The herald., 1893-09-13
BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY,
Auditor Lopez and the Citizens
League Satisfied.
But Mr. Lopez Rather Exceeds the
Estimate in His Demand.
The Report of tho Experts on the Cost OF
Computing Taxes-The Audit
or's Demand for Extra
Help, Etc.

Yesterday the Reform League had
another seance with the board OF super
visors over the computation of taxes by
Auditor Lopez.
The day before Auditor Lopez sug-
gested the appointment of O committee
of three to report what, in their opin-
ion, would be fair estimate of the cost
of the work.
Yesterday morning the committee
was formed. The league named Edgar
E. Leiebvre; the auditor, r. M. Kin
ney, and the supervisors, Mrs. @. B.
Fowler.
The committee spent an hour and
half in the auditors office, looking over
the books, and then made the following
report to the board
I'VE, as a committee OF experts ap-
pointed to make an estimate of the cost
of making the extensions on the assess-
ment roll OF 1893, beg leave to report as
follows:
"We fipd the assessment roll ia COM
posed OF 20 volumes, divided as follows: !:
City property, 6 volumes county prop
erty, IL volumes; mortgages, 5 volumes; I;
personal property, volume; total, 29
volumes. containing about 1000 pages.
In the ak volumes relating to the
city property the work consists only Of
one extension, the division of the pay
ments, the footipgs and the preparation
Of the proof sheet.
In the II volumes relating to the
country property there is the additional
xUa-k nf mi ha road to and tho
school tax. This school tax will have
to be figured carefully in each case, and
at rates varying with almost every item
in each page, there being no attempt at
clasei6catio by school districts in any
of the books OF the assessment roll.
As to the work being done by the men
at fixed price per page, this is an i'm
possibility with the present system, as
the amount OF work in the different
books varies, and it would require diff
ferent price per page for each book.
Further, the work would certainly not
be as accurate under that system, the
compensation being measured by the
number of pages comp eted in the day.
On an average we consider that we'll
selected men could not do more than %
pages of the work per day of eight
hours, and that $500 would be reason
sble estimate OF the cost OF the whole
work completed, which would give an
average price of 20cents per page. The
short time in which the work must be
completed must also be taken into con-
sideration, and is an element tending
to increase the cost of the work, as is
also the state of taxation.
EDGAR E. LEFEBvRE.
K. M. KINNEY,
MRS. G. u. FOWLER.
The auditor considered the report as
knockout to the previous claims OF the
Reform league thvt the work could be
done for 10 cents d page, or $780, But
the league took the position that the
price OF $500 reported by the committee
was victory for them, as it was 30
much lesesthan thecwork cost last year.
After the report was made G. j. Grit
fifth addressed the supervisors, saying
that he had some figures to submit to
them relative to the tax levy to be
fixed by the body.
The league had information that the
county offices could be run for very
much less than in the past.
He then read list of reductions in
which he claimed the expenses could be
materially cut off. The list was as fol-
lowe:
Assessor, from 100000 to 20,00O; au-
ditor, from $l3 600 to $500; eupervis-
ors, from $l6,G GOO to 1900; board of
education, from $2500 to $4,000; district
attorney, from $35 900 to $27, 900; re-
corder. from $50, 800 to $27, 900; sheriff,
from $26 900 to $4,000; tax collector,
from $35 900 to s25, 600. -
This makes total magnificent reduc-
ton of $194 600 which Mr.. Griffith said
could be Topped off.
Supervisor Forester asked Mr.. Grit
fifth where he got his information upon
which ho based his sweeping cuts. ~
Mr.. Griffith replied that they had in
quired around among men working in
the court house, and they had told him
the cuts could be made. a.
Chairman Cook wanted to know the
names of the men.
Mr.. Griffith replied that he did not
care to tell their names. They are work
ingmen who might be affected In their
places.
Mr., Forester said that If Mr.. Grit
fith's information of the running ex-
penses OF the county was based on the
same kind of data he had figured on in
the auditors Office in his 10-cent esti-
mate, it would certainly be unreliable,
az the expert appointed by him had said
the work would be cheap at 20 cents
page. As far as the board was con-
cerned, they were willing to. take all
suggestions to aid in keeping down
taxes, but they could not consider such
wild statements. They were no doubt
made in good faith by Mr.. Griffith, but
were based on unreliable information.
Mr.. Griffith know one man in the
building who told me he could make
$27 day at 10 cents page.
Auditor Lopez--Send him to me. l
want him. That is 270 pages day. He
is a record breaker.
This closed the consultation. Later in
the afternoon the board tried to fix the
price for the work. Auditor Lopez pre-
eented a request for 20 extra deputies
ior Is days to be paid at the rate OF 800
a month. This would make the work
cost about $1S27.
There was considerable discussion
about the matter, but as Chairman Cook
and Supervisor Hay went away to catch
trains the other supervisors deferred
deciding until this morning with all
members present.