The San Francisco call., 1898-10-27
TAX COLLECTOR JAMES N. BLOCK
 AND HIS RECORD AS A REFORMER

and the sergeant at arms, Henry Peter Giannini, to preserve order.
 From the School Department MT. Block has collected cents each for the names of Reginald F. Webster, Will liam A. Derham, Samuel Levy Waller, Edward Joseph Gallagher (not of the clan), pr. Dennis Francis Ragan, Ed win l.. Head, Thomas A. Burns, Charles Augustus Bantel-just a quorum to transact business at the front.
 Every department of the city govern ment has been called upon to furnish its quota of names, the owners of which are exempt from military duty, in order that the bank account of the Tax Collector may be swelled without expense to himself. The Police Courts, the County Clerks office, the Auditors office, the License Collectors office, the Sheriff's office, the Coroner's office, the State employees on the water front, members of the Fire Department, the Board of Health-in fact, every de- partment and every exempt class has furnished names, each one of which has netted Tax Collector Block just a nickel apiece, the same being paid out of the funds of the State treasury and into the private bank account of MT. Block
 Actual and physical disability counts TUT HllL IlllS S4CCNy AN1OA law or no law. Herman Enkle, dep uty in MT. Blocks office. is physically disqualified and he is AT years of age, yet he is on the roll. Every one in the City Hall and many out of it know that Louis MetZger is utterly disquali- fled, by reason of the loss of his eye sight, yet he is on the roll from the Forty-third Assembly District. Even Augustus c. Widber, at present an in voluntary guest at the Municipal Ho- tel, has not been forgotten by this thrifty reformer, who spares neither age nor condition.
 Next we encounter a heavy contin- gent of hostlers, stable boys and touts from the Ingleside racetrack, but as their names are legion, and many of them have long since left the city, it is unnecessary to name them.
 The Almshouse, dedicated by gen. erous municipality to the use of those who know nothing of hefting Mayors and silk-hat bosses, has been laid un- der contribution by the Tax Collector. At that place he has enrolled not only Dr. William Edward Conlan, the phy- sician who has the care of the poor unfortunates, but seven other employees of the house as well, and he has even laid his Shylock hands upon the per named Michael Robert Emmet Coogan, and told him to get ready for military duty.
 Not satisfied with having laid under tribute the lame and the blind ana the halt and the leprous and the misshapen and the sorely afflicted and the ageo and infirm, this valiant reformer Tn quest of nickels has opened the pom derous and marble jaws of death, and with sacrilegiouS hands has torn from their several places Of sepulcher those who were supposed to De saIe from even such "natural-Dorn feach- CTS" as MT. Block From the mortuary records on file in the office of the Re corder of this city and county appear the following names, which also appear on the Tax Collectors military roll: Henry A. Hagedorn, William T. Dan ieIs, Dennis Crowley, ulysses Grant Meehan, Thomas E. Godkin, stephen Truax and Thomas Sarsneld O'Conneh. How many hundreds more or a like na- ture are hidden among the 46,000 names time and a very searching 1nVeSuga- tion alone will reveal
 The Collector is by law allowed live deputies, who receive in the aggregate the sum of $850 per month, ana sucn extra assistance as the Board Of Su- nervisors allow him from time to time. When taxes are not due and payable there is little to do. During almost six months of the twelve the numerous extra clerks find time hanging very heavy upon their hands In conse- quence whereof they are driven to do politics in the corridors, to square a case in the Police Courts occasionally, to listen to arguments in the Superior Courts and to attend the races when racing is in season. MT. Block of course knows nothing of this scandal ous state of affairs, for he does not re- main long enough in his office to ac- quaint himself with the facts. Urgent necessity requires that he should give at least four hours every day-from Il a. m. to D. m.-to his insurance busi- ness, in order to swell his bank ac- count and increase his income from the tax office now amounting to S500 a month When 1t is considered that in addition to this comfortable amount, part of 1t drawn illegally from the treasury for imposing fraudulent mill itary roll upon the authorities, MT. Block has in his employ three near rel atives who draw the additional sum of s420O from the municipal strong box for doing little or nothing,.i 1t will be seen that as a reformer he Is bowling suc- cess. The reports of the Tax Collector on file in the office of the Auditor show a remarkable state of affairs. Here is a sample:
 Taxes collected during July 1898. .,..... 1867 55 Taxes collected during August. 1S9S...... PIP B Taxes collected during September, 1Ss8. 32S 10
 Total ..........................s s902 s8 Salaries for 2s employees for July. 8, 15o % Salaries for 28 employees for August.... 3. 150 % Salaries for 26 employees for September. 2,s5o co
 Total .ss, ,25O %
 This is exclusive of the Collectors S salary, which adds another 5000 for three months. In other words, it has cost the city more than $10 for every dollar collected during the past three months.
 South Park Republicans.