Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-20
" PUNCH, BROTHERS, PUNCH"

We have said that the system of State
bookkeeping in the fee Offices would dis
grace a crossroads grocery store. We re-
peat it, and can well afford to submit the
matter to the decision of any ordinary
business man. Our statement has. been
questioned, and the remedy we proposed
denounced first as red tape" and latterly,
after the manner Of the circumlocution
office" 1t is gratifying to have this sub
ject debated, since it is one of grave i'm
portance, and debate brings it prominently
to public notice and makes it certain that
the Legislature will act upon it. But the
response made to the proposed check sys-
TEN is so absurd, so ludicrously absurd,
that really it deserves no attention; vet
the brilliancy of the example of ignorance
ii typities makes it worthy of some notice.
We have said that when a service is per-
formed by State officer for which price
Is charged, some entry by some other of
ficer should be made, to constitute a check.
Or, where one desires a service in a State
Office a system that would require him to
order the service through another depart
ment would create a check, and make an
account" of the transaction Had either
of such methods prevailed in the past, we
should not to-day have Grand Juries ex-
aiming into charges of fee-stealing COW
ering several administrations, and involv-
ing not only the loss of tens of thousands
of dollars to the State, hut the possible
disgrace of men the people intrusted with
exalted duties Our ncighbor across the
way deems these suggestions most anus
ingly absurd" and altogether imprac-
ticable, and in lieu suggests the bell punch.
That is to say, it would have every officer
taking fees enter the fee "on the fee book
in the presence of the person receiving the
service" Now why employ that cred
tape p Why not complete the brilliancy
and originality of the suggestion and hang
the bell punch about the officials neck,
i, and suspend over his desk the rhyming re-
mindeE
Punch, punch, punch with care.
Punch in the presence of the paSSengaire."
Was ever greater ignorance confessed
All the world, except our neighbor, knows
that seven-tenths of the fee business in
State offices is done through correspondence,
and that it comes from all quarters of the
Union. But if it were all done in person,
who, when months and years have passed
away, is to bring the witnesses from the
four corners of the earth, the sea and the
grave to contradict the Textbook or expose
the false entry of a thieving clerk More
over, who is to enforce the law requiring
the person receiving the service to stand
over the clerk or officer and see that he
enters the amount? Why, also, must
person be compelled to twice visit the Off
cial for single service, once to make the
order and once to see that the fee is
properly entered? We are further en-
lightened by the brilliancy of the book
keeping knowledge of our contemporary,
for it declares that:
Under the REcoRp-USIoS plan person visit
ing the office of the Secretary of State to file
paper would be referred to the Controllers
Office. Going TO the Controllers Office, he would
there await the convenience of the clerks, and,
AFTER gaining an audience with those potent
ates, would be either sent back to the office of
the Secretary of State orwait till some function
AIRY could find time to so there and do the re-
quired business for him
The REcoRD-UNIoN never has suggested
any such system. What has been proposed
is plan Endorsed by State officials that
has the concurrence of business men of
long experience, and is approved by CON-
mon sense. If person desires to file
paper with the Secretary of State, or order
certified copy from him, for which fee
is payable, under the proposed system he
would simply hand into the Controllers
Office his document or order and pay the