The San Francisco call., 1898-07-09
A Carpet Beater and a Grocer Secure the Work From
 MT. Burns.
Orucker Accused of Doing Mean Politics. Side Lights on the Latest School
 Board Scandal.

{ tic and remark that it must be excellent i and worth the money, because Director 1 Burns conducts fruit store, and the
 contractors are engaged in lines of busi- | ness not connected with whitewaShing Director Gallagher was not of this class, i but he was disagreeable enough to say 1 that the work was entirely unnecessary,
 a fact which caused him to be dropped from the visiting list of MT. Burns. The latter gentleman was much grfeved when the subject was brought before him yesterday, and regretted deeply that
 there should have been any dissension in the board or any questioning or ms mo- tives in his conduct of the work or the Building Committee. He unconsciously did a little whitewashing himself in the
 matter of contractors, and was greatly
 surprised to learn that MT. Donohue,
 whitewasher, but a plain, unassuming re-
 taller of groceries, etc He knew that
 Mr. Conklin ran carpet-beatlng con
 cern, but that gentleman had done the
 same kind of work for the department last year, and everything was sattsfac- tory,' so it ought to have been at this time.
 MT Burns was not disconcerted when asked his reason for selecting men in
 such diverse lines of business when there were so many well-known and re-
 liable firms in that line of industry. He calmly called attention to the deadly pre- cedent that had been established last year, and supplemented the statement
 with the remark that he knew he was
 getting good work.
 "I am sorry" said he, that such mat ters have come up, for they are uncalled for So far as some of the work l had planned to do Is concerned, the Board of Health will have to take things in hand and have the work performed or some of the schools will necessarily be closed. For instance, at the Irving School the sewer that leads from the vaults IS broken, and the Seepage is flowing out in sufficient quantity to cause an epidemic. In the Webster School the principal told me that there had been no whitening or inside painting done there for eighteen years. and one only needs to look at it to believe the statement. l have been conducting the affairs of the committee as I would my own business, and l have ordered nothing that was not required. Of course l did not know that Conkin's partner was a grocer, but 1 knew that Conklin was carpet-beater. My reason for giving him the work was that he did work for the board last year and it was entirely satisfactory. l can't be expected to know every member of firm l may deal with and I do not know Conklin's reasons for taking Donohue into the con- tracts. Just the same, my work will bear the closest investigation. If the board does not want to follow my sug gestions as to needed improvements that is their affair and 1 am not responsible. It is very unpleasant to have matters come up in this way when l am conscious of having done no wrong. So far as MT. Gallaghers motives are concerned in causing this scandal. he can explain them in his own way. I have nothing to say"
 How about Director Druckers change of heart and his charge that you were making a tool of him?' was asked.
 We'll said Mir. Burns, smilingly, as he involuntarily kicked a fruit box, ''he had no call to do it. but I guess he thought that would be the best possible way to begin doing a little preliminary politics on his own hook. Maybe he con cluded 1 was in his way and that would be popular move for him to make. Pos sibly it was. Time will tell