The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-06
EXTRA CLER...S FOR
TAX COLLECTIONS
SUPERVISORS TO INQUIRE INTO
SHEEHAN'S DEMANDS.
Will Visit the Office This Morning.
Chairman Perrault Explains His
Position in the Controversy.

The Finance Committee of the Board of
Supervisors will visit the Tax Collector S
office this morning TO inquire into the
needs of the office for extra clerks 10 De
employed during the months OF tebru-
ary, March and April. The matter mas
been settled on that basis and the mem
bers of the committee will satisfy them
selves as to whether the request or Tax
Collector Sheehan is reasonable.
The contention of the Supervisors
throughout this controversy has been that
they are legally empowered to control the
expenditures, and Chairman Perrault fur
Their contends that scrutiny on their part
is necessary in order that they can prop
erlv perform their duties for the best in
terests of the city.
DR.. Perrault paid a friendly visit to Mr..
Sheehan Saturday in order to settle the
preliminaries for a perfect understanding.
Mr.. Sheehan has promised to wlthdra"
the rnandamus proceedings on the advice
of his attorney, and he recognizes the
power of the board in regulating the num-
Der of clerks and the position 1t has taken
in the Interpretation of the law. In re-
turn the demands of his clerks for the
month of January will be signed and the
Finance Committee will inspect the work
necessary to be done in the office.
ut is a plain business proposition, said
Chairman Perrault last evening, when
seen in regard to the contemplated settle
ment of the differences existing between
the board and the Tax Collector. Mr..
Sheehan estimated that there would be
IS, 500 tax bills to be made out during Feb
ruary and asked for twenty-five men to
do the work The committee concluded 1t
could be done by less than half that num-
ber According to Mr.. Sheehan himself
the average clerk can make out twenty
Ia hon or q
four working days it would require, say,
eight men to do the work. In the three
months he will have 5000 bills to make
out and that will leave 36, 400 for March
and April. Then, if 1900 were made out
in March seven men only would be re-
quired, and there would remain Il 400 pills,
which ten men could easily handle in
Now, Mr. Sheehan wanted twenty men
for March and thirty. for April, and we
concluded that the demands were too
great There is but $3.50 left in the fund,
and if the board would allow him the
s12 900 he asks for both amounts might be
exhausted before the fiscal year had ex-
pired and he could make further demands
that would have to be allowed. Further
more, less number of bills than the esti-
mate might be made out during February
and March, leaving the great majority for
April, and more clerks would be neces-
sary Such a procedure would establish an
endless chain of expenditures. l contend
that the province of the Finance Commit
tee is to act as a check on the olSDurSe-
ments, and that is precisely why the diff
ferences have arisen. l hope we can come
to an agreement, for 1 have no desire to
cripple the work of the Office but L think
it can be done on business principles and
i am sure Mr.. Sheehan is of the same
LAS to the number of clerks actually re-
uuirved it is difficult TO establish stan
dard. Some years twenty-five men have
been employed in February, and in others
thirty-eight We are willing to accede to
any demands that are reasonable and
lust -