Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-25
MIR. STILES'S REPLY.
HE SCORES TAXPAYER AND THE
CITY CLERK.
The Expenses of the Office Under Mr..
Stiles's Administration and Under Mr..
Teed's-The Figures Cited.


by some person styling himself Tax
payer" and in the report of that part of
the proceedings of the citizens reform
committee relating to my nomination by
that committee for city clerk, certain
statements and comparisons to which,
in justice to myself and those who have
honored me with their confidence, de-
sire to reply, and to that end crave your
courtesy, though the action OF that COM
mittee itself might seem a sufficient
refutation of every calumny.
1t is not my purpose to recriminate or
criticize any person, nor would |, if |
could, plant one thorn to rankle in the
breast of the person who would benefit
by my overthrow before that committee
or before the people and who inspired
the attack on me but am content to
leave him to the humiliation he must
feel at the endorsement =? given by that
committee to his half dozen years of
competent" administration. Quite as
readily do forgive the unjust things
said of me by his partisans, smarting
under disappointment, and seeing, in
their minds eye, in the result of the
ballot, the CHASTITY head of their pet
champion dripping gore from the ram
parts OF the castle of opponents, his de-
capitated trunk wandering goblin-like
about the scenes of his former triumphs,
while hostile feet trampled upon his
political sepulchre. Economy and COM
potency are relative and not absolute mat
ters, and of those who are disposed
to make invldious comparisons, l ask,
is it just to compare the case of running
the old Office of city auditor and ex-
off Eni0 oIar1y 81 ho oil
of running the new Office of city clerk
or to measure my efficiency, who am
but human and hence imperfect, by the
standard of double-distilled quintessence
of clerical perfection embodied in the
present city clerk?
The time between my nomination, at
about 8 O'Clock pm, and the closing of
the press that night was so short that
Taxpayer" could make no more than a
one-sided, hasty statement. Ii he had
sought for the truth he would have
found that by resolution No. 1858, ap-
proved December 20, 1888, before my
appointment, the salary of the auditor
and ex-officio clerk was fixed at $175 per
month, and that he was allowed one
deputy at $125 per month and three at
500 each, making the normal expense
for salary of the Office 5000 per month,
which it was for January, 1889, and not
$595.12, as he says
During part of February one deputy
was sick for few days, and
man was put in his place and
was paid by the council for his services,
and the regular deputy drew full pay for
the time he was sick, as had always been
the custom of the office. When the tax
sale certificates came in 1 asked the
council for an additional man for few
days to record them, as none of my reg
ular force could be spared for that pur-
pose, and was given one his service
cost some $50 or $40.
People who know anything of city
affairs will remember that / came into
office in the dying days of the old char
ter and city government. In a short
time an entirely new regime would be
established and new organic law put in
force. In addition to the usual new
dinary amount of ED business of every
kind which the council and the parties
in interest were anxious to rush through
before the transition to the new and un
tried system took place. Meetings of the
twice weeg. All this meant additional
work for the clerks office, and as there
was no way to use additional men. the
force had to work additional time, and |
was at the office until late at night, and
the same was true of two of my deputies,
and we were paid for part of this addi
tional time. The extra compensation
that so disturbs Taxpayer" was not
Unprecedented" Before this compen-
sation was allowed like claims from
other officers had been paid, and one of
over $100 to Mr.. Seip for extra time
under Mr.. Teed was vouched for by him
during my term, approved by the finance
committee, and paid by order of the
Osuncil.
When these claims came up before the
finance committee, consisting of Messrs.
Sinsabaugh, Bosbyshell and Humphreys,
] objected to them, and called attention
to the fact that I and my force were
working over time, and should be COM
pensated if anyone was. They said
Put in your claims, and we will see that
they are properly considered. The
clerks salary for the two years pre-
viously had been 5000 per month, but
was reduced to $175 just before 1 took
office. The new charter made of my
Office clerk and an auditor, with COM
bined salary of $3.50 per month, which
was deemed by the people, as shown by
their vote, just compensation for the
duties performed.
These considerations may have had
some weight with DR.. Sinsabaugh and
Mr.. B. Cohn substituted on the COM
mittee for Mr.. Humphreys) when they
approved one claim for extra compen-
sation.
There was not a man employed for one
hour in my Office nor dollar paid for
service, except by vote of the council,
with which l had nothing in the world
to do. Ii there were any extravagances,
from whose mouth should come the
charge? Certainly not from member
of the finance committee. For the first
month of my term paid Mr.. Seip, one
of Nr Teed's deputies retained by me,
$25 out of my own pocket on account OF
additional work, which sum, however,
he returned to me voluntarily at the
close of my term.
The normal monthly salary
expense of my Office was 5000. 90
The salary expense per month
of the city clerks office,
when its incumbent took of
flee, was ................s5U $500 90
And OF the auditors otiice $4,000
Total for the offices now repre-
senting my office. .... $1,000
Difference in my favor. $50 90
Difference in my favor upon
kox- wang G.rn If h-G