The San Francisco call., 1899-06-04
SOME FACTS FOR
AUDITOR WELLS
TO PONDER OVER
A Business Man for
License Collector.
FRED LEES QUALIFICATIONS
INCIDENTS OF HIS FORMER AD-
MINISTRATION.
Large Corporations Permitted to Es-
cape Payment of Their Just
Obligations During His
Term.
INCIDENTS OF HIS FORMER AD-
MINISTRATION.

Only few days ago Auditor Asa R.
Wells stated in a printed interview that
so far as he was concerned nobody but
a thorough business man should receive
the License Collectorship.
At the time he. made that statement
Auditor Wells was pledged to vote for
Nred w. Lees for the position. Mr.. Lees
has already filled the office of License
Collector, and here is a small portion of
the record of his administration, show
ing his extraordinary capabilities as a
business man:
When Lees went out of office two years
ago his successor found in checking up
the books that many of the largest busi-
ness firms in the city-wholesalers having
large interests and equally great influence
were the recipients of material favors
at the hands of the License Collector in
asmuch as they had not been paying the
municipal tax required by law. Their
licenses had been reduced, while the
smaller firms were compelled TO pay the
full limit This differential was speedily
corrected and the books of the license
office will show that these firms are now
paying $500 a year more than they did
during Lees term.
But the biggest hole in the office into
which the city's money was permitted to
pour was that connected with the opium
selling business. Lees successor found
hundreds of places in the city where
opium was sold which paid absolutely no
license, while, many others only paid a
portion of the amount fixed by law. The
correction of this evil enriched the city
$1700 a quarter, or $6S00 a year.
Another instance of Lees remarka bic
business ability was discovered when his
successor looked into the accounts of the
Market Street Railway Company Inc
books showed that for the quarter ending
in July 1S97-that being the time Lees sur
rendered the office-the Dig corporation
paid license on 2S7 large and twenty-four
small cars, making total OF Sll36 % a
quarter Lees successor had an idea that
the Market street company had more cars
than that number so ne made an lnVesu-
CATION with the result that during the
first quarter of his incumbency the COM
pany was compelled to pay license on
425 large and twenty-siX small cars, bring
ing the total up to $lo0S rs quarter, a
quarter, or $2090 a year.
Ii will be remembered that this inyeSti-
cation brought the wrath of +. r. Nining
down upon the head of the new Collector,
the railroad official making some very
significant statements about, a new
broom" being too fresh, and the like
Nining also in retaliation refused to allow
the outside deputies of the license Office
to ride free, a privilege all of Lees dep
uties enjoyed.
The law provides that all theaters shall
pay an annual license of $3Ol, and that is
what they have been paying for the past
two years, but Lees successor found that
uQQeT the OIu ISSIIH0 llSy llou DSeii pay
ing only $2O1 a year. There is no record
in the office to show that the other 800
was offset by free theater tickets, al
though Lees has always had a fondness
for the show
These are some of the more notable in
stances of Fred w. Lees business saga
city, not to mention the discovery of one
defaulter in the office at the time it
changed hands. and which was quickly
hushed up. There are innumerable in
stances involving smaller amounts where
in, it is needless to say, the city invari-
ably suffered.
Is this the kind of business man" Audi
tor Wells had in mind when he pledged
his vote to Lees and announced himself
in the press, and knowing now some OF
fne secrets 9I the license ONCE NC 3urlng ms
prepared to place this business man.
again in control of the office?
Auditor Wells, it is for you, sir, to an
Swer.