Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-31
THE COUNTY ROADS.
A Lively Interest in Them
Now Awakened.
WHAT THE ROADS COST US.
A Reply to the Ex-SupervisOr's Ex
planation-More Big Pickings
for the Overseers.

-
planation-More Big Pickings
for the Overseers.
Ex-Supervisor Venable's remarks in
yesterdays HERALD were quite in accord
with the Special Commissioners expose
of the wasteful and vicious system
which, though legal one, is disgrace
to Los Angeles county. Mr.. Venable,
who doubtless aims to fairly represent
his views regarding the road question, is
greatly in error in regard to most i'm.
portant phase of the gross and wilfull ex'
penditures of the road funds which has
called for the present investigation. The
inference to be drawn from his state
ment is that there has been perhaps an
undue expenditure of the peoples money
but that there has been no opportunity
afforded for this, except in the past year
as but little or no money was appropri'
ated for the county roads until 1888.
These are his exact words:
"In 1887 there was no money in the
road funds of the county. They were all
exhausted. The work done in the latter
part of the year had to be paid for out
of the funds of the next year"
"But," said the reporter, "did not the
levy for 1887 come to large sum? If
remember Alright, there was 20 cents
levied for roads that year on an assess
ment of 500, 600, ,00O."
Mr.. Venable said: "No, it was not 80
much. We never did levy large sum
for road uses until last year. There
never has been anything like 500, 900
spent for roads in any one year. Your
statement takes from January to Janu-
ary, whereas the fiscal year runs from
July to July"
Mr.. Venable is entirely wrong in his
statements. By reference to the official
records of the Board of Supervisors, it
will be found that, for 1888, 20 per cent
Of the available assessment of
the county taxes was appropri-
ated to the road fund; in 1887,
25 per cent. in 1886, 20 per cent; in
1885. 25 per cent. in 1884, 7 per cent. !;
in 1883, Is per cent, and in 1882, 10 per
cent. Therefore, as the total assessment
was $102. .944 900 in 1888, and $50, ,S26, 900
in 1887, the amount levied for the road
fund was about equal, or for each of the
two years, approximating 100000. In
1886 and 1885, owing to the same differ
ence of the percentage of levy, the
amount awarded for each of the years
was about the same, or in the neighbor-
hood, in round numbers, of $45, 900.
During the years 1SS4-S3-S2 the amount
of the road fund ranged from $4,000 to
1900 each year. 1t is certainly fair to
state that in the past seven years the
taxpayers have anted up $500 900 for the
road overseers to expend, which they
have done with the greatest willingness
and in manner which is past finding
cut
Mr.. Venable lays considerable stress
upon the inconsiderable matter that
the HERALD's statement of the road
expenditures is for the calendar and
not for the fiscal year of 1883. 1t is
quite true that moneys we're paid in
1883 for work done in 1887, as it is also
true that moneys are now being paid in
this year of grace 1889 for work done in
1888. The calendar and fiscal divisions
of the years thus offset each other, and
Mr.. Venable will be found next Tuesday
at the meeting of the Board of Super
visors to vouch for the correctness of the
bills of the overseers in his supervisorial
district for work done in the last quarter
Of 1888.
The HERALD's Road Commissioner has
discovered another item of road expendi.
lures of abiding interest. There is a poll
road tax of 50 year, which is paid by
those who live on the county roads be-
yond the precincts of the cities and in
corporated towns. By the most careful
estimates made, this polllrosd tax Of the
county in 1883 amounted to nearly
$4,000, and for road purposes
fell into the willing hands of
the roadmasters. This nice little sum
increases the road expenditures supposed
to have been made during the prolific
year of 1888 to the astounding amount
Of $138, 200. The road overseers get
not only the handling of this poll road
tax, but receive Is per cent. for collect
ing it. It is a soft snap.
The State law closely defines the duties
of the roadmasters, as follows:
"Road overseers, under the direction
and supervision of the Road Commits
sioners (all Supervisors are ex-officio
Road Commissioners) and pursuant to
the orders of the Board of Supervisors,
must:
First. Take charge Of the highways
within their respective districts.
Second. Keep them clear from obstruc-
tions and in good repair.
Third. Cause banks to be graded,
bridges and causeways to be made when
necessary, keep the same in good repair,
and renew them when destroyed"
Who in riding over our county roads
finds that these instructions have been
carried out? Plenty of funds have been
appropriated to perform the work so badly
required: what has been done with
them? The road overseers are sworn
officers of the law, and under bonds to
faithfully carry out the trust the people
have reposed in them. The only ques-
ton at Issue is, have they, and are they.
doing this?
POLITICAL MATTERS. .
A HoAt Of Candidates In the Re-
publican Ranks.
The fight in the camp of the Republi-
cans ia now on and from the present un-