Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-28
THE OTHER SIDE.
what Rscord der Francis says About
His Office.

what Rec0K dor Francis says Aboue
HIS Office.
County Recorder Francis, when asked
yesterday what be had to say about the
allegations made by certain searchers
that the county records were being un-
lawfully tampered with, said the articls
in Wednesday mornings HERALD was
the first intimation he had received
that such charges were made. He
knew nothing about the memorial
presented to the Supervisors. praying for
an investigation of the affairs of his
office. II such memorial wasvfled, the
Supervisors could not please him better
than TO let the investigation proceed. He
courted the closest inquiry, and had
nothing to fear and no favors to ask.
II do not think it worth while to an
swer the charges" continued the Re-
corder, "as the fact is patent to me that
the reports were started by some dis
gruntled searehers who have grievance
against the Office on account OF having
their privileges abridged since took
control, or for some other fancisd wrong.
It is strange that my attention has not
been called to the fact, if any place has
been found where q record was changed
subsequent to having been passed upon
by the cemparers. If any fraud has
been perpetrated would like to have It
pointed out, 30 that I can take
steps to apprehend the guilty party
and have him punished. I have
implicit confidence in eli my deputies
and employees, and do not believe
that any one Of them has ever made .
change in q record after it was duly en-
tered and passed upon. It is possible, Of
course, for anyone to come into the
Office under the pretense Of searching.
and tamper with or mutilate the rec.
ords, just as you or might go into
store and, while the clerks are busy, help
ourselves TO the goods on the counters.
We might unobserved get away with
considerable booty, and, on the other
hand, we might be detected and punished
for the crime. So it is with the records.
They are on the shelves and tables in
the Office and at the service of the public.
1t anyone is disposed to meddle with
them he may find opportunity to do so
despite the closest vigilance.
''After an instrument is copied and the
copy carefully compared and counter
signed, it is supposed to be absolutely
correct, and anyone making any altera-
ton therein afterward, whether an out
slider or deputy or the Recorder him
self, is guilty of penal offense. We try
to exercise due care that ne such thing
shall happen, and thus far not a single
instance has come to my notice where it
has happened. If any one has reasons
to believe that the record of any instru-
ment has been falsifed, why not bring
the matter to my attention at once, in
stead Of circulating defamatory reports
behind my back ?"
The Recorder also called attention to
number of reforms he claims to have in
stuffed since assuming control of the
Office. Among them is The simplifying
of the system Of indexing, by which it
is possible for the public to search the
records for many things without loss
Of time to themselves, and for which they
formerly had to employ experts. Ha
also stopped the practice of allowing
searchers to 60 among the records with
pen and ink to note down their abstracts,
which he considers very wide reform,
as it lessons the possibility of any Of
them adding to or changing the records
in the interest of themselves or their
clients. The Recorder suggested that it
may have been some ouch regulations az
these that started the present kick.
In conclusion he claimed that the
safeguards thrown around the records
now for the prevention Of fraud are
greater than they have ever been before,
all OF which he is perfectly willing for
any competent committee to investigate
and eygunina