The record-union., 1893-07-07

~ EHg Ing ~ pCi NCIN.
he called the attention OF Mr.. Devlin to
his anti-debris contract, which contained
a provision that he should assist the
board in other matters, as his time al
lowed, by his advice, and thought he
| should have done so in this case.
Mr.. Devlin replied that he had always
given the board his advice whenever
they had asked for it.
de asked Mr.. Ryan if he considered
tne board had employed him, and if they
mad right to fix his compensation, and
was answered yes.
Mr.. Ryan, he said, admitted the con-
tract OF ISJ2; no new contract had been
written. be quoted from his letter to the
poard that he was willing to change the
contract i'll that respect" but the con
tract had not been changed, and the
CIerk' minutes were in error. The board
cannot rescind the contract without his
consent. as Mr.. Ryan must admit.
supervisor Jenkins asked the District
Attorney if he told q NecS reporter thai
the bill was passed on the same day it
was introduced, and Mr. Ryan admitted
that he did, but found cut afterwards that
he was nisinformeG.
Mr.. Jenkins then stated that on Mon
day morning Mr.. Devlin came in and
asked to have the rules suspended and
make his report, and the board allowed
him to do so.
uevlin explained to the board that he
talked with J. J. O'Connor, who was for
mely in the Controllers office, and found
out That there was money due Sacra-
mento that she had never received. He
proposed to OCOnnor to pay him for the
trouble he took in looking the matter up,
providing the board made contract TO
nave the money collected. Hiram John
son would not take a contract to collect
Tor sacramento County and had no con-
ndence IN being able 10 do so.
MORE MONEY DUE.
II am willing now," said Mr.. Devlin,
ito take contract TO collect $4,000 more
that L know to be due Sacramento. l tell
you OF 1t now, and the District A ttorney
or any one else can work on it tor four
or hve months, and if they cannot collect
II | Will take hold of it.'
Supervisor Todd asked Mr.. Ryan if he
knew OF anything more that was due,
and he answered that he did not, and that
Ii any State official did, it was his duty to
tell the Supervisors.
lie was asked if in case a person knew
OF money that the county was entitled TO,
but would not be likely to get for want
OF knowledge, if it would not be better to
pay that person One-tourth for collecting
Inc other three-tourths for the county,
ana SAID he did not. No one had right
to speculate with the public money. 1t
was bad in principle, and officials who
knew money was due the county ought
10 inform the board.
Supervisor Jenkins said that if the
District Attorney and Auditor could not
protect tho county and look after its in
terests, he thought it ought to have some
one who could, even if they had to go
outside to get him.
\ REASONABLE COMPENSATION,
Mr.. Ryan remarked that he had been
very busy, as the board well knew, hay
ing all he could attend to. He did not
come here to dictate to the board; they
could pay DevIln reasonable compensa-
Ion ana he would not object to it.
Mr.. Jenkins said he supposed he had
rather dictate to the newspapers. The
board had allowed MIR. Devlin a reasona-
bic compensation, and no more than was
allowed by other counties.
Devlln said he considered his form of
demand correct in being under the con-
tract His letter had only offered to
modify the contract, not to rescind it.
Supervisor Jenkins had asked him if the
board could not tix the compensation. and
Supervisor Miller asked him if fifteen
per cent. would not be sufficient, but he
told him that he had to pay others for
work done in the case, and he could not
afford to accept that amount.
In law, he said, the contract of 1892
stands until rescinded in writing. lie
did not stand on his legal rights, how
ever. He would now submit a resolution
to cover the whole ground, and they
could pass it.
District Attorney Ryan objected, as the
claim remained matter of record Let
Mir. Devlin, he said, withdraw it first.
and then file claim for services at rea-
sonable compensation.
Mr.. Devhn declined, saying he was
perfectly satisfied with the claim as it
was. He only offered the resolution in
order to cover the whole matter to the
satisfaction ofevery one. He then read a
copy OF the Colusa County contract made
two months before his, to give q Der
cent, and said that at the time his con-
tract was made, no one would touch the
Sacramento claim.
Mr.. jenkins asked the District Attor
ney when he first knew the claim had
been paid, and Mr.. Ryan answered four
or five days afterward. He did not know
the DII had Deen put IN until after it was
paid.
Chairman Morrison asked him if he did
not come to his place and tell him he had
done wrong in allowing the bill. and tell
him that he would pay that bill, but
would not allow his deputies salaries.
Mr.. Ryan acknowledged that he did so.
but said that the deputies salaries we're
cutting no figure with him in this case:
1t stood on its own merits. He did saw
that if an attorney could be paid S, 900
for doing nothing, he thought the depu-
ties, who had done good, honest, fair
work for the county, should be paid for
their work.
Morrison then asked Auditor johnson
if he did not know the claim was filed
and asked him about it.
FIVE PER CENT. ENOUGH.
Ryan called attention to a newspaper
article speaking Of his protest. He
thought five per cent. sufficient compen-
satlOn for MIR. DeVun'S work.
Jenkins tacetiOusly said that as Mr..
DevlIn had stated there was $4,000 due
the county, the Auditor should 90 up and
collect it, and Mr.. Johnson SAID if the Su-
pervisor would tell him where to find il
he would do so.
Supervisor Curtis wished to state his
position in the matter. He understood at
the time that MIR. DevIin had a contract
and thought so now. He thought then
and still thought so, that the amount
claimed was too large. The contract,
however, was made by the old board. and
the new board should not be blamed fori
Supervisor Jenkins understood that the
contract was rescinded, and the board felt
Devlin was entitled to a reasonable com
pensatlOn. Other counties paid 25 DER
cent, and he did not think it too much.
Colusa County paid 5000, and Supervisor
Arnold OF that county told him the peo-
pie there were well satisfied, as thew
realized Sl5,G00 by it.
Mr.. Devlin read the law to show that
Sacramento County would not have been
allowed anything if he had not made
claim for it, as the law specified il mnst
be made in the first settlement, and the
county officers would not have attended
to it in time.
supervisor Jenkins intr oduced the fol-
lowing resolution:
WHEREAS, The Board of Supervisors OF Sac