The Empire County argus., 1855-01-27
hIR. KEENE,s SUPERVISOR BILL.

| mtN. hEtfNE'S SUPERttSON b1LLs
Senator Keene has favored us with copy of his
Bill to create Board of Supervisors in the Coun-
ties in this State where no such Board now exists
&c." introduced in the Senate January Is, (Sen-
ate Bill No. 100 The bill provides for Board Of
five Supervisors to be elected in February next and
defines their powers, the members of the board to
receive ten dollars per day and twenty-five cents
per miles each way travel fees and limits their per
diem to one thousand dollars per annum The
county clerk to be o6cio clerk of the board and
his compensation not to exceed one thousand dol
lars per snnum. E"s'
Section third provides for monthly meetings of
the board of supervisors. This unnecessary Semi
annual meetings, or quarterly at most is all that is
required If quarterly no hardship can possibly
occur all county officers being in receipt from day
to day of their fees for civil business will be glad to
have their accounts against the county adjusted
quarterly in order to save the county the ruinous
expense of monthly meetings. Ten days in each
quarter will be ample time for the transaction of
oil business, except at the first meeting of the
Board. With an arrangement of this kind the sal
ary of each member of the board may he limited
not to exceed six hundred dollars per annum. Fre-
quent meetings will involve the county in the pay
ment of large of travelling fees and per diem
consumed in travelling, for which there is no neces
sity. We believe semi-annual meetings would an
swer every purpose, and we hope the Senator will
so amend his bill as not to require more than quar-
terly meetings.
Section fourth providing for special meetings of
the board should be struck out altogether. Let the
law be definite, with no room left for shutting and
boxing of the compass among parties desiring to
relieve the treasury of any funds that may have
accumulated
Section seventeenth should provide an Office for
the Assessor and County Surveyor as well as for
other officers at the discretion of the Board of Su-
pervisors. A provision should also be inserted in
the bill prohibiting the election of more than one
supervisor from a single township Without
guard of this kind two or more NAV be selected
from locality to the detrment of other portions
of the county.
This bill of Senator Keene's is important and we
hope he will modify it and press its passage Some
thing of the kind is required especially in view of
the great doubt hanging over the powers of the
Court of Sessions. Indeed it is almost certain that
this Court is nonentity far as civil business is
concerned. At the same time economy should be
studied so not to introduce more expensive ma.
chinery than the bungng arrangements at present
existing
With Board of Supervisors to adjust the ac-
counts and affairs of the County, orders on the
Treasurer should be signed by the President of the
Board and countersigned by its Clerk Therefore
let the Office af Recorder be abolished as unncces-
sary and transfer the recording of deeds &C., to the
Clerks office. Let the "Act for the protection of
Foreign Miners be so amended as to require the
State Treasurer to issue Foreign Miners licenses
to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of the
different Counties, the Clerk delivering the licenses
to the Sheriff, as now done by the Recorder, the
Sheriff being required to make returns to the clerk
as now done to the recorder. The three per cent
now allowed to the recorder should be added to the
general fund of the county Jury fees and allow
ances to INDECENT witnesses may be paid by the
treasurer upon the order of the presiding Judge,
this order being voucher for the treasurer in his
settlement with the board of supervisors.
With few amendments to existing laws and the
establishment of boards of supervisors, the Office of
recorder will become unnecessary and business be
simplifed by abolishing it. The fewer officers the
better Those we have should be literally reward.
ed for their services and nothing more.
Supervisors through their clerk should be requir-
ed to furnish a full and explicit statement of the
financial condition of county affairs at the adjourn
ment of every meeting to every newspaper pub
lished in the county for publication, and no COM
pensation be allowed for such publication. Papers
will be glad to publish such statements as news.
Senator Keene having taken hold of this work.
we hope he will lay his axe at the root of existing
evils. We shall look with interest to see the Sem
ator very soon make stlong demonstration for the
reduction of fees in office. In this good work he
will be- no doubt, supported by the entire Ell Do
RADIO delegation, and certainly by his constituents
Our Town this week has been sorely afflicted
and cursed with the usual amount of San Francis
co abortions. Hard times and the threat to sus-
pend free lunches has started swarms of clap-trap
theatrical grinders out in the mnes who can only
murder the Kings English in every effort they
make, and even in this their superlative laziness
sticks out at every point. Two evenings this week
people have been called to respond to the calls
of these theatrical paupers. Our people would be
pleased to see good performance or even hear a
poor song well sung, and would pay literally for
the entertainment We are Just having an ele