The San Francisco call., 1898-05-12
FINANCES OF THE CHARTER

l H FEW days ago The Call published financial | / \ statement compiled by Auditor Broderick, in which it was shown by figures that the pro- | posed charter, unless the limit on taxation is sus- pended will create deficit of $II2I,788 the first year it is put in operation The answer of the char ter organ to this is that the Auditors figures are misleading and inspired by the sugar trust No attempt is made to refute Mr. Brodericks conclusions nor-except in few immateral instances-to modify his estimates The charter organ relies entirely upon its allegation that the Auditor is an enemy of good government and working with the sugar trust to prevent the creation of Czar Mayo, in San Fran cisco.
 Yet it is susceptible of proof that the Auditors inmates of increased expenditures under the charter exceedingly modest He figures that the increase in the Board of Public Works, which is designed to succeed the Street Department system, will amount to but $65ooo annually. The charter organ says tre only salaries fixed in this department are SI2ooo for the three Commissioners and $I8oo for the sec retary." And then it adds: "The compensation of all other officials in the department is fixed by the Commissioners, but the total is absolutely fixed by the charter not to exceed the amount to be appro- priated by the Supervisors"
 Here, then, is the joker The Board of Public Works may fix the salaries of the clerks, superin- tendents inspectors engineers surveyors, deputies,
 
 employ under section of chapter l. article VII The only check upon its expenditures for this purpose IS the forbearance of the Supervisors. How would this forbearance be expanded after the adoption Of the charter, if the Board of Public Works should pro- pose to let the Supervisors name about half its em ployes? It is notorious that discretion as to fixing salaries always results in high salaries. Take the present Board of Health, for instance Its statutory inspectors receive $Ioo month; it's additional in- spectors, whose salaries fixed by the board, S2oo It is safe to say that under the system outlined S25oooo would not meet the increased requirements of the proposed Board of Public Works
 The Auditors statement shows that there are upon the face of the proposed charter increased expendi lures amounting to $75o4oo, and decreases amount ing to $I5ooo5-a net increase of S5o3,435. Unless there is increase in the value of real and personal property beyond what the Assessor returns as its value there be raised under the charter by taxation only about $346oooo The revenuerom other sources will yield not over $I, I,3oo,ooo Adding an appropriation for the parks of $242,2oo and $ooooo for the interest account and sinking funds, and the amount that can be raised under the charter for ducting the government is $5o62 200 The appropria tions for the year I8o7oS aggregate $s,4oo553 Add to this the estimated deficit for this year, SIooooo and the net increases provided for by the charter, $5o343s and the total amount required is So,I83o88 There will be, therefore, unless the charter limit is suspended an annual deficit of $I,I2I,7o8 This is not taking into account the salary fixing abilities of Board of Public Works in combination with Czar Mayor and hungry ring of Supervisors
 These figures cannot be dismissed with light and airy allegations about sugar trusts and an iconoclastic Auditor If they are reliable the adoption of the charter will be in the nature of fnanci- calamity It ought to be somebody's duty to demonstrate their incorrectness-if they incorrect.