Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-07-06
Correspondence Of the Chronicle.
FAIRyIEw, June oath, 1856

TAIREIEW. June LttH. lOOts
EDITOR CHRoNlcEE:- In my first .ommu-
nication promised to point out some prac-
tical method ofreducing our expenses, but
the Introductory is so fraught with thoughts,
the subject so suggestive. and my pen itself
so discursive that find it very difficult to
come down to the work in the steady. sober,
matter-of-fact way so pleasing to the Grad
grinds of society. Our grievances are so nu-
merous, and their characters so changeable
that find it impossible to restrain myself
from giving vent thereto; but these are only
incidental to the matter now in hand, and
can only beseech your readers to have pa
tience and bear with me to the end.
Returning to the principal subject, we
learn that salaries paid to some of the county
; officers foot up nearly $4,000. in round
numbers. Wig: County Judge. $500; Sheriff,
$4,000; Deputy Sheriff, $2.4O0; Under
Sheriff, $l,8Uo; Jailor and Deputy Sheriff
5000; Jailor and Deputy Sheriff, (No. 2 J
$50; Clerk, $4,000; Deputy Clerk, 900;
Deputy Clerk. (No. 2) $1,000; extra clerk
hire, $500; Treasurer, $4,000; Supervisors,
each, $1,000. or SO 600 for all ; Superinten-
! dent OF Common Schools, 5000; making a
total Of S24,200. The salary of the Super
intendent of Schools, the worst paid and
most important of tie whole-was formerly
5000, bat in a sudden fit of picayunish econ
omy reduced by the Board of Supervisors this
year to 5000. The Treasurer, also. has a
deputy but how paid OF by whom I cannot
learn. Who the Loan Commissioners" of
Calaveras county are is another mystery to
outsiders but SAP 55 was paid to their
order last February. To this we must add
! miscellaneous accounts, assessors, school
marshals. and jury fees, election services
hospital and criminal expenses, interest,
mileage. &C.. &C., and then we only have a
amount to. In other words, the cost, to the
taxpayers of running the county machine,
Independently of the $4,000 to So, 1000
paid into the State Treasury as our yearly
contribution towards paying the salaries of
the lite Barnacles at Sacramento,) is $780,
600 per annum for if the actual cash ex-
pended does not always reach that sum. the
outstanding accounts and accumulating debt
(Sl5,000 to $4,000, per annum.) outruns
it. In all these, recollect, no mention is
made of the District Attorney, Public Ad-
ministrator, Coroner and County surveyor
for they are paid by fees. which come out of
the pockets of Taxpayers. property owners
and litigants in general. One fact in the
foregoing is worthy of special notice the
expenses of tro offices are $4,000; the
Sheriff and deputies $4,000; the Clerk and
deputies, $4,000; to say nothing of contn-
gencies. The District Attorneys office,
under the amended delinquent tax law is
said to be the most lucrative office in the
county, and / can well believe it, when i'll
the last weeks "Register" he has summoned
26S delinquents, and for that official act
alone, Is entitled to fee of 500.
To remedy the evils complained of We
propose an amendment of section l, article
6, of the State Constitution, striking out the
words, .in County Courts" repeating Sec
tions and of the same article, and trans
ferril.g the duties Of Probate Judge to the
District Court; and an act of the Legislature
increasing the jurisdiction of Justices of the
Peace in civil cases, to the sum of $500 and
giving them jurisdiction in all petty larceny
and other trtiing criminal cases, such as are
now tried by the county court, with an ap-
peal from their decisions direct to the District
Court. Another act would be necessary
abolishing Grand Juries. curtailing the
salaries of county officers and diminishing
the number of deputies allowed them by
law. Reduce the Sheriff. salary to 81, 900 :;
give him one deputy at $1,000; two Jailors
as at present, at $l,S00, and we have clear
gain OF Ss5.' 90 per annnm. Bring the Clerk
down to $4,000, with one deputy at 1000,
and no extra fund, and we save So, 900 more
There being no necessity for the Supervisors
meeting oftener than quarterly their salaries
should be cut down to $780, each, or 81 500
per annum, for all their services. another
saving of $1,000. Now let us see how mat
tiers would stand if the proposed retrench-
ments should be adopted. County Judge,
$4,000; Sheriff's office. $5,OoO; Clerks
Office, $1,000; Supervisors, $500. and
those four items alone make total of Sll,-
900, to say nothing of the decrease of GRIM
inal expenses consequent upon abolishing
grand juries and giving justices immediate
jurisdiction in petty criminal business with
out the expense and delay of sending them
to the county seat to await the times and
seasons of our county court.
The changes with the passage of town
ship law giving us cheap municipal gov
eminent. and a more direct control of our
local affairs. particularly of the revenue de-
rived from taxation. and securing its expend-
iture in the. im!med.ate vicinity of the prop.
erty taxed to pay it, are what seems to me
most essential to secure return to prosperity.
Economy and direct responsibility would be
insured. The public could place the blame
where it properly belonged, should anything
go wrong and not go on a FOOLS errand SO
often as they do now. A cumbrous town.
skip law was submitted for our adoption.
seven years ago. but it was hardly practical
enough. and public sentiment was not ripe
for it. at that time now it is. Agitation
cannot retard but may hasten the ''good time
coming for come it will whether or not
we ever strike. BEDROCK.