The San Francisco call., 1898-06-25
THE HAUL OF JUSTICE.

HE report of the Grand Jury upon the "cause-
 less delays" and "wanton waste which have
 characterized the execution of the contract for the construction of the Hall of Justice at Kearny and Washington streets can be regarded though a grave document, in no other than serIocomc light. The present Grand Jury is not the first that has regis tered protest against the delays the present Supervisors the only ones who have been bam- boozled by the contractors. Again and again, for upward of three years, grand jures and Supervisors
 have tried to straighten this matter out with no more success than will probably follow the latest effort
 The truth probably is that Bateman Brothers whose political pull is evidently one of the great in- stitutions of the towtook the contract low and unable to execute it. Surely under prevailing cir cumstances it cannot be source of profit to them Men have been known to make money by keeping close to boards and Supervisors but never while hanging around them asking for time extensions on bad If Bateman Brothers getting rich constructing the Hall of Justice it is not apparent where the money is coming from. The contract may be "salted" in some way, or retaining control of it may contribute to their political influence, but as business proposition the whole thing must necessarily be bowling farce.
 Why 1t may then be asked do not the contractors let go? No one has yet been able to answer this question: Two or three grand juries have reported" upon the phenomenon, large numbers of property owners have Investigated" it and on numberess occasions Supervisors committees have traversed the subject; yet nobody has discovered why the con- tractors do not throw up their job and let somebody else construct the Hall of Justice. We think 1t would be well to give attention to this branch of the diff culty. If 1t cannot be determined why Bateman Brothers persist in preventing the completion of the building, would 1t not be a good idea to form some plan for kicking them out and putting in charge a builder who will at least make bluff at 1t? This re- suit would justify lawsuit.
 One great point however, has been settled by the Grand Jury report under consideration. It is com prised in a single sentence: ''We found," says the jury to Judge Becher that the architect up June B has been paid $86I8 on progress estimates of $Io5 Goo, and that during the whole period of nac tivity superintendent employed at salary of $25o month and inspector of bricks at $5 per day-receiving $4375 and $I7oo each respectively up to this date"
 eft from the delay in completing the structure. This shows that have been mistaken An architect superintendent and brick inspector making money The gratifying nature of this information scarcely be overestimated The protesting property owners, indignant grand jurors and bamboozed Supervisors may now hide their diminished heads. The spcuous purpose of all Government work is being subserved in the case of the Haul of Justice Three tax eaters getting fattened of it Let the delay continue It is the duty of the city to fat its tax eaters Even in this the end justhes the