The San Francisco call., 1898-07-09

The recent explosion in the Board of Education which broke the friendship of political co-workers who had long la bored in their special vineyard most har moniously has some features that have not been made plain to the public, and which have peculiar interest.
 At the meeting in which Director Gal lagher shied his castor in the ring, to the consternation of his colleague, and Director Drucker with unseemly haste threw his old chum. Chairman Burns down with a dull political thud, some matters came up that by reason of the excitement were not looked into. The most important of these was the con- tracts that had been let for the whiten- ing and tinting of the walls of fourteen schools. Each was a separate contract, a fact which led to a pointed inquiry from Director Gallagher as to why these arrangements had not been made with one firm to do all the work at a lump price in the interest of conomy. To this query MT. Burns made no reply, but the subsequent questioning developed the fact that most of the contracts were with one Frank Conklin." The identity of this gentleman was not made plain at the meeting, and an examination of the latest directory did not disclose the name of any such man in that line of business.
 
 to "Conklin & Donohue." Such a firm being unknown, a request was made to Storekeeper Graham, of the School De- partment, to permit an examination of the contracts. This was very promptly and emphatically refused. That gentle man was told that the contracts were public documents and open to the in- spection of any citizen, but it made no difference, they were not forthcoming from the private receptacle" referred to by Inspector O'Brien when undergoing an 1f1fT -l@ hole board.
 However the "kasominers" were finally located and it would take better guessers than the Strategy Board at Washington composed of Frank Conklin of Conklin Bros, who use steam power to beat car pets at S3S Golden Gate avenue. His partner in the Whitewashing business is Thomas Donohue, who purveys ham, bread and cheer in a small grocery on the corner of Grove and Laguna streets.
 Those who are acquainted with the facts find 1t somewhat puzzling to dis cover why, with a long list of competing firms, who make this class of work a speciality, Director Burns should find it necessary to select a carpet-beater and an obscure grocer to do the work of whitening and tinting; or why, as the law requires, he did not post the propo- sitions at the headquarters of the de- partment and give the kalsominers of the city an opportunity to bid on the work Another aspect of the case, which, however, calls for no explanation, is the fact that the men employed by the ready made whiteners were required to go to the grocery of MT. Donohue to get their pay, or that they were paid a dol lar and a half a day when the ruling wage for competent men is three dollars. Of course, the fact that the contract whitener sells all kinds of groceries and enthusiasm was like the flowers that bloom in the spring" but that is said to be another story. which is not made plain in the elusive contracts
 As to the quality of the work, there are taxpayers who are inclined to be sarcaS-