The herald., 1893-09-10
THAT VERY COSTLY TAX ROLL,
County Auditor Lopez and the
Citizens League.
Some Very Suggestive Facts for Tax
payers Consideration. 4
why should tho Governments of This
County Be So Expsnsive?-A Plain
Statement From Mr. Grif-
nth of the League.

Yesterdays HERALD contained some
reference to the Citizens league and its
present work at the court house.
The organization has an executive
committee composed of the following
we'll known people: T. D. Stimson. J. S.
Slauson, Henry 7. Hazard, g. j. Grit
fifth, Harris NewmaIk, 7. w. Brother
ton, Abbott Kinney. Chas. Forman and
r. L. Horton.
The committee divides itself into SUBJ
organizations for the purpose OF more
rapidly transacting the various business
that comes before it.
Mr.. G. ]. Griffith is the chairman Of
the committee on county expenditures
and is perhaps better posted concerning
the progress of the Investigations in his
department than any other person. He
was seen by HERALD representative
yesterday, and asked for some explana-
tion in regard to the insinuations OF Mr..
Lopez in yesterdays paper.
I'VE had said Mr.. Griffith hoped to
have kept these matters out of the pub.
lie press until we had accomplished the
desired end in remedying come OF the
evils in the county government. But
the desire among politicians to put every
obstacle in our way and the evident
statement of Mr.. Lopez published in the
HERALD yesterday justifes my stating
the facts as we have found them.
Having learned from reliable and
competent men some weeks since that
there were extravagances OF the most
outrageous character practiced by differ
ent departments of the county govern
ment to the extent that our county costs
the taxpayers over 125 per cent more
than Alameda county costs its residents,
led us to Investigate the matters more
closely. A committee composed OF j. ).
Dawson, Abbott Kinney and myself
called on the county auditor. Mr.. Lopez,
and stated these facts to him together
with the fact that in continuing and
figuring the tax roll it had cost the
county 400 per cent more last year than
we had learned it should cost. We also
called his attention to it and inquired
what it would cost this year. Mr.. Lopez
stated that it had cost s3470 last year
but be thought he might be able to
have the same work done for about
$1,000 this year.
~ hen asked how many pages day
a competent accountant could do, he
answered that he did not know. We
then informed him that we had learned
it was little over 1000 pages, and that
the total work could and should be done
for a sum not to exceed 10 cents per
page, and aggregating sum not to ex-
csed 500, and that at that price compe-
tent men could make highly satisfactory
compensation. During the interview
Mr.. Lopez informed US whom he consid-
cred competent and responsible experts.
Among the names given were some of
thoae whom we had already interviewed.
"The following letter was addressed
laftsS ass & spaa par1 1handea to Mr. Lonez last Fri
...Hon. Frank Lopg Z, County Auditor, Los An.
ge es, CAL:
".DEAR srR-Will you kindly furnish
me with the following data. knowing
that YOU have the same all ready on
hand, the law requiring you to make an
estimate for the use Of the board OF eu-
pervisors to aid that body in making the
tax levy? The items are as follows:
Coet OF maintaining the county tax col
lector's, clerks, assessors. auditors, re-
corder's, treasurer's, district attorneys,
surveyors, superintendent OF scnools
and board OF supe rvisors' Offices for 1892.
Also the receipts OF the etollowing oncers :
County clerk, recorder, sheriff and IL
cense tax collector. Also, If posi- 10 g,
the receipts and expenditures OF The
same officers for the frst eight months
| # the present year.
"'By complying with the above re-
Quest at once you will greatly oblige
"'Yours respectfully
sc. j. GRIFFITH.
esp. S.-Please furnish came to Mr..
A. Smith, who will deliver it to me :"
In answer TO the above Mr.. Lopez
personally saw me. and stated that not
withstanding the law it would be impos'
eble for him to give me the data re-
CURED before Monday morning.
"A committee Of the league has items
rejecting upon departments. some o
which are quite sensational, but Tor TN
present prefer TO keep them from tilf
press. for our information is not ye
complete enough to present all details
even to our worthy board OF supervisor
and district attorney, both OF whlcf
departments have promised to aid US II
every honorable way"
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