The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-08
COUNTY CLERK WILL
KEEP PRESENT FORCE
DEPUTIES DEVISE THE WAYS
AND MEANS THEREFOR.
the Board of Supervisors
Refused the Requested Relief
the Public Will Not
Suffer.

AS the Supervisors have refused 10 al
low County Clerk Deane further allow
ance that official and his force or depu-
ties have arranged matters so that not
withstanding the effort on the part OF
Mayor Phelan and others to cut the force
to thirty-four men the public Will not
suffer Several weeks ago, when the
Supervisors made the appropriation for
the expenses of the County Clerks ONCE,
an investigation was made by Mr.. Deane
and il was found that it was absolutely
impossible to run the ONCE ONCE On 2a1 the
Goddard went before the board ana ek-
planned the situation. He showed the
board that litigation would be lmpedeu,
estates in course of settlement tleo up
and perhaps criminals freed If the force
of the office was reduced to 1nehclent
numbers.
on the board and the appropriation was
allowed to stand as first fixed. IN con-
sequence Mr. Deane, approaching tne
damage which would result TO ntlgants
and the public in general If the Mayor
wishes were carried out, began to devise
ways and means by which the force OF
the Office could be kept up and the ex-
penses still run within the appropriation.
In the meantime the many deputies or the
office, each knowing that the acton OF
the board meant that some twenty men
would be dropped from the roll II some
plan was not devised, held an informal
meeting and decided that if County Clerk
Deane would keep the present force they
would see that the amount allowed
monthly for salaries was so divided that
each man would get his share or the
whole, the Importance of the offices and
salary heretofore drawn by each man be-
ing considered in the division.
This matter arranged, County Clerk
Deane was called into consultation. AL
though regretting that the board could
not be convinced that an extra appro.
priation was needed that the efficiency of
the force might be kept up, and feeling
that the division of the various salaries
was to some extent a sacrifice on the
part of many of the deputies, Mr.. Deane
said that in his opinion the public good
was first to be considered. If the men
had all agreed to the plan as stated, he
said that he had no objection, and that
their agreement had lifted from his
shoulders the further burden of devising
ways by which litigation could be con-
tinued without interruption. In Conse-
quence the force. through the efforts of
Mr.; Deane and those under him, Will re-
main in it's present efficient condition.
Speaking of the situation, Mr.. Deane
said last evening that the action of the
board had embarrassed him to some ex
tent, but did not discourage him. He was
confident that although Mayor Phelan
and those who stood by the reduction
measure did not understand the situation
way would be devised by which the public
needs would be attended to. The action
of the County Clerk and his subordinates
caused general satisfaction among the
members of the bar, for the public has
been saved great Inconvenience If not
loss, notwithstanding the adverse stand
taken by those who, behind the mask they
good" perform official acts to the public
damage