The San Francisco call., 1904-11-04
RULE AGAINST
AN ELECTION
Supervisors Not in Favor
of Submitting Charter
Amendments Next January
QUESTION OF POLICY
Committee Decides Citizens
Must Wait Until November,
1906, to Vote on Changes

The Joint Committee on Charter
Amendments, Public Utilities and
Finance yesterday reported against
the holding Of a special election on
January s next for the submission of
proposed charter amendments affecting
the administration Of the public school
department and the other twenty-five
amendments denied q place on the bal
lot at next Tuesdays election by the
Supreme Court. The committee also
recommended that all the amendments
be omitted at the general election
Of November 1906 In all likelihood
the Board of Education will mandamus
the Supervisors to compel the holding
of a special election for the purpose.
President Roncovieri of the Board Of
Education read from the State consti-
tutiLl to show that the Supervisors
must submit such charter amendments
as are petitioned for by more than 10
per cent of the qualified electors.
Chairman Brandenstein said the COM
mittee recognized that the amendments
would have to be submitted. but held
that the clement of time was a factor
in the matter
Stephen " Costello, attorney for the
Board of Education, read from a de-
cision in Texas case that it is manda-
~ on the Supervis~ . to hold an
election Tor propo: ais to amend the
charter. Costello said that it would
be an evasion of the law for the Super
v.sors to refuse to accede to the de-
mands of more than 10000 vtters.
Braunhart held that it is within the
discretion of the board to determine
whether the amendments should be
voted on at a general or special cleo
tion.
This board has reasonable time to
take action in order that the next
ments," said Costello. IF you refuse
to act you simply set yourself above
the constitution
Braunhart thought the fact that only
14,271 citizens voted at the last charter
amendment election was AR argument
against submitting the school amend
ments at once. He took the ground
that the $4,000 for a special election
could not legally be taken out of the
urgent necessity fund and that an in
junction would lie If it was. Romeo
vieri declared that the Supervisors had
been very liberal in the past with the
fund.
II would like to ask why this board
used the urgent necessity fund to pay
$64 for bonfires, $72 for hack hire, $500
for flowers and to pay for ice and
other trivial matters" said Roncovieri.
THE extremely sacred character of the
fund is not apparent. If these amend
ments are not submitted you will con-
tinue to have poor schcolhouses. Be
fair in this matter. Give the people a
chance to vote on the amendments.
Chairman Brandenstein announced
that the issue before the committee
was whether the amendments should
be submitted at special election. A.
NJ. Armstrong, public school teacher,
argued that ii was obligatory on the
board to submit the amendments at a
special election. Cameron King urged
that the amendments giving shorter
hours and a half holiday on Saturday
to city employees and increasing the
salaries of fifteen deputy registrars to
$500 be also submitted, as the Supreme
Courts decision prevented them being
voted on next Tuesday.
Miss ]. E. Watson and Miss E. Moore
urged that the deplorable condition of
the schools demonstrated the need
of submitting the amendments to pro-
vide funds for repair and construction
of schoolhouses.
THE point is not we'll taken" said
Brandenstein. I'VE will have enough
money to repair the schools next year"
will you give it to us?" asked Ron
covierl.
No said Brandenstein. I'VE are
sometimes guided by the incumbents
of an Office before making appropria-
tions therefor"
Roncovieri denied Brandenstein's as
sertion that the effect of the amend