The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-23
Board Orders Their Sus-
pension for Alleged
DerelictiOn.
Refuses to Res cind It's Ac-
tion at Request of Sus-
pended Officials.
Makes Requisition for Civil Service
Eligibles on Sanitary List to
Fill the Temporary
Vacancies.

The Board Of Health has suspended As
sistant Sanitary Inspectors Frank 7.
Fitzgibbons, Jonathan Green, William S.
Hereford and Roland E. Hartley. The
suspensions are temporary, dating from
September p to October and the cause
alleged in a communication sent on Mon
day to the four suspended officials is 1.-The
continuous unsatisfactory performance Of
their duties in the districts to which they
are assigned from the beginning of the
present fiscal year"
The suspensions were made by Health
Officer A. P. O'Brien, only, however. af-
ter consultation with the Individual mem
bers of the Board of Health. Complaints
had been made to OBrien that the four
inspectors, all of whom are physicians,
had been negligent in their inspections of
the districts under their immediate super
vision and DR.. O'Brien declared that the
complaints warranted the disciplining of
the inspectors by temporarily suspending
them. The greatest secrecy has been
maintained by the Health Board regard
ing the suspensions, as it was not desired
to injure the physicians under fire in their
professional capacity
ACTS UNDER CHARTER.
Action was taken under the provisions
of section 12,- article 13, which states that
nothing shall limit the power of any Of
f1cer or board to suspend a subordinate
for reasonable period, not exceeding
thirty days" For any suspension in ex-
cess of thirty days action can only be
taken on charges properly filed with the
Civil Service Commission, as the sanitary
inspectors are appointed from the eligi-
bic list The charter provides that no
civil service appointee can be removed ex-
cept for cause and then only after hear
ing in which the accused may be given
an opportunity to defend himself.
Health Officer O'Brien, acting under au-
thority from the Health Board, was of
the opinion that suspension of two
weeks was severe enough to meet the
exigencies of the case. In this way the
suspended inspectors avoided the humil-
iation of a trial before the Civil Service
Commission.
The four inspectors were unwilling to
submit tamely to suspension and there
fore DR.. FitZgibbons, one of the suspend
ed men, sent a communication to Health
Officer O'Brien asking him to rescind his
action. DR.. O'Brien Immediately sent
communications in reply, one of which
says:
DR.. F. T Fitzgibbons: After elaboration
and consultation with members of the Health
Board who are familiar with the derectlon in
your case, 1t has been concluded that the sus-
pension must stand originally oydered.
A. P. OBRIEN. Health Officer.
APPOINTS TO VACANCIES.
The inspectors will therefore be re-
lieved from duty until Monday, October
8. 1903, and the Health Board will pro-
ceed to appoint temporary inspectors from
the civil service eligible list during the
interim. Yesterday a requisition was
sent by the Health Board to the Civil
Service Commission asking the last named
body to certify the names of four ELI
gibles from the list of assistant sanitary
inspectors.
The Civil Service Commission at once
certified the names of Fred c. Muller,
Joseph Kukendall, Fred Howe and Reu-
ben Hill. The certification of these names
exhausted the eligible list and DIR. Fred
c. Muller was at once appointed by
OBrien to look after the district former
ly supervised by DR.. F'itzgibbons. In all
likelihood Drs. Kukendall, Howe and Hill
will receive appointments to the tempo
rary vacancies to-day that is. if they
express a willingness to serve the city for
such short period as two weeks. Should
they not accept appointment the Health
Board will find itself in a dilemma, as
three districts will remain without sani-
tary inspection for the time stated.