Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-12
PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.

The people of Los Angeles would
gladly hail any departure of the board
of supervisors in the line of economy.
1t would be most sweet and savory to
the taxpayer to know that he had at
last reached an era when extravaganza
had come to an end, or even that the
end was in sight. 1t is only few days
since the board voted to pay Mr.. Aaron
Smith-a Republican politician who
was drawing two salaries at Sacramento
--$4S2 for special services in showing
our representatives in the senate and
assembly how to do their work. That
is the way this proposition will present
itself to the average taxpayer. The out
lays on roads and bridges have been
something simply colossal, with nothing
to show for them. Road making has
consisted in breaking up the natural
hard-pan which formerly afforded ex-
cellent drives. Bridge building has
been a wretched and expensive farce,
Our rivers are SO easily fordable in the
dry season that there is no occasion fol
bridges for nine months in the year.
When the streams are swollen and un-
fordable, however, the first announce,
ment made in the press is that
their approaches have been swept
away. Thus, it would puzzle Phila.
delphia lawyer to find outwhat use they
are to the people, who would like to
know that the money collected from
them was resulting in some practical
public easement. And so of pretty
much everything. The advertisement
of the court house bonds was conducted
in such loose manner that bid fol
the total amount advertised, at a hand
some premium, fell through, and so nd
infnitem. Peculation and forgery have
reigned under the very noses of the
board, and the time of our courts has
been taken up with the trial of the law.
defying court house ring officials.
Now, however, we seem to have
reached the turn of the tide. The board
appears to be bent on economy of the
most searching kind. The other day
Jerry Illich, a popular restaurant keeper
of Los Angeles, sent in a bill of $26 to
the board of supervisors for furnishing
meals to jury. This bill was based on
a charge of 80 cents a meal for each
juror. These gentlemen were provided
With alaro, ~ ,,r;vo 70 r,oy,o a nd ottapti
service and with the delicacies which
are supposed to brace aman up to the
point of enduring the somewhat con-
ventional eloquence of court and coun,
sci, which in some cases is said
to have most debilitating effect on the
average man who has been lassoed by
the sheriff for jury duty. 1t is conf
IDENTIFY intimated by those who are sup
posed to know that juryman is liable
to die on too low diet. The assimila-
ton Of food into wholesome chyme
and chyle in a crowded court room is
said to be impossible unless the bill o.
fare is generous, and by all accounts Mr.
Illich bore this fact in mind. And now
comes in the new departure of the
board.
That body, after mature deliberation,
cut down Mr.. Illich's bill of $26 to $13,
reducing his charge of so cents meal to
25 cents. That energetic restaurateur
peremptorily declined to be bound by
any such arbitrary action. He held that
there was but one person who could re-
duce the scale of prices in his restau-
rant, and that was himself. The board,
after some reflection, receded from its
position, SO that this particular piece of
economy failed to materialize. How
ever, the board issued peremptory Or
der that hereafter the sheriff must job
out the meals of jurors at 25 cents.
Jurymen now know what is before
them. Farewell all visions of juicy
steaks, roast chicken, breast of lamb,
veal outlets and other savory dishes
in the best style OF the cuisine.
Instead, the drear figure of Hash-with
a big, big H-will uprear itself before
the hungry eyes of the devoted seryitor
Of the county and administrator of the
laws of his country! If he is called to
serve on a jury for five or six days or
couple of weeks he knows that by the
end of that time his digestion will be
ruined. Unpleasantvista of dyspepsia,
which may become chronic before he is
released from jury duty, dance before
lis eyes. If there has been difficulty in
getting good men to serve on juries
hitherto, how greatly will the difficulty
De enhanced in the future? Few men
will voluntarily devote themselves to
1t is death so slow that it
would appall even martyr. Many
nan who would walk up to cannon's
mouth with undismayed mien, would
hrink back appalled, at the idea of
making sort of judicial Succi OF him
elf. Fasting as an accompaniment of
prayer is often undertaken by the de-
vout, but the devotee is not supposed to
,e subjected, besides, to the mephitic
.ir of Los Angeles Jury room.