The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-08

Phelan which they adopted yesterday. 1t
was one of the board own, although
drawn on the lines that the merchants
and the Mayor had laid down as proper
within the pledge The schedules which
they recently submitted the finance com
mittee could not use in toto. Ignorance
Of municipal affairs led the merchants TO
certain mistakes which would have rem
dered the success of their levy an i'm
possibility, and Mayor Phelan, in at
tempting TO pander more to politics attd
his immediate future than to the puDHc
good. had Disseminated in favor OF GER
tain funds 10 the detriment Of others 10
the extent that chaos would have resulted
in the citv's government had his schedule
been indOUsed.
In the main, however, it was followed.
His figures for the School Department
We're allowed to stand, his suggestion thdt
the Golden Gate Park fund be reduced
from 1920 90 TO $4,000 was adopted ana
his plan was further followed IN culuis
Gown the appropriation for copying the
assessment books from 1920 to $1,000. Also
pursuant to his suggestion the comm tee
eliminated the position OF chle1 cleIK 70
the District Attorney, thus cutting on
SloUg IN municipal expense, but as D4atllcl
Attorney Murphy appeared curing tAe
meeting ana pointed out clearly lhat ma
position was statutory, despite the
Mayor contrary cOnttlllOH' me "ANe.
fund was shaved down the $I5Vg necessary
and the position re-establisheo.
The disposition OF the board was 10 IN
crease the appropriation OF the county
Clerks office, but mere again the Mayor
interviewed and his decision that CleEh
Deane should have no more tnan the stat
ute allows MIN compelled the poaIu 20
adhere 10 the figure ALREADY nHeu ~
TACT Mayor Phelan' : figures were aoloeo
In III nearly every case where IL was not
..-arluglv apparent that some fund mad
Ceen sighted for another for the purpose
OF raising political capital.
There were Two notable except! ms LOT
one the BOARD did not agree with Mayor
Phelan in ms attack upon city haIl JAM
tors ana other employees. Inc May u
pronounced inclination TO reduct me
wages Of city help has been in eVidence
since the last election, When IN ~ ~
guarded moment he expressed the u IIioI!
mat $40 per month was enough Iol any
man doing that class of work. Inc levy
which he submitted the other Gay iOt ol!IS
cut down the number Of janitors but re-
duced the monthly stipend OF eLhPlV!e9 u
the new Han OF Justice.
The Fire Department was the chief ben
eficiarv by the Mayors schedule In pro-
vjdIng for il ne reversed the decision
which he handed down in the, Csc OF
County Clerk Deane and alloWed, M FS oe-
partment 1898 100, as against S94S.JVV .dp-
portiOned by the committee III IT'S oIls4Iidl
levy. -, --to
Committee Yesterday Supervisor P-rrault
the chairman, said it had been apparent
since last January that the city coulG not
he operated on a levy within the dollar
limit h SAID every member Of the buard
reaiized this, nut that in Difference 20 Mr..
Phelan's larger eXL erience IL municipal
affairs they had abided by Els decision
thai It could be done ana that ne "outa
point the way 10 do il. Mr.. PhelaE was
quick To deny this, but ne suHsldeo "hSh
DR.. PeTTaulJ produced the record. IN
fact Mr.. Pheian was prone to DEM very
thing that tended 10 place on his Shoul,
ders the responsibility which he assumed
earIv in the wear for the operation OF d
tax levy constructed inside the pledge.
The report Of the Finance Committee
The attitude Mr. Phelan has maintained
since the tax levy was first dlscuSa-C. his
original MESA &c on that question pitdgcd
himself TO the dollar limit, and ne ri.DSe-
quentIy volunteered 10 lead the way in
which the Supervisors should walk to
stay within the prescribed lines. lester
day the Supervisors adopted all but his
political scheme. but during the rrdding
of the report, which reCited his Earious
suggestions. he fTantiCally attempted TO
Dodge all responsibility for the success or
u0u-SuCCess Of the instrument, tb- text
ri which he had practically framed
The efforts Of the Mayor to gct from
under should his political dollar limit
schemes go wrong have been So pro-
nounced the past fortnight that the com
mlttee was constrained to state its posi-
lion in its report Upon that point IL said:
His Honor the Mayors opinions, he
being the exponent of the require
ments of the government under the
consolidation act and under the new
charter, have been given much
weight and his suggestions in the
main have been adopted in the con-
sideration of retrenchments to be eff
fected. without reference to any other
consideration, political or otherwise.
AS the responsibility for the main
tenance and operation of the govern
ment to be instituted next January
is freely assumed by his Honor the
Mavor. your committee certainly can
have no motive other than to second
his efforts to secure either under the
present or the new regime an eco
nomical and successful administra-
ton of the public business.
Il object to that passage" shouted Mr..
Phelsn Il have never assumed respon-
sibility for the tax levy"
Il apologize TO your Honor" ,retorted
Supervisor Perrault. We have been led
to believe from reading the Examiner
chair for the next term of office"
Tpon Mr. Phelan's suggestion to reduce
the, force, and wages OF City Han Janitorts
tee was particularly severe, so severe,
in fact. that the Mayor again rose in his
such thing. DR.. Perrault simply called
on the transcript of the shorthand re-
porter to back him up, and that not be
ing forthcoming a decision went over
until the next meeting. In every case
where his name was mentioned or his
connection with the tax levy was limited
at Mr.. Phelan was ready with dis
claimer. He had submitted a levy and
the board had followed it's suggestions so
far as it was practicable, but he wanted
IL understood that he was not responsible
for what he had done, and said so in the
sharpest language.
The principal changes made by the COM
mittee in its original schedule were In
the cases of the Health Department. the
Fire Department and the City and County
Hospital 1t Increased the Health De-
.partrnent's fund SIS $50, or enough TO pro-
tide for the Ferry. Hospital and the Food
INSPECTION Department. The City and
County Hospital fund was increased from
$50 900 to $111 905 and Sl305 was added for
from rom SIS. 600 to $50. 900 and high tribute
paid to Captain Reddy for his his admins siIas5
figures for the Tax Collector submitted 1tg1 ed
water fund was increased from S250,OO0
TO $3.50 900 and the Street Department was
raised from 1858 900 to $402, 204.
When the report came up for adoption