The Placer herald., 1874-01-17
SALARY OF COUNTY OFFICERS.

Two weeks ago we ventured some gen.
eral remarks on this subject, in which,
while we aimed injustice to no man,
we had an eye to the general good
of the whole county. We made no
serious complaints, further than we thought
the money paid county officers was not just
ly distributed. We did intend not that our
figures should be exactly to the mark, but
gave them approximately, assuied they
were near enough correct to illustrate the
subject under consideration. The Aryus
man now comes back and asserts in his all
wise manner that we are blind on the sub
ject, and that he knows it all, and proceeds
to give what he would convey are the facts
and figures. lie charges us of deliberately
intending to deceive the public. Now, let
us see. We aaid approximately, that
'the Recorders office nets perhaps not less
than $5, 900 year, while the Sheriff re-
ceves but little over $4,000, out of which
he has to pay his deputy, board the pris-
oners, travelling expenses, transportation of
prisoners and insane, etc. Those were our
words, and the following are his, in sub
stance: OF the Recorders Office, he says
he knows more than we, but prefers to talk
about it at some future day, The Sheriff,
he says, gets for criminal business Sc, 1853
per year. The following are the exact facts
and figures as nearly as can be obtained at
present, and we wish the reader to Judge
who is trying to deceive, bearing in mind
that we made no pretension to exactness, as
our subject did not demand it, while he pre-
tends to speak from authority. First, as for
the Recorders salary, we have the Record
er's own word, which we are compelled to
accept as much better authority than that of
our conscenceess neigLbor, that our figures
regarding the salary Of his office were, as
near as he could judge, without stopping to
calculate, about right. So much for that
Now, about the Sheriff. We find from the
records that the actual amounts allowed the
Sheriff for 1873 for criminal business, foot
up a total of $4 ,o54 76. So it will be
seen that while our otf-hand shot at the
| amount was nearly correct, our christian
neighbor's actual facts were deliberately
calculated to deceive the people in this one
little matter to the amount of 81 ,503 "a
We have occupied SO much space to prove
up once more the inherent disposition of our
neighbor to misrepresent facts, while all
along pretending to be SO almighty virtuous,
though his harangue, whether true Or false,
has nothing to do with the subject we were
discussing when we made the above state
ments. Our idea was, and is, to equalize
the salaries of county officers. We pro-
posed no partisan warfare, as we included
the District Attorney and School Superin-
tendent, both Republicans, in our list of
poorly paid officers as we'll as the Sheriff.
But the argus says we would have had
nothing to say on the subject had the Sher-
ifs office been filed by Republican in
stead of an Independent. We claim that
while some Of our officers are poorly paid
others are paid too much, and that the sala-
ries could be equalized so that all would re.
ceive justice, whether Republican or Inde-
pendent. and still save money for the coun-
ty. This is our position, Mr.. Many Eyes,
and shall be until we have the actual fig
ures from each county officer, showing the
net income of bis office for a given time,
and this we have the promise of from each
officer in short time. When we get it we
shall be able to speak more pointedy on the
subject. '"
| THE CHINESE PROBLEM.