The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-14

IL office Yesterday and transacted
some important business. The public
session which was held in the presence
of an expectant crowd, indicated moth
ing, however, of the strife which is di
viding the members of the board and
promises to develop into a sensation.
The new officers are what is known in
political circles as programmes.
They were appointed with the under
standing that as far as subordinate po-
sitions are concerned they will obey the
will of the men that gave them their
own official stations.
1t was thoroughly understood that
Governor Gage would appoint men who
would accept the dictation of Dan
Burns and deliver to him the entire
patronage of the Health Department
with which to provide for his parasites
and political favorites. Men that sup
ported the Mexican at Sacramento were
to be provided for and given places I'M
der the city government. The rousta-
bouts, rowdies, gamblers and worse
who followed in the train of Burns were
TO be taken under the protecting
shadow of the Health Board and estab
lished as pensioners of the city Treas
urer.
There was no misunderstanding in
reference to this fact, which was &C
cepted by the new members of the
Board of Health. Burns was to distrib-
ute the patronage. He had legislators
to provide for, not only for favors al
ready given, but for prospective ia
vorS in the event of an extra session of
the State Legislature Before the new
board was chosen the loaves and fishes
were distributed. DR.. w. NJ. Lawlor,
the newly elected Health officer, for ex-
ample, was chosen months before the
personnel of the Board of Health was
even a matter of casual consideration.
Burns had promised Lawlor the place,
and Gage made the promise good.
The members of the Board of Health
understood. therefore, that they were to
receive list of favorites and were eX-
pected to appoint the men named to
the positions designated. The members
of the board knew, also. that they had
been chosen to represent and protect
certain interests, as the Southern Pa
cif1c Company and others. All OF these
conditions were accepted, and the new
board assumed office. The pro
gramme" was presented to the board
and then war was declared
Certain members of the board saw
that they were asked to do something
more than provide for Dan Burns and
his political future. They saw that they
were expected to sacrifice their own
regulations to satisfy the Mexicans OBJ
legations. The members of the Board
of Health were asked to appoint men
! whose names are synonyms for re-
proach, and whose appointment TO pub
lie office would stain the characters of
the men who made the appointment.
When the members of the board saw
this fact and realized its consequence
war was declared, and certain of the
members declared that they would re-
sign before they would submit to the
indignity offered to them by Burns.
The clash came over the appointment
of secretary to the board. Burns de-
manded that Leon Dennery be elected
| to that important position. Dennery
was one of the disreputable rabble that
Burns made his train at Sacramento.
Burns wished. therefore, to provide for
him and insisted on his appointment.
| This demand was a little more than
some of the members of the Board of
Health could tolerate. Rather than
submit to it they declared they would
resign their positions and retain their
decency. They said, at private eau
Gus among themselves yesterday, that
they were willing to satisfy the obliga-
tons of the man who appointed them,
but they refused emphatically to sacrt-
flee their own regulations in doing so.
They declared that in appointing
Dennery to the important position of
secretary they would place themselves
on his level, and this they declined to
do.
When this rebellion against the
programme" manifested itself a long
discussion ensued. At it's conclusion a
compromise was suggested but it is
not by any means a certainty that it
will be accepted. Some of the members
of the board urged that it would be
wise to withdraw Dennery from the
secretaryship and give him posntion
of less prominence and Importance I'M
der the department. There was a dis
position to accept this compromise, but
no definite action was reached before
the board met in public session.
Those members of the board that are
! rebelling against the outrageous de-
mands of the Mexican and who threat
en- to resign if the demands are forced
upon them are supported in their fight
by officials of the Southern Pacific
Company. These officers believe that
Burns is going too far in his assertion
of power over the Governor, and in his
extravaganza is making both himself
and Gage worse than useless to them,
They recommend, therefore, that Burns
be fought in the matter and be forced to
submit to the common dictates of de-
cency. This phase of the affair is I'M
expected and promises to result in
some sensational development.
After the stormy preliminary secret
session the members of the new board
proceeded to the City Hall to accept
formally their offices. The retiring
board met shortly after IL o'clock for
it's final session. Business of routine
character was transacted and resolu-
lions in commentator of the Mer-
chants Association and the Manufac-
turers' and Producers Association were
adopted. Mayor Phelan was officially