The San Francisco call., 1899-10-02
HEALTH BOARD
RAIDS ARE TO
Be PREVENTED
Wells Will Audit No
OVerdrafts.
WILL SEEK LEGAL ADVICE
JUDGE HUNTS DECISION MAY
GO FOR NOTHING.
The Board Will Be Restricted by the
Audifor to TtS Omr Fund and
WILL SEEK LEGAL ADVICE
JUDGE HUNTS DECISION MAY
GO FOR NOTHING.
The Board Will Be Restricted by the
Auditor to It's Own Fund and
Wholesale Appointments
Will Be Stopped.

The raid on the treasury which the
Board of Health is contemplating as
means of paying another bunch of Dan
Burns Senatorial debts will likely be
nipped in the bud. Although Judge Hunts S
recent decisions apparently opened the city
and county cash drawer to either hand
the Health Board clique cared to dip into
1t, there is still a vigilant watchdog in
the person Of Auditor Asa r. Wells. If
any of the claims the gang is gleefully
projecting get past him they ought to be
paid. There Is small chance, however
that any of them will.
Judge Hunts decision may have been
precisely along the lines of the opinion
of the individual members of the board
and coinciding with that opinion it may
have given the board the power to make
all the appointments it finds necessary, or
that Burns political obligations render
necessary, but Judge Hunts decision did
not add a cent to the tax levy nor put an
other cent in the treasury; neither did 1t
add sou marquis to the apportlonment
fixed for the board. If Auditor Wells pur-
sues the same course that has charac-
terized his administration thus far, he
will not deplete the general fund, or any
other fund, for Burns, no matter what
that astute politicians necessities.
That the Health Board would make the
most of the Hunt decision became evident
at the meeting of Saturday night when
DR.. Keeney worked through his little plan
for the appointment of three more plumb
ing inspectors to assist Chief Inspector
Beyreuther and at the same time car
ried into effect DR.. Coffey's scheme for
a wholesale cleaning out of the County
Almshouse in order to make room for the
elect of the combination. Coffey's Aims
house programme would nave gone
through at the last meeting had he con-
sented in time to vote for DR.. Hodghead
to succeed DR.. Susdorf as Superintendent
of the City and County Hospital. He
held out, however, for Dr. Mahr, and not
until Drs. Keeney and Payne had al
most given up hope of putting Hodghead
through at that meeting did threat TO
kill the AlmShouse clean out bring Coffey
to time.
Since that time heart to heart talks with
Burns and his lieutenants have been the
thing, with the result that the Board of
Health is about the .happiest and most
harmonious political combination at the
City Hall and only the next meeting is
needed TO demonstrate what the weekly
Concerning the course he would take
with claims filed by the board in excess
of its actual appropriation Auditor Wells
declined yesterday to speak. Il think the
board is spending too much money" said
he, but what course l will take with
decision | am not yet prepared to say.
1t has been my policy to protect the
treasury against any other than necessary
claims and with our appropriations fixed
on the basis they are | shall adhere more
closely to that policy than ever. 1 will
be compelled to. If | want to last the year
out without bankrupting every department.
my attorney and l think that no one will
have reason to fear that l will depart
from consistency or announce any change
in my present policy"