The San Francisco call., 1906-08-31
TAKE LIBRARY LOT.
80
FOR CITY HALL.
Supervisors Ignore Pro-
test of Trustees Who
Plan to Enjoin Them
TO DECIDE

VI NiiS pAOAiC lDEdTN Sltts. htCWH uS
Western Addition block No. 7s. bounded
by Hayes, Fell and Franklin streets and
Van Ness avenue.
Action was taken despite the oppo-
sition of the Library Trustees, of whom
Dr. E. r. Taylor, James D. Phelan, r,
B. Hale, Sheldon Kellogg and George
A. Mullin were present. The debate on
The question disclosed that the super
visors will be enjoined from using the
block for the City Hall Several ladies
O. the California Club were also present
TO voice their protest
The Library Trustees" said Phelan,
do not know why they were not con-
suited in the matter of diverting the
library site for the use OF the City Hall
The people voted for the purchase of
the block and authorized a bond issue
OF s1.64T 900 to buy the land and erect
a, building There is balance of $780,
600 on hand and some 100000 of bonds
are yet to be sold. We have no place
to put the books and there Is no good
reason in my judgment why you should
attempt TO deprive us of the site. The
Supervisors have decided offhand to put
the City Hall on the library site, and
it would be i'll advised to do so. The
Board of Library Trustees is an inde-
pendent body in the city government
and has other remedies at law II the
block is diverted to other uses"
EXCHANGE OF SITES.
Supervisor Wilson held that it would
be advisable to put the City Hall on
the library site, which is TO be the civic
center. of the city. and to place the
library building on the old City Hall
site, this exchange having been de-
eided on when the Supervisors agreed
to put the City Hall on the library site.
The proposed exchange would have to
be submitted to a vote of the people,
however
Trustee E. r. Taylor explained the
legal aspect of the case and said that
the people had voted in favor of block
73 for library site, and it cannot be
used for any other purpose nor has the
Board of Supervisors the right to divert
it's use. AS to the exchange of sites,
Taylor said the people might not. vote
in favor of it. Taylor cited court
decision in the case of Mccullough ver-
sus the Board Of Education (Cal. 51),
in which the contractor was denied pay
ment for the building of the Hamilton
School because it was illegally built
on a public park.
IF you pass this ordinance" said
Phelan, Il desire to state that our ju-
dietary committee has planned to en-
join the Auditor and the Treasurer
from paying for labor and material fur
nished for the City Hall building. We
would therefore ask you to defer action
so as to avoid legal complications and
arrive at an amicable agreement. You
can put the City Hall on the Lincoln
School site or on the McCreery site"
Wte~ Wilson asked Phelan. il the
Trustees were willing to build a library
which under present conditions would
cost 60 per cent more than formerly,
Phelan said he was willing to give la
Dor the. benefit of higher wages. and
sion of Phelan's former attitude toward
labor.
Supervisor Kelly said the library
block is the property OF the city and
county and not of the Library Trus-
tees, and the people should decide the
question.
WANTS BUILDING ERECTED.
Supervisor Gallagher said 1T was best
for San Francisco to put the City Hall
Immediately on the library site so that
municipal business could be transacted.
81 am not terrified by the suggestion
OF interference on the part of the Lii
brary Trustees in the plan to build the
City Hall, because the responsibility for
such a course must rest where it be-
longs" said Gallagher. II am opposed
to putting public buildings on private
property, as was permitted by the Park
Commission on Union Square"
Ehelap SAID me donation or 100000
promised by Andrew Carnegie would be
available in addition to the bond issue
money, which would insure a splendid
structure.
DESIRES SITE CLEARED.
Trustee OConnor asked the board to
take immediate steps to have the old
City Hall site cleared TO make it possi-
bic TO erect a library thereon. He said
books are piling in, and he was told
that the new City Hall would have tenn
pcraFy quarters for the library.
Trustee kellogg suggested that the
plans be changed so that the City Hall
be erected on. the westerly half of the
block on the Franklin-street side in
stead of on the Hayes-street side, as
the plans for the library contemplated
the use of the easterly half of the
block fronting on Van Ness avenue, but
no action was taken.
Supervisor Boxtons resolution pro-
viding that the Board of Works be re-
Guested to pay street sweepers their
wages every two weeks was adopted.
The Chief of Police was directed to.
stop the practice of e,nptying gasoline
from garages into the sewers which
causes explosions from manholes.