The San Francisco call., 1907-06-26
NEW SAFEGUARD
AGAINST GRAFT
IS PERFECTED
Civic Auditing Body to Be
Ready for Operations
in Few Months
ASSURES BIG SAVING
Cost of Agency Will Be in
the Neighborhood of
100000 Annually
PLANS ARE OUTLINED
Spreckels Says Scheme Will
Conserve 100000 for
City Yearly
PLANS ARE OUTLINED

1t was announced yesterday
by Rudolph Spreckels that he
had almost perfected his plan for
permanent safeguard against the
grafters and that he hoped to put
it in operation by the first of the
year. AS previously set forth in
The Call. the plan contemplates
the formation of a civic auditing
agency. which is follow every
movement of the city government
and keep close watch upon the
officials from mayor down.
Spreckels said yesterday that he
hgured that the scheme could be
put INTO practice at an expense of
100000 year. and that it
would effect saving to the tax payers OF
ss,ooo,ooo or ss.5oo,ooo year. spreck-
els, with two associates. viii put the
plan in operation with the hope that as
its worth is demonstrated it will be-
come citizens movement.
The idea is new to American mu-
ririnalffieS and r-oIr
interest throughout the United States
at this time, when municipal govern
ment is one OF the most important
problems before the nation INQUIRIES
have been received from several east
ern cities as to the details of the sys-
tenn to be followed.
There is no business now conducted
without an auditing agency that could
not be run far more economically with
such an arrangement" said Spreckels.
In general I should say that saving
OF 40 per cent can be effected by an
auditing system. The city of San
Francisco is run at an annual expense
of something like sS,0oo.ooo and I be-
lieve that with such an auditing sys-
tenn as I propose between $4,000, 900
and s3,50o,00o could be saved.
Such a plan would work two ways.
In the first place the city officials
would know that they would be held to
account for every cent. and thus the
desire for extra profits would disappear
and every man would attend strict
ND IL 1t
the second place an auditing body
would be able to devise methods look
ing to economy by cutting out useless
employees or those given Office simply
for political reasons.
''As an instance we propose to have
an expert engineer. who will examine
the specifications for every city con-
tract. He will see that they are fair
so that all who deside may bid, and he
will then see that there is no ring
construction of all public works to see
that the city is not defrauded In ma
terial or otherwise.
When the men who are In politics
to make profit see that their sources
of revenue are eliminated they will get
out of politics. In this way we hope to
drive out the money making politicians
and with them the corrupt bosses.
I'VE will also employ detectives and
will have corps of expert account
ants, who will keep check on every act
Of the city officials"
Spreckels made no announcement as
to the men who will be associated with
him in launching the project, but 1t Is
understood that William J. Burns, who
has gathered the evidence in the graft
cases, will be invited to assist Burns
has been asked to make San Francisco
his home and it is said that he is in
clined to do SO.
BEGIN ON SAN JUAN ROAD
SAN JUAN, June 25.-Construction