The San Francisco call., 1907-03-07
FORMER EMPLOYE SUES
De YOUNG FOR SALARY
WITHHELD AF TER FIRE
K. r. Boardnan Tells How
Capitalist Cut Wages
Last April
ASKS FOR MONEY DUE
Says Chronicle Proprietor
Has Refused to Stand
by His Contract
ASKS FOR MONEY DUE

Ever since the fire in April last un-
pleasant rumors and reports have been
In circulation in the business world con-
cerning the manner in which M. III. de
Young, proprietor of the San Francisco
Chronicle, dealt with the men who res
cued and preserved his newspaper In
that time of stress and peril. 1t has
been reported that one of Mr.. de
Young's first orders after he resumed
the publication of the Chronicle was to
slash the salaries of the employees
whose fidelity made that resumption
possible and that he has coldly re-
fused to make up to them the amounts
deducted from their pay, notwithstand-
Ing the fact that he and his news
paper had plenty of money at the time
and have prospered rather than suf-
fered as a result of the calamity. These
reports are now in way to be authori-
tatively. confirmed or disproved by a
judicial determination. One of the men
whose salaries were cut has brought
suit to compel Mr.. de Young to pay him
the money that is alleged to have been
wrongfnlly withheld when he went TO
see the cashier of the Chronicle
The plaintiff in this interesting suit
il X. T. Boardman, formerly circulation
manager of the Chronicle. In his COM
plant Boardman says that he came to
San Francisco in 1906 from Minneapolis
TO accept the position of circulation
manager of the Chronicle. His contract
called for a monthly salary of s216.
This sum- he alleges, was paid regular
ly until the April disaster. After that.
Boardman says, he received small sums
in part payment of his salary until July
Is, 1906, when he resigned. He asks
for judgment in the sum of s1665O.
which, he says, is the amount still due
him.
Boardman charges that at the time
De Young went around to his employees
after the fire with a tale of immense
losses and broken fortunes he In
reality had large sum of money avail
able. Boardman says that he believed
the hard luck tales of De Young at
first and accepted only small portions of
his salary on account, but later gained
information which led him to believe
that he had been deceived. On this
point the complaint says:
Defendant informed plaintin that he had sus-
tanned great financial loss by reason OF the
earthquake and fire of April is. 1906, and was
seriously embarrassed by the lack of funds neces-
and was temporarily unable to secure sufficient
money with which to pay current expenses. and
on that behalf and for that reason requested
plaintiff to accept said account of the
amount due him as salary under said agre'fnent
Boardman further sets forth that he
then believed these representations of
De Young, "but that he has since been
informed and believes and on said in
formation and belief now alleges that
said representations were not in fact
true. but that, on the contrary, at the
very time of making said representa-
tions. said defendant. NJ H. de Young,
had under his control. subject to his or
der and Immediately available, large
sum of money in cash, gold coin of the
United States
In conclusion the complaint says:
Plaintiff has, on numerous occasions,
requested of and demanded from de-
fendant the payment OF said sum of
si66.50. but that defendant has failed,
neglected and refused and still refuses
to pay plaintiff said sum of s166.50 or
any part thereof" -