The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-03
The Auditor Objects to
Criticisms on His
Actions.
Says the Mayor Is Plainly
Barking Up the Wrong
Tree,"..
The Chief Executive Accused of
Catering to the Buckley
Push"

Auditor Broderick was angry to the
boiling point yesterday after he had
read Mayor Phelan's communication
to him regarding the alleged deficit in
the School Department funds. The
Auditor is more a man of law than OF
argument, and he straightway sat
him down and dictated to his type
writer caustic reply. In the com
munication he called attention TO
many things that the Mayor had FOR
gotten or overlooked and defended the
administration of his office In the
strongest terms. His reply to the
Mayor reads as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO. March 2, 1898.
Hon. James d. Phelan, Mayor CITY ana
County of San FranciSco-Dear DIT 1oui
communication of February Is is at ndilu.
In answer thereto 1 beg leave to say:
Your statement that 1T appears from
a recent report as to the condition OF the
finances of the city and county that there
will be a probable deficit or shortage OF
800, 900 in the School Department 1und al
the end of the current fiscal year is very
stale news to me, and has been generally
known to every one through the medium
of the press. / have been predicting a
greater deficiency for several months and
have been doing all in my power by ad-
vice and threats besides warning the
members of the Board of Education as
to their personal legal liability for their
acts causing the same, hoping thereby TO
induce economy and the reduction or eX-
penses. AS early as September last |
commenced to 'hold up demands against
the school fund that were in excess of
proportionate appropriation and then
called the attention of the Superintendent
of Schools, the chairman of the finance
committee and the chairman of the build
ing committee, in my office, to the proba-
BILE effect of the boards action, and then
cd hot Ir0C mo
were not at once adopted some one would
get hurt about June next. You are, in
sporting phrase, barking up the wrong
tree" The violation of the one-twelfth
act TO which you refer exists in the
Superintendent of Schools and the Board
of Education, wherein they formulate,
sign and approve demands in conflict with
Its provisions.
Your reference to thu act of 1867 and
the quotation of section of said act Is
a great surprise to me. That act Is dead,
or, as the legal fraternity designate 1t,
obsolete, and was superseded twenty
years ago by acts more effective on the
subject matter. The quotation was en-
tirely unnecessary as a matter of tnfor-
nation to me, yet, l thank you just the
same, for 1 cannot suppose that the labor
bestowed by you in its discovery was
given under any other impulse than that
of the public good.
AS the laws now stand the Auditor has
nothing whatever to do with the sub
divisions or segregations of the school
fund that may be made by the Board or
Education. Your quoted dead law called
for the segregation being made in July
of each year, but according to your let
ter to me- 1T was not done by the present
board until October last, after the ap
preparation and tax levy were made--it
could not we'll be done sooner. Had YOU
discovered this dead law sooner you
might have seen that probably the
board would have been subject to prose
cution and removal from office for this
seeming dereliction. / am surprised that
you missed so favorable an opportunity
for the exercise of your peculiar talent
in that direction.
Your reference as to what Auditor
Strother did in 1885 and your advice there
in is thankfully received, but of no value
to me. l hope you have not been actuated
by a desire to propitiate the Buckley
push" by the insinuation conveyed
thereby.
From the publicity given your letter in
this mornings papers, and particularly
the editorial Importance given 1t In one
paper / am forced to think 1t quite mani
fest that you are building political
fences" / think am safe in saying that
it will at all times during my admins
tration be found that so far as the Audi
tors office Is concerned the one-twefth
act is and has been sincerely respected,
and the strongest efforts have been made
to live UP to its provisions. The fact is,
great numbers of persons think it's pro-
are too closely applied by-yours,
very respectfully.
WILLIAM FREDERICK.