The San Francisco call., 1898-11-11
CANVASS DELAYED BY
 RANK INCOMPETENCE
BIGGY SCORES METHODS OF THE
 ELECTION COMMISSION.
Officers Failed to Make Semi-Ofhcial Returns-Results in One Pre- cinct Will Not Be Known
 Until Monday.

Locked and sealed In the Registrars vault are the ballots cast in every pre- cinct in Tuesdays election, and trusted officer of the police and representatives of the county committees of both par ties will watch to see that neither lock nor seal is tempered with until the Election Commissioners meet on Monday to officially canvass the vote.
 The returns which appear in this morn ing's issue of The Call were compiled by Registrar Biggys corps of competent clerks, who have worked increasingly on them since returns began to arrive from the different districts. They are com plete with the exception of the vote on the general ticket of the Eleventh Pre- cinct of the Twenty ninth Assembly District The returns of this precinct 1t will be impossible to publish until Mon- day, as one of the election officials. in ignorance of the law, sealed his semi official returns up with the ballots and they were locked up with the rest in the vault Only by an order of the court could Mir. Biggy unsear those ballots. but he hesitates to even take thaL measure selves would undo the mistake, and so will wait until Monday.
 The Eleventh of the IWenty-nintn was was seni-official canvass. The Fifteenth of the Thirty-frst, Eleventh of the Thirty sixth Thirteenth of the dyd pot and et their returns in until yesterday morning, and then only after a half dozen of MT. Biggy's deputies had gone out into the districts and demanded them.
 Although the returns or thls years elec- tion have been more quickly and system matieally canvassed than eyer PFeyioqsly M Biggy said yesterday that but for the rank ignorance and incompetence of the election officers who failed 10 @ make h semi nis canvass completed by yesterday noon..
 There is no reason on earth" said MT. sioners iIai had followed the law and made their appointments from the assessment roll they would have had men who needed dnties and we would have had the re- turns in the hands of the public this noon
 "As it is I wish you would announce that the recapitulation sheets VIII to-day be open for inspection at my office, and and my deputies will be. glad to have any one who is interested drop in to see them"
 Registrar and his deputies as was Tues day. It was a case Of foTty-eight hours without sleep for all Of them. put there was no abatement of the courtesy that has characterized the working force de- spite a thousand and one things that turn up to make matters crotchetty.
 There were none of those who failed of election who made complaint-always ex- cepting Dr. c. c. O'Donnell. who is not to be Coroner. The disappointed ones have quietly abided by the returns and have one and all rendered their thanks to the Registrar, who has kept them con- stantly informed of progress.
 O'Donnell was on hand yesterday, as on the day before, giving tongue to all sorts of accusations of jobbery and frauds up- on him. He claims that he was counted out and threatened a demand for re-
 The election of 1898 has probably been the cheapest that San Franciscans have
 In 1896 1t cost s202, 300 to provide the city with enough officials to run it. MT. Biggy announced last night that the Sl56,5O0 he asked for when apportionments were made, would cover every expense and probably go little further.
 There may be some little difficulty when the matter of paying off election officers comes up before the Commissioners on Monday The rule was laid down when they were appointed that no warrants would issue until services had been per- formed hut there were a few favored