The Placer herald., 1862-08-30
County Finances-.How the County Be-
came free of Debt.


ard the people debt OF about one hundred thou
sand dollars.
1t was the reign of the opposition to the dem
| ocracy, and it produced the ordinary result OF
such rule msmanagemeut. public prohigacy
debt aud bankruptcy. To set the house to rights
again. it was not found necessary to increase tax
ation but to institute rigid system of accounta-
bility, and the srictest economy. This was TO be
forced through the instrumentalty of Legisa-
tive enactments, and Gov. Walkup, who took his
scat in the Senate of 1857 was the. .nhle law
maker who led in these reforms. The salary OF
the County Judge was reduced from $4,000 to
| 1000. The Hospital. which had been source
of great expense, the patients being kept alta
cost of eighteen dollars per week to the county.
was reduced to the bounds Of the special fund
provided the Hospital purposes.-Thc Board
of Supervisors was reduced from five to three,
and their powers for injury to the county much
fettered. The County Clerk bad be n receiving
in that and in his several eroticio offices. from
the county, for business done for the county and
State about six thousand dollars per year; this
was reduced to salary OF three thousand dol
| lars.-The District Attorney had lcen receiving
| nearly all his fees over and above bis salary
from the county; this was altered and it was pro-
vded that he should make his fees if at all. out
of the party prosecuted. An act was passed
providing Redemption Fuud for the county,
the effect Of which WAS to enable the county to
compete in the market with the scripbuyers in
the purchase of county scrip. These were very
considerable reforms--the latter measure itself is
believed to have saved to the county the round
sum OF SIG O00
| We have not the data in figures at hand to
show the gain to the county on each law but
they are all on record. 1t will not be supposed
that these changes were effected without the au-
thors Of them receiving their due proportion of
abuse and detraction--.ls each one OF these mes
urcs touched some ones pocket--squeezed some
ones toes.
During the session Of 1858 Mr. Anderson as
sumed the mantle SO worhly worn by Gov.
Walkup. Among the first measures projected un-
der his leadership in the Legislature for county
purposee. were the acts by which the County
Clerk Office and the Recorders office were divid-
ed and those officers placed upon salaries BY
these laws the same usiness has been transacted
in those offices for public and for private individ-
uals, if not more as before quite TO the satisac-
ton of the public at large, and it is conclusvely
shown. that within the three years. commencing
| June 1859 and ending June 1862, there has been
saved to the county through this means the round
sum Of $4,000. The moneys produced from the
! sale Of the ninth and tenth classes of business
| licenses were after vigorous fight, in which
| Mr.. Anderson bore a conspicuous part, dur
ing tn t session restored to the counties. BY this
law the revenues derived from that source to
! Placer county were about $4,000 annually. To
90 no further into matters, it can he shown how
| the county, bore the current expenses Of the
| Government and managed to pay off this enor-
nous debt, within the four years last past. In
brief there was the Redemption law s26 600;
saving on County Judges salary $4,000; on
| District Attorneys fees not less than $4,000; on
reduction of number Of members of Board Of
| Supervisors not less than IS coo: by division of
the Offices OF County Clerk and Recorder S33.-
600; by restoring the moneys derived from the
ninth and tenth classes Of business licenses 10
the counties $4,000, making a total of SlOS,-
| 500. We are speaking Of plain facts and stub
born figures. of records open 10 the inspection Of
every one. who will take the trouble to examine
! 1t is the story of Placers redemption from mis-
mana cement and bankluptcy-we hare noW
about thirty thousand dollars surplus in the
treasury. Are the people willing to place the
administration of County affairs in the hands Of
hungry harpes and bunglers? Will they ignore
the men who have brought them safely through
past perils? Will they barter certainty for
miserable chance? Have we not had expert
ments enough?
Free Speech. Republican Intolerance.
On Lac: Wednesday night, the Hon. JAS
Anderson, our candidate for County Judge,
spoke at Dutch Flat, BY invitation Of his
fellow citizens, Both the other parties have
spoken there this year, and were treated
with courtesy and respect. That there could
not have been anything in the remarks Of
Mr.. A. to excite personal animosity, we are
convinced from our knowledge of the speak,
er, and also from the Enquirer of that place,
which referring to the speech says, "he did
not stoop to scurrility or abuse but employ
ed sound argument to sustain his position,
in opposition to the war policy of the Admin
istrat ion."
Nevertheless these blatant advocates
Of free speech and free prees employed every
means in their power to disturb the meeting
by getting up sham fights. cry Of fire, and
such like demonstration
All this however was borne with patience.
1t seems that the speakers rem rks were too
much for them to bear, his facts were touch
- Al.
they commenced hrowing eggs one of Which
etrucL Tho enoo Lor &C ha was ahout closiuu