The San Francisco call., 1909-05-09
WILLFUL NEGLECT
is THE CHARGE
BROUGHT
Formal Accusation Filed With
the Mayor Regarding County
Infrmary Construction
If Executive Refuses to Act
the Matter Will Be
Taken to Court

n TAKING the fiat charge of will
MI full neglect of duty against
: = Charles A. Day. Michael Casey
and John D. McGilvray Jr, the mem
bers of the board of public works, the
Good Government league yesterday
called upon Mayor Taylor to suspend
the three commissioners pending an
investigation OF their alleged derelic-
ton
The charge made against the COM
missioners is based upon an expert
examination of the flooring of the
new county inhrmary at Ingleside.
now under construction This exam
nation, the Good Government league
charges, has shown that the strength
of the materials used in the foorings
is only 48 per cent of the strength
actually called for in the specifications
prepared by the city architect
After this defect had been called
to the attention of the board, says the
league in its formal charges. the
board of public works promised an
examination, but conducted it in a
fashion entirely unsatisfactory and
has taken no steps to remedy the
weakness of the floors.
The league asks the mayor to initi-
ate an investigation of these charges
and in the meanwhile to comply with
the provision of the charter which re-
quires that a commissioner shall be
suspended from Office pending such
an investigation.
Mayor Balks at Request
When Mayor Taylor was apprised
of the charges and the demand made
by the Good Government league he
secuted the notion of suspending the
commissioners. declaring that 1t would
paralyxe the progress of municipal i'm
provements His honor added that it
would be nearly week before he could
give the charges serious consideration
The commissioners assumed a de-
fenstve attitude, charging that the
accusations OF the good government
league were prompted By spite arising
from the fact that a prominent member
OF the league had been interested in
bidding on the work President Charles
A Day added that he was sick of his
job, anyway, and would not be soEy
to step down and out
On top OF the statement made by the
mayor comes the declaration OF George
B. Anderson, manager OF the good gov
ernment league, that the league is
prepared TO take the matter into the
courts for adjudication If the mayor
refuses to comply with the provisions
OF the charter
Further Charges Reserved
Anderson goes further. he intimates
that the league has preferred one only
of a number of charges which it has
prepared against the board OF public
works, and there Is a hint OF future
sensational developments in his state
ment.
The good government leagues ac-
cusation recites that the 5th Of Feb
ruary that body called the attention
OF the mayor and the board of public
works to the fact that the county in
cording to the plans and specifications
prepared by the city architect. Newton
J. Tharp. It states that on the 10th
OF the same month a nearing was had
at which the league charged that the
flooring materials used were about 4s
per cent only OF the strength required
by the specifications.
Although the board was assured that
its engineer, J. B. Leonard, who had
examined the new building. would be
associated with Loren E. Hunt the
engineer of the board, in investigating
the condition of the flooring, the com
plant says that Hunt made the in
vestigation alone and in such way as
to exonerate the board
Refused to Take Action
The league complains that there
was no change made in the material
used and that the board failed, re-
fused and neglected" to take any ac-
tion. Therefore the league asks for
a complete investigation and for the
suspension OF the commissioners. in
accordance with the provisions OF the
charter.
The charge against the commission
ers was prepared by Milton 7. URen.
Charles N. Lathrop and Isidor Jacobs.
members of the league who were spe-
cially deputed to investigate the sit
timed nm PAGE 1S. COyvrmn