The herald., 1893-09-09
WHY He Is DISLIKED.
AARON SMITH NOT POPULAR AT
THE COURT HOUSE.
County Auditor Lopcz Fornlnst tho Cit
fzens' League Kxpert-Tho Plan
Proposed to- the Board
of Supervisors.

Aaron Smith, the black-eyed expert
of the grand jury and the expert OF the
Citizens Reform league, is getting him.
self disliked around the county court
house.
There is more than trace of hsuteur
noticeable when he enters some OF the
county offices.
There is more than one officer who
says that Aaron is a meddler, and that
he is putting in two licks for Aaron
every time he puts in one for the county.
Aaron has had quite long expert
ence in county offices, and is very know
ing. Just how he acquired she soubri-
quet OF Windy" no one knows, but
many persons who do not know who
Aaron Smith is, recognize Windy"
Smith at once.
The Reform league took Aaron to Sac
ramenty to help keep down the assees-
ment OF the county, and it seems to
have ewelled his head, to use col
loquial term.
He is now engaged in assisting the
league to reform the office OF County
Auditor Lopez, who also dislikes
" AhtJt Rhu tOi0 hAln q low st0yb dkO
that il he did not mind his eye, he
would be summarily elected from his
Office.
1t ell comes about through a remark
able proposition which the Reform
League has made to the board of super
visors.
The county auditor, after the tax levy
has been made by the board, has very
important mandatory duty to perform.
He is directed to take the big batch Of
assessors bonds, upon which is the val
uation OF each piece of property in the
county and compute the tax upon it,
carrying out the footing and putting
down in black and white the amount OF
each mans tax. The books are then
turned over to the county tax collector
and he collects the amount thue set
down.
1t is a big job and requires large
force OF extra deputies. Heretofore 1t
has cost from $4,000 to S3400.
The Reform League has got an idea,
and Windy" Smith denies that he put
it in their heads-that the job can be
done much cheaper than the auditor
does it, and have made proposition for
the supervisors to let it out on contract
ouu give bu6m tHo cOubThcb at TtUUs lue
league is red hot to have the job, or
rather, they say certain persons" will
do it for the amount mentioned.
In other words, they want the super
visors to make the county auditor turn
over his books to. them and their ex-
perts-and Mr.. Smith denies that he
has anything to do with the scheme
and they will foot up each mans tax.
1t is very particular piece of work,
that of computing from the tax rate the
amounts, and one in which it is very
easy to make mistakes, desi9nedly, if
you please. If there should be such
costly errors, naturally the supervisors
could look to no one but Auditor Lopez
and his bondsmen. The League says
the "certain parties" will give Mr..
Lopez bond.
The proposition is before the super
visors. Naturally they cannot move
unless the responsible officer, Mr..
Lopez, gives his consent to turn over his
Office to the Reform League and--no,
Mr.. Smith says he is not desirous OF
being mentioned as in this matter at all.
This,is one reason why Colonel Smith
is getting himself disliked around Che
court house, because he says he is not in
the scheme.