The San Francisco call., 1913-10-09

need of a business manager form of
government. according to Mark Re
qua.
The organization has 500 members.
LEADERS IN REFORM MOVE
1t has board of 100 directors.
made up of bankers. real estate and
mercantile men prominent in every
walk of life on the Pacific coast.
There is nothing personal in this
campaign" said MIR. Gould today. 1t
is a warfare for good government.
For many years we saw the tax rate
increase and could not put a finger
on the trouble. We are trying to
evolve a plan which will work for
the most rapid development of Ala
media county. Efficient government
will increase the wonderful advan-
tages and inducements to all men
we have now"
One of the big items in the bill of
particulars against the election ex-
pense is the cost of voting machines
$4,000 for additional machines pur-
chased in 1910 and soon abandoned
because of ineficiency, according to
the report This item is carried
to the report as a waste.
AZ PER CENT OF COST "wAsTE'
The analysis of details of the ex-
pense, such as printing, and cost of
officers, is charged TO the administra-
tion or to the law.
Legal extravaganza" is charged
with lump waste of 20 per cent
of the entire election expense, or sfs,-
152S3 The total waste due to the
administration is fixed by the report
at 40 per cent, or $24,309.07.
ALLEGED PRINTING OyERCHARGE
Following are some paragra phs taken
from the report showing the method
of arriving at the conclusions stated:
AFFIDAvITs
The printing Of 50 5T5 affdavits for registra-
tlon cost 81 329. 40. The orders for these am
davits were placed with eight separate firms,
presumably to pay political debts. The price
paid was $3.50 per thousand, ana So-zV per
thousand was the price paid to the Tax asso-
citation for these identical afhdayifs, en- over
charge Of SS29.93.
bids was in direct violation OF law. Section
1913 of the political code provided that when
any printing OF other service is to be per
formed, or materials are to be furnished; tne
amount of which in the aggregate shall ex-
ceed the value 70 $500. 1t shall be the duty
Of the election commissioners TO invite propos-
ais for the work and let the contract to the
lowest bidder" In this instance the officials
knew they would require $4,000 or more affda-
Wits, yet. in plain violation of law. they placed
the order with eight firms, requiring setting up
the same matter in type eight different times
and placing the form IN elgnt di1erenI presses
PRINTING FOR PAPER HOUSES
one of the firms presenting bin for said work
was not even in the. printing business. being
paper house. Presumably 1t had some polit-
cal influence.
Eotices-The publication Of notices of regis
tration, etc. cost the county s6,3l9.42.
Registration is not new Its practice in
this state Is 40 years old, and it IS universal
throughout the country. With the possible ex-
ception Of a few newly arrived foreigners
every elector Of this state knows that he must
register before he can vote at any election.
The publication referred TO above is not re-
CURED by law public policy. serves no
information could be expressed in inches
of space, and one weeks Insertion in each OF
two papers only X at st 4 = cost Of sloo-
WASTE IN BALLOTS CHARGED
Ballots-on August 1. 1910. the county clerk
had printed los 500 official and "a. ESQ sample
ballots, for which the county paid 5000. %
In this primary the law, section 13 Of the
primary act approved March "a 1909, ex-
pressly stated that SAMPLE BALLOTS
NEED NOT BE MAILED TO THE VOTERS"
Why %, $50 were printed is beyond explanation
aud of itself shows wanton waste. However
as they were printed. surely 55,541, the num-
ber of registered voters. would have been sum
cient and 81 per thousand would have been
fair price-in all. S222- 49, OF the Jos, 500
regular ballots printed $4,000 under the law
would have been sufficient. THE PRIMARY
ACT AUTHORIZED THE COUNTY CLERK
EACH 100 REGISTERED VOTERS, But
HERE WE FIND NEARLY 200 PRINTED A
TOTAL WASTE OF 22,ooo BALLOTS. The
price paid was over 300 per cent excessive. the
ballots should not have cost over So per thou-
sand San Francisco for November 1913, elec-
ton is paying Sl.99 per thousand for ballots
size 17x23 inches. but we have allowed 20
per cent more, SO per thousand TO cover the
larger size and not make the exposure too
nafnful It Is bad enough at best Under
these figures the costs shonia nave Deeh
S73s 16. making waste OF s4.o5z ~;
In San Francisco the surplus ballots are
made iuto fgnring pads for the various de-
partments In Alameda county the extra pal
lots were DESTROYED. -
PAID MORE THAN san fHANclsco A.
The advertising for this primary election
sbor1nds in repetition and cost the county
81. 653 The authorization for said advertising
is found in the primary act, carelui reae- so
ing Of which shows waste Oh at ieast OV pei
cent in excessive space
san Francisco paid S2.340.f9 total advertls-
fn1 cost for registration and three elections :.
CLERICAL WORK
This work is charged to mailing sanpie
ballots. Twenty clerks We're employed at a
to9sq cost of So 800. The number Of ballots to
W rnaIIed was IS OOO This work should have
been done at one fourth Of this cost, based op
San Francisco cost for ike service. Dut we
allow 81 600. making waste ol sl,1vV'
BRINGING IN RETURNS
The county paid for this item SDez,oo. san
r-raneisco paws nothing for this service. which
ialsrfc srF,y,ned bv the election officers. Total
waste of SJ9z9V.
.woRK NOT REQUIRED BY Law
Furnishing notices mThe total cVst ef ppEer-
.satr~ eor the November election, As taken
tsa the auditors books. was $5,s93.5S. Of
tb5s amonnt fully 80 per cent was unnecessary
md not reqnred under law The whole could
have been done ia only 20 per cent OF the space
used thereby saving $4- ~ %.
TWO pages were consumed in describing pre-