The San Francisco call., 1899-11-04

When Mayor Phclan ana ASSessor
Dodge prate loudly in the hustings Of
what they have done and are TO do, there
is never a word said about the wonderful
energy DISPLAYED by the thrifty DR.. Dodge
in putting money in his own hungry purse
at the expense of the people.
1t has lust been realized that Assessor
Dodge has during the first fiscal year
put s16,273 5S into his own pocket in ad-
dition to his liberal salary of $4,000. by
breaking the record in the collection OF
poll taxes and by pocketing the 10 per
cent allowed by law for its COLLECTION,
meanwhile making the collection of poll
tax by salaried deputies at the Expense
of the city instead of paying them out or
the commissions as contemplated by law;
1t is not remarkable that Phelan ana
Dodge have done no Dragging about
Dodge's poll tax record. 1t IS not sur
that little IS per cent, worth Sl6,2f3 5S TO
DR.. Washington Dodge. That does not
port nor in their public speeches. The
good Mr. Phelan, watchdog OF the
treasury, and by law responsible for the
proper conduct OF o. munlGipaI mum ,l ~ 91nros 9IIlces,
as TO how his chief pet got away with
$15, 5,273 IS as a reward of thrifty energy.
And DR.. Washington Dodge does not
glorify himself, in public at least. on lie
way he made every mothers son pony
up his little 81 in order that ne might
pocket 20 cents while the city treasury
got 81 cents But Mayor lSldil lIdo
''hefted' DR.. Washington Dodge and
found him just the right thing.
The gist of the pretty little situauon
that is so darkly obscured to the public
eve is that while displaying great zeal
in collecting the most universally uetested
tax that the laws impose, he felt the spur
of selfish thrift to the tune of the
thousands mentioned because the law
allows Assessors Is per cent of the poll
taxes collected The law contemplates
that this commission shall pay the cost
has chiefly, if not entirely used in this
work the regular and special deputies,
whose salaries are paid by the city. he
wrong of this is apparent when 1T Is re-
membered that all poll taxes go into the
State school fund. San Francisco gets
back her share in the apportionment Of
school funds. but this share is but trifie
more than the thrifty Assessors.
Assessor Dodge's salary bill for extra
deputies during the past fiscal year was
S9 1894, the greatest In many years. ana
$6734 more than the average for the pre-
ceding four years. The city paid for the
whole collection.
Section 1862 reads: ''The Assessor, 70!
services rendered in the collection of poll
taxes. shall receive the sum of fifteen per
cent: and the collector, for services rem
dered in the collection Of poll taxes on
the delinquent list, shall receive the sum
of twenty-five per cent on all delinquent
poll taxes received by him..
Through the State this Is understood to
mean that this commission shall cover
the cost of collection ana snail not De
bonus given TO salared officials. Asses
sor Dodge appears to assume that it is
simply a reward of merit paid by the
State for energy in keeping deputies paid
by the city at work.
THAT IS per cent is used to pay depu-
ties and some of il goes to the Assessor,
as the law provides" said DR.. Dodge,s
chief deputy yesterday, with an avoid
ance of details.
Salaried deputies have been collecting
poll taxes and employees of the Assessors
office haven't heard OF anybody working
there on commission.
II is understood that this has been the
practice of former Assessors and that
Dodge availed himself of a custom
that had been honored before. If he
wanted men 10 collect poll taxes at 80
cents a head he could get a regiment in a
day. II would be interesting to know how
much in salaries San Francisco,s $50 0.2ST.74,
ali that it gets out of $10S ,490.5S, cost the
treasury.
When the Assessor reports the receipts
Of poll tax he gives the net IS per cent
and never says a word about commits
sions. Assessor Dodge's report for the
fiscal year 1889 reads:
RECEIPTS.
Tax on personal property (unsecured). .s52s sos 1S
Poll S2,2l7 90
Total 30 10
His report does not contain the word
poll tax" Again, this S92 PIT is what he