The San Francisco call., 1899-05-20
GAGE AND THE
SAN FRANCISCO
HEALTH BOARD
Pressure Brought to
Change the Slate.
AN OLD SCANDAL REVIVED
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN BURNS
RECORD AS A DEFAULTER.
A. L. Hart's Claim for Legal Services
Is Settled by Arbitration With
Colonel Wright as
Arbitrator.
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN BURNS
RECORD AS A DEFAULTER.

Governor Gage is expected in San Fran
cisco to-day to attend the cornerstone
ceremonies at the College of Physicians
and Surgeons. Hearing that he had ac-
cepted an invitation to meet the physi-
clans many of the politicians surmised
that the appointments to the Board of
Health would either be announced or
plainly indicated before the Governor left
the city for Los Angeles. In expectation
of the Governors arrival from Sacra-
mento many Of the applicants for official
favor went to the Palace court last even
ing but they did not meet the executive
There are many subordinate positions
in the field on inspection connected with
the Health Department OF this city, hence
unusual interest is manifested. The Gov
ernor is blamed for delay in naming the
new board, but his friends say that Gov
ernor Budd did not appoint the Health
Board until in the month of June.
An offfceholder who is supposed to be in
the confidence of Burns and Mclaughlin
expressed the opinion last night att the
Palace that no one but Gage had the
slightest knowledge as TO the accepted
Board of Health slate. A month ago the
insiders believed that the selections had
been finally made but since the extreme
Governor TO induce him to recognize an
active local element of the party that was
not considered when the original slate
was made.
1t is now understood that members of
the executive committee of the Repub
lican State Central Committee, who were
not known in the Senatorial contest at
Sacramento as active supporters of d. M.
Burns, will make no further suggestions
to Governor Gage concerning the diStri-
button of patronage.
The appointments made by the Governor
since the conference at the Palace Hotel,
which was called ostensibly to strengthen
and harmonic the party, convince all
who were not in the Burns crowd that it
is utterly useless to make any suggestions
TO Gage.
Another chapter in the record of Burns
defalcation in Office is closed. A. L. Hart,
who defended d. NJ. Burns in the courts
of 4olo and Sacramento, where embeZ-
element proceedings were instituted,
sought subsequently to collect $4,000 for
legal services rendered the accused. d.
NJ. Burns paid $1,000 on account but re-
fused to pay the full amount of Harts
fee.
When the Senatorial contest opened at
Sacramento the lawyer fancied that the
time was opportune for demanding final
settlement. The eX-Secretary of State
saw at once that refusal to entertain
propositions might reopen the old scan
dal and bring to light some phases of
the embezzlement of public funds which
States Senate. In order. therefore, to
suppress scandal. arbitration was sug-
gested. 1t appears that Burns and Hart
agreed on Colonel j. h. Wright of the
Southern Pacific Company as arbitrator.
In due time Colonel Wright submitted a
report, in which he decided that d. NJ.
Burns should pay A. l.. Hart $500. This
sum, which Burns has now paid, added
to a previous payment of $1,000. makes
Harts fee for defending Burns $500. In
accordance with the arbitrator's report,
the proceedings in the Superior Court to
obtain judgment against Burns have
been dismissed