The San Francisco call., 1899-04-27
Many Employees to Be
Dismissed.
COMMISSIONERS ECONoMIZE
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO
BE ABOLISHED.
The Board Decides at Secret Session
to Effect a Saving of Two
Thousand Dollars a
Month.

CONSERVATION reigns in the army of
water front employees. A reaction from
the eXtravagant, money absorbing ad-
ministration of Colnon has come and
to-day the ak Of dismissal viii fall
upon the necks OF many of the faVorites
who have drawn large salaries from the
State and have given nothing in re-
turn. The Board of Harbor Commits
sioners met in secret session yesterday
afternoon and after an earnest discus
sion, lasting for nearly three hours, de-
termined upon sweeping changes in the
working force upon the water front
The startling revelations of eXtrava-
giant fraud made public in the report
of the legislative committee led to
thorough investigation and the Harbor
Commissioners believe that the admin
istration Of affairs upon the water front
VII in no way suffer if at least twenty
men are dismissed from the service and
a saving made of about $1,000 a month.
At the secret session held yesterday
afternoon Commissioners Kilburn, Har-
ney and Herold were present. The
heads OF different departments on the
water front were called before the
board and were closely questioned in
reference to the conduct of their separ-
ate departments. After a thorough dis
cussiOn it was decided to abolish the
purchasing department and the depart
ment of urgent repairs. The purchas-
ing department was the particular pet
of ColnOn. Its cost of maintenance was
almost as great as the volume of its
business. In other words the total of
purchases was not much greater than
the salaries Of the men who made the
purchases
The existence Of this outrage was
called to the attention of the Legis-
lature at its last session by the com
mittee Of investigation, but nothing was
done. The Board of Harbor Commits
sioners, determined upon reform. de-
cided TO abolish the purchasing de-
partment. Purchases VIII be made
hereafter through the heads of the
various departments and one of the
evils of Colnons administration will
be removed.
The department Of urgent repairs is
also another expensive luxury to the
State that will be eliminated. The
duties Of its officers will be assigned
where they rightly belong, to the de-
partment Of the chief engineer. In this
way the salaries of several EXPENSIVE
officers will be saved and nothing will
be lost in the effectiveness of water
front administration. The commission
ers have also decided to dismiss nearly
all Of the special police officers. who
are paid to do what the regular police
Of the city are employed to perform.
Considerable money has been wasted
10 the State in the employment of these
special officers and the evil will be
remedied. A few men whose services
are absolutely necessary will be re-
tanned.
In the general scheme of economy un-
dertaken by the Harbor Commission
ers it was thought that some of the
collectors might be removed and that
their duties could be performed by
wharflngers. Investigation showed.
however, that the collectors are statu-
tory officers and must be retained. 1t
has not yet been definitely determined,
however, what shall be done with the
working force of the belt railroad.
There is a belief that some of the men
employed on this road may be dis
missed without injury to the service,
and if this is the case the ak will be
welded.
The position Of superintendent of the
ferry depot will not be abolished, al
though the decision not to abolish it
was seriously considered The Commits
sioners will meet in secret session again
this morning at 10 o'clock to fix def
nitely upon the men that are to be re-
moved. If the plans of the board are
not changed the members will also
meet in public session at 2 o'clock to
announce the results of their unex-
pected campaign of economy.
News Of the secret session Of the
board spread rapidly yesterday. and
the employees on the water front were
thrown into an uproar. 1t was known
that sweeping changes were to be
made, but few suspected that the re-
form was to come so quickly Official
and unofficial protest against the gross
extravaganza of the Colnon administra-
ton had been made, and it was known
that a reaction was inevitable