Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-10


Clerks from sleeping on their posts, and,
compelled them to sign 1900 records
they had wholly neglected to complete,
and still the papers and records Of the
Office are in deplorable condition. The
County Coroner had been tapping the pub
lie purse for the salary Of his clerk. The
committee stopped the leak, and the
Courts sustained the committee. The sta
tionery used in the Courts had, under a
vicious custom, been paid for on the GER
tifcate of the Clerk that \ or B was en-
titled to 50 much money, and, without
more ado, \ or B plucked out his golden
plum. The committee broke up this
"fat" steal, and brought the bills down
from S2,021 so, in 1879, to S1,S29 10, in
1880; to S797 20, in 1881, and finally to
1862 -, in 18S2-just the difference the
people had been swindled out of for years
before the work of the committee dis
closed the leak. The committee now re-
port that in fact $3.50 will furnish all the
stationery the Judges ask for.
In the matter of jurors fees the COM
mittee found gross Encouragement. and
men were paid large sums for services
as jurors and attendants who never at
tended Court or rendered any service.
The committee devised new city char
ter, but the politicians beat it after it
passed, by eliminating the enacting clause.
The committee tried again and the bill
passed, and the charter went into effect
after the most bitter and determined re-
sistance on the part of the crew that
thriyes upon the drippings from the mu-
nicipal table. The committee managed to
wrest the control of the Aims House from
the grasp of committee Of Aldermen, and
thus secured economy in the administra-
ton of its affairs, to the tune of several
thousand dollars. Under the old system
it cost Albany S760 year to clean her oil
lamps now it costs but 1923. The oil
bills were in 1882, S2,214, but in 1923
they were but 1919 Is, and one Alderman
was prosecuted for swindling the city in
supplying oil Under the old charter it
cost $4,000 year for oil lamps; under
the committees charter it costs less than
half that sum, while the lamps have been
reduced but one-sixth in number
To illustrate some of the methods OF
stealing the committee broke up we take
one recital. 4 contract was let to pave
an avenue. The committee resolved that
the contractor should do his duty under it.
The stone having arrived, the committee
pointed out that large part Of it was de
fectiye It was cast aside When the
back of the committee was turned it was
worked into the pavement. The commit
tee showed its pluck and compelled the
Street Commissioner to force the contractor
to take up the cheat and DO the work over,
and as result the people for once got a
pavement such as they contracted for, and
the contractor class got lesson it will
never forget.
No one in Albany believes that this
would have been accomplished except for
the courage of the Citizens Committee.
The committee now practically says to the
people of Albany: If you are swindled
hereafter, it viii be your own fault You
have been shown the way to defeat vicious
men and firmly establish reforms"
The committee broke up the vicious sys-
TEN INDUCED in by city employees of order
ing supplies for personal use and certifying
them as city expenses. O. reduced the bad
practice Of city officers dealing with the
city, but suggests that 10 break up the
steals in this way effected, some one rascal
" clty employe must be convicted and sent
to the State Prison to cool his heels The
committee defeated number Of schemes to
increase salaries Of city employees that had
beer cut down under the new charter to
fair from an exorbitant, figure. The com
mittee does not hesitate to declare that It's
work and its charter we're bitterly opposed
by Aldermen, politicians and pap-sucler,,
because their opportunities to dispense
patronage and tap the public till were cut
of, and the opportunitie, to plumber the
city reduced to the minimum
In the County Clerks office such q TO-
form did the committee work that while
that official in 1880 presented and was
paid fee bill Of 1885 y, in 1888 his
Zee Lill amounted to exactly 10000 90
80, too, the Sherias fee bills in
1850 were $4,l92 bat in 1888 they shrunk
20 SOIL In 1880 he was allowed 1882 -
for board of prisoners, but in 1858 he was,
under the eye Of the committee, cut down
to $1,000 Thus, in these two offices, 800
0s3 IL was saved. The committee SOL
ennly ass erts that these two Offices had
been regularly purchased by people IN
fitted 10 fill them. and the money paid had
been used as a party corruption fund, and
by this means was justified the frauds on
the treasury TO repIenish the rockets Of the
officials.
The committee reduced the CITY station
cry bills from S5,07S SO in 1850 to
32.l54 . in 1883. II found that the A.
dermen used $1,lSs 50 worth Of paper in
1883, despite the committee, and the yari-
Gus departments enough more to make the
aggregate S209l l.. Yet in 1882 the
same Aldermen and departments spent
S5,o7o so fer stationery. The committee
obtained the authority TO sue delinquent
city officials, to investigate all city and
county accounts, to compel witnesses to
testify in disclosure of frauds, without any
particular complaint being sworn to, It
secured a proper system OF proving and