The San Francisco call., 1898-09-15
Supervisors Engage in 2 Warm Discussions.
BOARD OF HEALTH ROASTED
COUNTY HOSPITAL IS SHARPLY
 CRITICIZED.
It Is Understood the Municipal Rate Will Be Fixed at $1.4O. Those Needless
 Hydrants.

'The municipal tax rate will be $1.40. Add 4S.S cents for State tax and the total assessment will be $1.8S3.'
 This statement was made last evening by one of the best posted officials engaged in fixing the amount of the tax levy. The Supervisors are going through the form of sitting a committee of the whole to consider the levy, but the matter is now about settled, so far as the majority is concerned. Supervisors Clinton, Dodge, Lackmann and Smith will be permitted to ask questions until next Saturday morn ing, when the majority will act. This Is the programme arranged and there is lit tie chance that it will be changed.
 When the committee of the whole met man of the Finance Committee, occupied the chair. Supervisor Clinton, in accord presented a resolution that the local tax rate be limited to $1.15. He stated that the sum derived would be ample to conduct the affairs of the city upon an honest and
 ''I do not believe" said Clinton that there was any basis for the recent charge that this board intended to foist g. tax rate upon the citizens. The statement was calculated to damage business inter ests. The members of this board have a chance to go on record and dlsprove the assertion, and 1 think they will do it.
 Supervisor Dodge stated that in his opin- ion 1t was impossible to keep the pledges that had been made by the Supervisors to conduct the city'S affairs on a one-dollar basis. He thought that the citizens would be satisSsd with fair taxation, due econ omy being exercised.
 Supervisor Britt wanted the Clinton res olution to go over until the committee had listened to the petitions of the various Improvement Clubs and the heads of the city departments, concerning needed ap- propriations.
 Supervisor Clinton offered no objection to the passing of his resolution for the time being and it was laid over.
 Horace Davis and Collin M. Boyd ad- dressed the Supervisors concerning the needs of the Free Public Library. They urged that the appropriation be fixed at $56, 200. Davis stated that 60O,0O0 books had been circulated last year. and that in order to keep Lne institution on it's feet 1000 was needed for salaries, S2000 for skylights and $7750 for books. Incidentals would bring the amount up to the figure asked.
 Chief Sullivan of the Fire Department asked for $621.J and finally said that. although this was a cut of S6000 as com pared with the e p previous year, arr he e. would manage to cut still further, down to $600,- 900, if the board thought it was absolutely necessary, in order to keep down taxes.
 How about the recent statement in The Call that there are too many expen- sive hydrants2" demanded Supervisor Britt ed the Chief. Tn case of a second or third alasm of fire we would need all the water that could be had.
 The trouble isn't that there are too many hydrants uowntown, remarked Auditor Frederick, but that they crown every hilltop out in the suburbs. That is where the waste money comes in Every fellow who moves out on a rocky knob in the far distance immediately pe- titions for the city to supply him with fire protection and he gets 1t, regardless of cost. Whv there Is any number of hydrants stuck around in the gullies out back of town"
 C the Chief by asking: Then you don't think that the Fire Committee of the Supervisors has stolen much from the
 ''I don't think 1t mas had chance" re- sponded the head of the Fire Department
 The next subject for consideration was the appropriation for the City and County Hospital. and here the doctors on the board combined for an energetic attack on the health officials. pr. Dodge said:
 'The patients in the hospital must De better cared for. It is not for me to criti- cize the way in which the Board of Health spends it's money, but I do know that there Is no city in the country where the salaries in the City and County Hos pital amounted to $29 9s9, while in 1898 the sum total Is $34,692 This is an increase of was 35S, as against 522 in 1S9S The amount of money used for maintenance, outside of salaries, in 1891 was $145 20 yearly per capita. In 1898 this per capita was re- duced to $95 40, a reduction of 8 per cent. In other words, while the salaries have been increased, the money spent for the food of patients and internes has been reduced in amount. There has been cur tailment in the expenditures for delica- cies for the sick; l, object to this sort of thing, and insist that the hospital pa tients ought not to be .stinted In their food. If the present salaries must be maintained, the Supervisors will have to grant a larger appropriation, so as to
 This arraignment started Dr. Clinton, and he made few allegations about the mismanagement of the Board of HeaIlh and its alleged extravaganza in appoint ing food and other inspectors and a long list of bacteriologists, microscopists, etc.
 At the afternoon session of the com mittee the Health Office came in for a general scoring by Rottanzi. and Clinton and the non-medfcal members of l,le board listened with evident interest There was apparently very little left of the Board of Health when Clinton and Rottanzi finished, and the indications are that there will be a cut in the appropria. tion of money for the health officials.
 A recess was taken until Saturday at fl a. m., when the Finance Committee vii be expected to fix the figure