Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-19
AN IMPUDRNr MOVE.

|
| AS if the taxpayers of this county were
not sufficiently borne down with the tre-
mendous cost Of carrying on the county
government, the officials have very con-
siderately got together and framed bill
to not only increase their own salaries,
but to increase the number and fix the
salaries of their deputies. AS near as we
can get at it, if this bill should be passed
by the legislature, there would be an
additional salary expense fastened upon
the county amounting to about 25 per
cent. more than is paid under the law as
it is.
But this is not all OF it. Under the
present law the board Of supervisors are
empowered to determine the number of
deputies and clerks the several officers
shall have and to rate the amount of
maximum limit, ranging from 500 per
month up to $200-the latter figure only
being allowed to one or two chief depu
ties. This new taxeater's bill, however,
gives the number of deputies and clerks
each head of department shall have,
and fixes their salaries at a rate ranging
about 2ol per cent. higher than those
now paid. 1t takes away the power
OF the supervisors to fix the sala-
ries of the subordinates, or to cut down
the force III offices where the work does
not require it to be kept up to the max
imum number. This is very danger
GUS departure. The board of super
visors, which is in reality the local leg
islature, and which is responsible to the
people for the economical conduct of
county affairs, is rendered helpless to
make such retrenchments in the Offices
as their judgment and the public good
may require.
The supervisors, with just jealousy
Of their prerogatives, when they learned
that secret cabal of the county officials
had formulated bill to increase the
salary burthens of the taxpayers, at
once drew up protest against its pas
sage; but we regret to say, being also
touched with the rage in favor of high
salaries, accompany their protest with
new scheduleof salaries, in which they
fall into the same error, and, instead of
recommending a material reduction of
salaries, they raise them, though not to
the high tide marks of the bill framed
by the county officials.
We must be plain in this matter. 1t
is an outrage upon the people OF this
county Tor any one to attempt to raise
the salaries of officials at this time. The
resources of the county have been very
materially lessened by the organization
out OF our former territory OF Orange
county, with the possibility that still
another county will be carved out of the
territory that is left. By every rule of
fair reasoning the salaries should be less
now than they were two years ago.
There is less to do and less money to
reach the treasury to do il with. Whilst
everybody outside of the tax-eaters is
struggling to hold his head above water;
whilst business men are puzzling their
brains to make ends meet; whilst
| PIOptIts-uOiuClS dIC UlOuSho luSS W
face with reduced rents and reduced
values, it is little less than criminal on
| the part of officials receiving salaries far
in excess of fair equivalent for the du-
ties and responsibilities of their Offices,
and extravagant when compared with
the gains of any department of legiti-
mate business, to attempt to secure an
increase of their emoluments through a
legislative lobby.
The fact is there is redundancy of
Offices in this county as well as an ex-
orbitancy in the rates of the salaries
paid. The salaries ought not only to be
reduced, but several of the Offices ought
to be consolidated. The Offices OF county
tax collector and county treasurer could
be carried on under one head without at
all detracting from the efficiency of the
service. And we altogether agree with
the supervisors that double retrench-
ment could be accomplished by the con-
solidation OF the county treasurer and
tax collector ,and the county auditor, with
the same offices in the city. Ii the duties
of the office of county treasurer were in
creased by adding to them those Of the
county tax collector as we'll as those of
the city treasurer and city tax collector,
all that would be necessary would be to
allow the county treasurer such in
creased force as the augmented work
would call for That is a mere matter of
detail, easily worked out. There would
be saving of at least $4,000 year
effected by these consultations.
If there is any likelihood that the bill
sent clandestinely by the county Off
cials to Sacramento will pass, the people
should get together and Indignantly de-
nounce this attempt to increase their
public burthens at time when in all
justice and fairness they should be very
materially lessened.
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The seasons rainfall to date is very