The San Francisco call., 1905-02-10
Auditor Baehr Holds Up the
Demand of a Grand Jury
Expert Because 1t Calls
for More Than Law Allows
CLAIMS ARE PAID FROM
CITY'S GENERAL FUND
Meager Budget Provision
Circumvented by Unusual
Arrangement SO the Good
Work Can Be Carried On

The Grand Jury has run afoul Of
snag in it's plans for a searching in
vestigation OF various departments Of
the municipal government. Expert
Douglas Young has been employed to
give books and records a thorough
Overhauling. and now when his work
is well under way Auditor Baehr has
held up his salary demand for January
and announced that the Grand Jury
can go TO no such extravaganza as en-
gaging q man, however clever, at SIS a
day.
The Auditor is not exercising his own
discretion In the matter. He is acting
in accordance with a section Of the
Penal Code which provides that the
Grand Jury may hire experts, but must
not pay them more than s5 q day.
Young's bill for January is s25s SO.
He did not work every day, but he
itemizes some stenographic help. He
has been actively engaged all this
month oelving into the book shelves IN
the City Hall, assured, until yesterday,
that hard work was worth while, mas
much es he was being we'll paid for it.
MUST CUT HIS BILL
There is no disputing that Young is
a hrst-class accountant, who can be
relied on TO accomplish something. It
was he that went deep into the
archives Of the County Clerks office
year ago and unearthed shortages and
misappropriation of funds in years
long passed. Knowing Of his abilities,
The present Grand Jury sought his ser
vices and deemed 1t wise TO pay him
the wage he demanded.
EQ.r~
remain pigeonholed in his desk so
long as they are made out for more
than IS a day He has no criticism to
make Of Young or the Grand Jury. but
says he must follow the law Fore
man Andrews. confident Of the ornnipo-
tence Of the Grand Jury. thinks he an
nX the matter up somehow" but
Baehr says he can't, for the law must
be obeyed
1t has been something of a mystery
where the Grand Jury has obtained it's
funds. The members have been very
active, have made free use of automo-
biles. carriages. hotels and other aids
10 quick midnight work There was no
stint in the expense account in the in
Nestigation Of the Chinatown scandal
particularly. The personal expenses Of
Foreman Andrews thus far have been
1913 As, and this in items that cannot
be set forth in public records.
CITY BEARS THE EXPENSE.
There have been rumors that the
Merchants Association and private
persons were financing the Grand Jury.
But the fact is that the municipality
Is bearing the cost, as ii legitimately
should do for all such inQuisitoriaI
work, Notwithstanding that the Board
of Supervisors in its budget set aside
only $1,000 for the grand juries' ex-
penses, allowing each inquisitorial body
during the year only $400.
But a secret conference with the Fin
snce Committee of the Board of Super
visors and the willingness Of Presiding
Judge Lawlor to make court orders for
all the demands cleared away the OBJ
stacle that Foreman Andrews found In
the lack of funds with which to do en-
ergetic work. 1t was arranged with the
Finance Committee that the general
fund should be drawn upon and the
niggardliness Of the budget circum-
vented The Grand Jury bills are there
fore handled by the Auditor and Treas
urer as miscellaneous court order de-
mands"
The total expense account of the
former Grand Jury, OF which Alfred
lilienfeld was foreman, was about $500.
But Andrews and his colleagues will
bring the account into the thousands
The rooms in the Mills building for the
convenience Of the members, almost all
Of whom are IN business near by. cost
S65 a month The furniture, carpets
and other furnishings have cost $3.50
Law books have been purchased to the
amount OF SIS.
That the Grand Jury is businesslike
is indicated by the bills that have been
paid by the City Treasurer. Newton J.
Tharp, architect, received $256 30 for
inspecting theaters IN regard to COM
pliance with fire ordinances during
la g AZ Two
stenographers, almost overwhelmed
with work, gets $150 month.
ANDREWS BIG OUTLAWS.
Besides his January personal ex-
pense bilI'' for 1879 45 Foreman An
drews collected a similar demand in
December for S34 16. The items are not
set forth at the Auditors Office mas
much as they were Of a secret charac-
ter and Judge Lawlor was the only
person to whom they might be revealed.
An idea OF the exploits OF grand
Jurors in whiZZing automobiles and
dashing carriages may be gained from
the following demands that have been
audited: United Carriage Company,
S13; Mobile Carriage Company. ST so;
Pioneer Auto Company, $5; Auto Liv-
cry Company, SO; Black Hawk stables.
81; United Carriage Company, S14 so; j.
". Murphy, livery, 81.
keeping in a safety deposit box OF the
1880 that Sergeant Ellis surrendered as
bribery money paid for police protec-
ton ia Chinatown.
The Grand Jury's expense account is
row near $1,000, and according to Fore
man Andrews that body has just be-
gun its work The Supervisors will
probably reflect the next time before
limiting the expenditures of three
Grand Juries during the year to $1,000.
The present invasion Of the general
fund is likely to meet with protest from
some quarters, and it was for this rea-
son that such strict secrecy was main
iained-
The Grand jury viii this afternoon
investigate reports that in past years a
corruption fund has been raised to in
fluence legislation at Sacramento af-
fecting the building and loan associa-
fions.
Foreman Andrews was subpenaed