The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-15
The Physicians Rebel at the
MexiCan'S Medicine.
Plot to Seat Leon Dennery After Oher Favortes Are
Elected-Ihreat to Reduce Appropriations.
DR.. Keeney'S Bitter Pill

! the Almshouse and the resident ply
stefan of the City and County Hospital
have been elected then the secretary
Will be chosen and there is everything
to suggest that he will be Leon Den
merry, the type and representative of
the unspeakable phases of the tender
loin.
In order to delude the members of
the Board of Health and the public a
compromise candidate for secretary to
the board has been placed in the field
He is f. B. Carroll of Sacramento Mr.
Carroll has the distinction of being a
relative of George Croker. AS one of
the obligations Of that relationship he
is being made the foil of Leon Dennery
to advance the political interests Of
Dan Burns.
While Burns has been struggling
with his refractory creatures on the
board he has been menaced from an
other source. The city department of
health as now administered includes
over $50 employees more than those pro
vided by State statute. The Board of
Supervisors is compelled to provide
only for the statutory officers and may
restrict its appropriation to provision
for these officers. This would mean
that the present board would receive
an appropriation of approximately
S26 900 instead of $4,000 if the Board Of
Supervisors cared to exercise its power
of restriction. The bulk of patronage
possessed by the Board Of Health
would thus be destroyed and Burns
would be forced to a new shift to pro-
vide for his followers.
Those that have influence with the
Supervisors and object to the demand
of Burns that he shall make the city
pay his political debts threaten to cut
the appropriation for the Board OF
Health to the statutory limit. In re-
ply Burns threatens to command his
Board of Health to close its department
and leave the city without its hospitals
and manifold system of health. If such
a threat were carried into execution an
untold evil would be inflicted upon the
city The threat of the Mexican shows
to what desperate limit ne will go to
win his point in his political game.
More than this. Burns has threatened
to remove any member of the Board of
Health that does not obey his orders.
Governor Gage is the abject tool Of the
Mexican and will not hesitate to re-
move any member of the board who
proves refractory. The scandal Of such
an action is disagreeable, however. and
will be avoided if possible But. how
ever. the trick is to be turned; Burns
demands the patronage He has shown,
however, that in extreme instances he
can be condescending. Shortly after
the Board Of Health was appointed DR..
Keeney went to Burns and asked his
permission to appoint r. NJ. Jones as
clerk TO the Health officer.
The position of clerk u the Health Of
ficer is one that entails upon its pos
SCISSOR no more serious duty than the
exertion of sufficient energy 10 keep
alive. r. NJ Jones is a brother-in-law
of DR.. Keeney, and was recently dis
missed from the Health Department
for intemperance. This fact may have
induced Burns to be lenient, and he per
mitted DR.. Keeney to appoint the new
clerk But with the permission came
condition. Burns handed DR. Keeney
a list of names. THAT is the pro-
gramme." said the Mexican. Elect
those men at your first meeting"
Dr. Keeney took the list. The names
were: Leon Dennery, secretary; DR..
! W. NJ Lawlor, Health Ofncer; Peter
! Devany, assistant secretary. Two Of
these men were elected to their respec-
! tive positions at the first meeting of the
| board. DR.. Keeney is an expert on pills
and pellets but the dose was hard to
take. lie knew. however, that it was
! only the first of series