The San Francisco call., 1904-02-23
TO INVESTIGATE
IRREGULARITIES
Grand Jury Committee to Begin
Inquiry Into Alleged Jobbery
in the AlmshOuSe Supplies
INDICTMENTS MAY FOLLOW
Testimony viii BE Taken as to
Why the Legal Specifications
We're Not Strictly Adhered To

The Health Department Committee
Of the Grand Jury viii begin to-day
10 take testimony in relation to the
alleged 5obbery in the furnishing Of
supplies To the City and County Aims
house under the administration for
which ex-Mayor Phelan is responsible.
The committee to which the latest
scandal in municipal affairs was re-
ferred, in conjunction with its regular
inquiry into the operations of the va
rious city institutions under the juris-
diction OF the Board Of Health, is COM
posed Of Ira. B. Dalziel (chairman), Her
bert Law and J. H Mundy. The COM
rnittee has mapped out the lines upon
which the inquiry viii be pursued, and
Il the evidence shows any wrongdoing
on the part Of contractors or employees
at the Almshouse indictments are sure
20 follow.
The scope and powers Of the Grand
Jury committees are limited TO the
gathering OF testimony regarding any
dereliction on the part Of the officials
OF the municipal departments. After
their report has been prepared it is
submitted 70 the Grand Jury proper,
and on the findings Of the committee
will depend the bringing Of true bills
against the offending parties.
WILL TAKE EVIDENCE.
The first part Of the inquiry will be
directed 70 the examination of the spec
ffcations upon which the various con-
tractors furnished their supplies. After
this is definitely settled in the minds
Of the members Of the committee evil
dence will be taken both from the en-
ploves OF the Almshouse and the con-
tractors themselves as TO the kind Of
goods supplied 10 the institution, which
were pronounced Of inferior quality
and lacking in quantity by the COM
rnittee OF the Health Board which first
uncovered the irregularities.
The contractors that will be called
upon 10 explain their transactions with
the Almshouse include F. Uri & Co.
and Ryan & Ryan. The Health Board
Committee reported that cows meat
had been furnished the city's poor in
stead Of steers meat, as the specifica-
tions called for. As the latter is much
inferior 10 the former and costs less 1t
is clear that some one profited by the
alleged substitution, and on this point
Fri & Co.. who had the meat contract,
viii be closely questioned.
WEIGHT OF BLANKETS.
Ryan & Ryan furnished the blankets,
which the Health Board Committee
found were underweight. The specifi-
cations called for five-pound blankets,
while those furnished only weighed
four pounds, IL is claimed. and did not
have the name Of the Almshouse
woven in them.
Other alleged irregularities to be
probed by the committee include the
furnishing Of half-barrels Of pork and
charging for fun barrels; the purchase
of six inferior milch COWS; syrup that
did not accord with the specifications,
and the purchase Of a horse at double
the value Of the animal.
Judging from the manner in which
the alleged irregularities were carried
on il is the general opinion that there
was collusion among some employees at
the Almshouse, and in that event those
who offended viii certainly lose their
positions, even If something of a graver
character does not happen to them.