Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-27

that the popular understanding was in accord WITT
tbs statement We are further justified by evidence
before us in aii ming that when the present direct
ors accepted at your hands this hgh trust, the5
tIcrpselves well understood that they each were &C
.;,Sr ,,ositions of trust and not of emolument
IL Is and has been well known to every citizen that
the Office of State Prison Director was "non-sala
ried" one The progression OF legislation toward
converting these " non-saiaried" positions into
biphv reul1uerative Offices will not escape your at
teStion That the State Prison Directors were to be
reimbursed for travelling and other expenses incl
dent to travelling actually (nos construcuyelyl IN
cnrred while engaged in the performance OF official
inties is the most obvious meaning of the sec ION
o the Cons tuition quoted But the claims for these
evnensss were to exist by reason OF having been
:. actually incurred" and as such existing claims
they were to be " auulted rs tis Legislature Aiis'
direct" .,,.,..,1,.
s shouId receive for travelling and other expenses
twenty cents mile for miles actna!iy Travelled WINE
~ "a this allowance would exceed the amount OF
expense tualiy incurred, we beheVe II To De neon
istert with the obvious reading OF the Constitution,
I'm. II possesses the sembl2nce OF conformity by
~ :. tIot niles shoud be travelled before a
aaiai,, f,,r reimbursement Of the sum expended IN
snch travel could exist and also PROVIDED that the
State BOARD of examiners should audlt such Chains:
80 +bao one year had elapsed after the passage OF
tbie Act when the existing law was approved mat
faIg as already shown by quoting IT'S provisions,
,,roydes that ch Director shall receive IL cents
,er mile for travelling expenses and slVO month
- cher evgenses incurred while engaged IN the
l,erformance OF official duties" The employment
Is ,bs words " other expenses incurred imports to
o,,r minds limitation upon g expense to be IN
c1rred-a definite maximum beyond which no re-
enhancement would be made. The Directors 90
not however so cOnstrde the law. Ihey declare
tbot this Act confers upon them the right to draw
from the public treasury 800 per month each, even
when they have incurred no expense Whatever IN
ti,e discharge OF official duties. They have acted
s1,a how a.aNN
drawn 500 per month besides 10 cents per mile for
miles actually travelled If this construction be
tenable then the Act Of April IS, 1881, attached
salary to the office of State Prison Director which
may accrue and be drawn by mere incumbency OF
Office
The Act OF 1881 excluded the provision relating to
the authority of the State Board of Examiners in
the premises, and in lieu thereof permitted the
Warden to pay the bill for mileage In practice u
is in testimony before us that the Dir csors audit
their own accounts, and certify t. and allow then
own claims The Act Of April 10, 1881, failed 10
direct how these claims should be audited, and nee
in practice they audited by the claimants them
selves we are justified IN reporting toat, applying
fine leal and business significance OF the term au5it
to the pracuce herein noted these claims are no,
audited at all.
From the progress made in the direction OF attach
ing remuneratve salaries to the offices OF State
Prison Directors in one year, the inference may
fairly be drawn that the pr, nounced tendency here
noted needs to be exposed and checked
The origin Of the suggestion to-which the Act OF
April 1881, is due is not far to seek An exhibit Of
the sums drawn for mileage by each Director brings
the origin Of the suggestion clearly 20 view.
The Directors assumed the discharge OF official du-
ties January L. 1850 Up to June Y, 1880 the mile
vouch ers were cashed by the Warlenat San Quen
tin Just prior to this latter date the State Board
of Examiners notified the Directors that thereafter
the vouchers would be audited by that Beard From
June u 1850. TO March Il, 1881 the vouchers were
filed with the Controller This will explain the rel
son for presenting the exhibit made below in two
amounts as to each Director. The sum Of the two
amounts covers the entire period of the mileage law
of April 16 1880.