The San Francisco call., 1908-12-20
EXPERTS Will
EXAMINE BOOKS
AND FINANCES
Mayor and Supervisors Likely
to Employ Accountants Who
Traced Shortages
Modern Business Methods De-
sired in Office Of the Board
of Public Works
Conference Causes Discussion
as to Probable Appoint
ments OF Commissioners

Mayor Taylor and Supervisors Jen-
nings, Murphy and Pollok of the
finance committee held a long confer
ence yesterday. While all were some
meeting, it is known that the conduct
of several departments of the city gov
ernment was scrutinized and sugges-
tions made looking to greater efficiency.
For one thing, Lester Herrick & Her
rick, or some other accountants prob,
ably will be engaged to overhaul the
financial affairs of the municipality.
The mayor and the supervisors were
well satisfied with the work done by
the Herricks in tracing down the short
ages in the treasurer's office which
have resulted in the indictment of
former cashier Tomalty, and while no
suspicion of dishonest practices at
taches to any of the present depart
ments, the finance committee and the
mayor have agreed that severe. audit
ing of accounts and scrutiny of
methods would serve to cut away a
lot of dead wood and leave matters in
better running shape.
OFFICE REFORM NEEDED
1t is not improbable that a good
Office man will be chosen works board
commissioner instead OF a practical
builder. engineer or businessman to
succeed Thomas Eagan, who will re-
tire January s. Commissioner Day has
favored such an appointment, having
pointed out that the Office procedure
of the whole department is cumbrous
and antiquated and many years be-
hind the practice of big private firms.
Casey and. Day feel competent to~run
the outside work, and the supervisors
are understood to join with them in
the desire to have the departments
business methods modernized.
Whether the mayor will indorse this
view in his appointment OF Eagan's
successor is matter of which the
officials profess ignorance. The mayor.
they affirm, has taken no one into
his confidence in regard to the com
iHiSIOHciStlipS TitC Will III PS Tire new
year. One supervisor recently said:
why, you can't even talk to the mayor
on the subject
About the only definite information
obtainable is that those commissioners
whose appointments date back to the
Schmitz regime will be dropped when
their terms expire. Whether keil of
the police commission and Mclaughlin
of the health board, both Taylor ap-
pointees, will gain reappointment is
uncertain. The prevalent opinion is
that Mclaughlin will hold over and
that. Keil will be dropped.
REDUCTION WORKS PLANS
The Supervisors hospital and health
and finance committees. conferred yes
terday in regard to the proposed pur-
chase with bond issue money Of the
plant of the Sanitary reduction works
It was tentatively agreed that as the
title ito the property upon which. the
animal reduction works is carried on is
| in litigation, no attempt should be
made to acquire that portion of the
! plant. For the whole the supervisors
and the directors had agreed upon
$40O, 900 as selling price, and $4,000
will be withheld from this total on
account of the insufficient title and
rejection of the Butchertown portion
| of the plant.
| The officials and the representatives
of the crematory agreed upon some of
the factors in the proposed transfer.
The sum of sS35.000 is to be paid over
to the Sanitary reduction works and
$50 600 of the purchase price held in
reserve by the supervisors pending the
building of the independent municipal
plant. During this period, estimated al
/ two years, the company will be charged
5 per cent interest upon the sum ad-
vanced as a rental for the plant, and
! it will be allowed to continue its opera
ton as at present until the cfty's
nlant is ready. for business The whole
! scheme will be presented to the board
for its approval and probably will be
agreed upon as it has the backing OF
the hospital and the finance commit
/ tees.
RJ6 ROCK CRUSHER