Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-19
THE KENP,glD INVESTIGATION.


The Chair repl ed that no one denied that.
The committee then adjourned TIL Thursday even
ing at o'clock
THE KENPiELD INVESTIGATION.
The Assembly Committee on Public Expenditures
and Accounts, to whom referred the resolution
of the Hon. E +. Leake, Of Solano, relative to
specified charges made edtorialy in the RECORD
UNION concerning the manner in which the business
of the office Of the State Controller conducted,
met in room Is OF the Capitol last evening, Presi
dent Crank in the chair
Mr. W Ii. Mills, the editorial manager of the
RECORD UNION, was called by the Chairman of the
committee and requested to make statement o.
the information upon which the charges against
Controller kenfield were based.
MIR. Mills said that the charges were based upon
information that he did not claim to have personal
knowledge as to the manner in which the business
of the Controllers Office conducted that during
the late Presidential campaign the Hon l. ). Clunle,
in a speech delivered in the city Of Sacramento,
charged that there we're four Republican State Off
GERS who had placed their wives upon the payroll
as clerks in their offices, and that the
said wives performed no services as an
equvalen. for the salaries paid them. Mr..
Mills said that he believed the statement OF
Mr. Clunie had been made with view to its polit-
ieal effect that he was not aware at the time the re-
port Of Mr. Clune's speech was made that the wives
of any State officers were employed by their hus-
bands. He therefore detailed a reporter, with in
structions to ascertain the facts, intending upon
proper showing to expose the measurements OF MI
Clunle in defense of the gentlemen charged, and in
defense of the Republican party that the reporter
after examination and inquiry into the facts OF
the case, reported that there were three wives
Of State officers employed by their husbands,
to wit: the Surveyor General, the Superintendent
OF Public Instruction and the Controller OF
State; that as to the former two, they occu-
pied desks in the offices of their husbands,
and to all appearances perform the duties devoving
upon clerk discharging their duties as any clerk
employed in Stete Office might be supposed to do;
that as to Mrs Kenfeld he could not ascertain that
any clerical duties were discharged by her as equva
lent services for the salary paid her Mr. Mills tur-
Their sta ed that he had personally made inquiry
that Mr.. Kenields reply to the reporter, when
asked whether his wife WAS employed by him, was
evasive unsatisfactory, and amounted to deciara,
ton that the clerks employed by him discharged
the duties required by him, and that 1t was not the
business of any one whether those clerks performed
any Sc vices, so long as the services rendered were
satisfactory to the Controller Mr.. Mills stated that
his information was of two elasse', viz direct and
indirect that he had conversed with she Governor,
the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney-General
and other State officers; that the impression
obtained from the information received from
them was that Mrs Kenfeld did not perform
an equivalent in services for The salary paid her ;
that he had taken other testimony III regard 10 the
matter, and that the names OF persons furnishing
information on the subject have been lmpartei TO
the Chairman of the committee, and full statement
made TO him as to the sources OF his information ;
that the sources included the State officers named,
clerks in the State offices, and indirectly through
deputy in the office Of the State Controller.
| Mr. Mills took occasion to contradict the state
ment published by = san Francisco newspaPer-that
the publication was in. pred b. an untrenclY feel
| ing existing between himself and the lion. NJ. d.
Boruck that the relations between himself ana MT
Boruck were amiCable; that long prior TO the pue-
| licat on he had met MIR Boruck in San Francisco
| and had informed him that Mr.. kenield was draw
ipg salary in the name Of his wife and that so far
as any information on the subject could be obtained
| that the salary being drawn without an
equivalent being rendered in services to the State
He had withheld the publication of the matter until
Mr. Boruck would be able to correct WI at he con-
ceived TO be grievous wrong. Mr.. Boruckinformed
| Mr. Mills that he would use every endeavor
to correct the matter. Mr.. Boruck came to
| Sacramento the next day, and subsequently
reported to Mr. Mills that he could do nothing about
| it that Mr. Boruck had himself strongly disap-
proved of the action of the Controller in placing the
| name of his wife upon the payroll. Mr. Mills
stated that he didn't regard Mr. Boruck as being
implicated in the matter in the remotest degree or
responsible for it in any way. he further said that
the publication not prompted by any feeling OF
| malice toward Mr. Kenfield that he was not per-
sonally acquainted with that gentleman; had never
spoken to MIN in his life; that the investigation
entered upon in its inception with view of defend
| ing the State officers from the aspersions made
| upon them by Democratic orator that he believed
| the public had right to know how
| the public business was transacted, and that the
| publication and charge had been made from what
he conceived be in the line OF the discharge Of
his duty public journalist ; that believing it to
be true at the time it was made, and still beleSing
to be true he had apology to make to any one
| for its publication and had made none.
| Mr.. Mills asked the Chairman OF the committee
as to what his position before the committee was.
The Chairman said that he did not regard him as
being before the committee in the light of prose-
cutor but that he had been called for the purpose
Of affording the committee information as to the
basis of the charge.
The Hon E. E. Leake Of solano ask d permission
to make statement, which granted. He stated
that the Information had been conveyed to HIN,
| and that the resolution of inquiry introduced by
him was not inspired by the manager of the RECORD
UNION He wished to state that he had at no time
| had any conversation with anyone connected with
the itEcoRD-U UNION office on the subject
of the resolution; that he was not
| requested or prompted by any one connected with
| the RECORD UNION establishment to introduce the
resolution that he had Introduced it at his OWL
SUGGESTION and after conference with one or two of
his fellow members OF the Assembly that he he
had given the Republican members fortyei hours
to introduce the resolution OF investigation that
had not intended to make political capital by its in
PRODUCTION, but that he believed the charges were
worthy OF investigation to the end that, they
true the public service could be protected from
wrong while if they false, MIR. hentield would
be exouerated for the blame which the charges at
tached to him.
Mr.. Kenield being called upon to make state
ment, asked that the resolution under which the
committee was acting and the editorial in the
RECORD. UNION should be read. His request was
cOmDiied with. AT the conclusion OF TIE reading
Mr. Kenfeld asked liberty to appear in his own be-
half which was granted. Mr.. kenfield then read
from the statutes st itement TO the effect that the
Controller allowed the appointment OF deputy,
a bookkeeper and three clerks that the manner in
which these clerks discharged their duties was
matter wholly in the discretion Of the Controller !;
that these three clerks performed their duties sat
isfacorily to the Controller he had right to en-
ploy the appropriation made by the state of 81 500
year for each OF the clerks in payment Of their serv
ices.
Mr.. Mills-Does Mrs Kenfeld discharge the duties
YOU would require Of any other clerk drawing
salary in your office?
To this Mr.. Kenfied replied that Mrs. Kenfeld
discharged such duties as were required of her by
the Controller; that he himself frequently, to save
her. had performed the work that would have falleu
to her
Mr.. Mils-Is it your reply to the charges made,
that the salary drawn by Mrs. Kenfied is in compen-
sation of over-work which you do as Controller OF
State?
To this Mr.. Kenfied replied "No, do not pre-.
sent that as answer to the charges do not draw
the salary that is paid Mrs. Kenfield She draws
the salary in her nam, and owns and controls
the proceeds of that salary"
Mr. Kenfeld then requested the reading Of
the entire editorial Of the RECORD UNION concerning
the bill which proposes to enable him to sue the
State for the salary claimed to be due him for the
remainder of the term of ]. W. Vaudeville, served
out by W. B. c. Brown. The editorial read
Mr. kenfeld pointed out to the committee an mac
curacy wherein it was stated that the bill was to
enable MN 10 sue lOT the JSIu ol
Office of Mr. Vaudeville prior to that gentemans
death.
Mr. Mills was permitted by the committee to
plain the error.
Mr. Kenfeld further stated that during the term
of office of W. B. c. Brown, that gentleman had
employed four clerks, while he (kenfield) had dis
charged the duties of the Office with three 1t
stated before the committee that Mr.. Brown claimed
to have discharged the clerical work Of the Office
with one clerk less than the number allowed him by
law.
member of the committee objected to any in
auiry relating to Mr.. Browns administration.
Mr. Mathews Of Tehama inquired ii Mrs. Ken
field discharged the duties of her position in the
office OF the Controller.
Mr. Kenfeld replied that she performed the work
done by her in her room but that sometimes she did
work in the office out of office hours.
Mr. Mathews inquired as to the nature Of the work
performe by her.
The reply was that it was such work as was as
signed her by the Controller.
Mr. Mills stated that the charges were two. First,
that Mrs. kenfeid was paid a salary, and second,
that she did not render equivalent in services to
the State for the salary paid her.
Mr Kenfeld called for the reading OF the state
ment in the editorial. The editorial read, and
attention was called to the words she had per-
formed no services whatev,r.n
Mr.. Mathews asked if Mr.. Kenfeld intended to
stand upon technicality, and insist upon the arbi
trary meaning OF the words ''no services whatever
Mr.. kenfeld replied that he himself was the most
competent witness to whether any clerk in his
office discharged the duties required by the position
held by him or her in the Office
The committee decided TO call the witnesses re-
ferred to by Mr.. Mills, and in pursuance of that
determination will examine the deputies and clerks