying them. The constitution the
nnQ .ftra Qnr m
that dead sure and certain
School Director Waller said yesterday in
reference to the averments of ex-School
Director Hyde:
We are compelled by the law to appoint
some one to watch and superintend the work
upon the Mission High School. That is pro-
vided for by the Act to regulate the erection
of public buildings and structures That act
sets up that the Board of Education must ap-
point some one to superintend to see that the
plans and specifications are carried out
School Director Hyde does not seemingly
understand this matter, and is equally at loss
upon several other propositions. The archi-
tect has only to see that the architectural
plans are carried out He is not required to
put in all his time while the building is under
so on. But some one must do that The work
of building has begun. Therefore Mr.. Hyde
is again mistaken in saying that there is moth
ing to inspect. The grading has been done
and the materials for the foundation are
on the site of the building. The original reso-
luton provided for salary OF $3.50, but we
cut down the price to 5000. The old board
contracted for the work. We want only to see
thai it is done right.
MI Hyde does not take account of the regular
increase in salaries paid teachers after they
have served ten years. This increase amounts
to $4,000 or $1,000. have introduced resolu-
tions in the board that have been sidetracked,
but if they were adopted, they would mean a
saving to the department. OF $32, ,148 before
the first day OF next July.
l have a resolution before the board to ap-
year, so that saving OF $21, 900 can be
made in six months time. The figures
will show this to be so by comparison with the
appointment of the old board. Here is my
apportionment in a nutshell, for the six
months allowance: