The San Francisco call., 1908-10-03
MAYOR TAYLOR
INDICATED BY
LAW DIRECTORS
Attack on City Official, Fathered
by T. |. Bergin, Fails
Signally
Will Continue as Dean of Col
lege as Well as Hold Pub
lie Position
Board Refuses to Consider the
Charges and Closes Un-
pleasant Incident

Mayor Edward Robson Taylor has
been fully vindicated as to his right
to serve as dean of the Hastings Col
lege of Law while he is chief execu-
tive of the city. Action to that end
was taken by the directors of the law
school yesterday afternoon. The at
tack on the mayor, fathered by T. I.
Bergin and maliciously exploited by
the Examiner, failed signally. Bergin,
chagrined by the reception his scheme
met with from the other directors of
the law school, left the meeting in a
huff before the board adjourned. His
appearance then was quite at variance
with the jaunty, sarcastic mood he en-
joyed before the board met. The con-
ference lasted hour and 20 minutes
and was filed with feeling.
Chief Justice w. II. Beatty, president
of the board of trustees, was empow
cred by his colleagues to make public
the result of the meeting. None of the
others would speak and the chief JUS
tice was decidedly brief. He said:
BEATTY GIVES CONCLUSIONS
Under all the circumstances, as fully
developed at this meeting of the board
1t was concluded that no action was
called for
That meant that DIR. Taylor's efficien-
cy as dean of the Hastings law school
was not to be impaired through the
fact that he was mayor of the city, The
directors refused to repudiate the
agreement they made with the dean
when he was installed as chief execu-
tive of the city
The meeting of the directors lasted
nearly an hour and a half and was at
! tended by Chief Justice W. H. Beatty
president of the board; T. I. Bergln
vice president; Judge r. C. Harrison
Judge Van Fleet, former Justice C. w
| Slack, W. b. Cope, J. NJ Allen, Henry
Hastings and Mayor Taylor. Oliver p
EvaGs was the only director absent.
Bergin was the first to arrive at the
quarters of the state supreme court
where the meeting was held in Judge
Beatty's chambers. 1t was he who
! started the trouble for the dean by pro-
ducing at the meeting of the directors
on Friday. September %, contract
which provided that the dean of the law
| college shall devote his entire time to
| the duties of that position. This con-
| tract has been interpreted by other di-
rectors to mean that the dean shall not
| engage III the active pTaCLlCG OF law
| Some of the directors, notably Judge
Van Fleet. did not know of the exist
ence of the contract until Bergin pro-
| duced it.
BERGIN VERY JAUNTY
| Before the meeting Bergin was very
| jaunty in anticipation of his expected
coup. He indulged in flashes of wit
| A bailiff suggested that the attorney
while away the time before the direc-
| tors met by reading the dictionary.
| "a dictionary is more interesting
reading than some poetry" Bergin
commented, with sly wink They
are saying that L am a higher up" he
added.
Later Mayor Taylor entered the
apartment very dignifiedly. not glanc-
ing at Bergin.
He doesn't appear to see you," a
bailiff suggested.
For all that he can see double" Ber-
gin responded with more or less inscru-
liability, considering that the point at
| issue was whether or not Taylor could
! hold two positions.
| Still chuck1ing over his jest, Bergin
went into the meeting 1t was marked
| by warm debate. When Bergin left his
face was red, but his jesting mood had
! departed. He was not smiling
! Ten minutes later Mayor Taylor ap-
peared. with a smile of satisfaction.
Neither Taylor nor Bergin would dis
cuss the meeting of the directors The
others were equally reticent.
The salary of Mayor Taylor as dean
of the Hasting law college is $4,000 a
| wear