The record-union., 1893-03-10
4 DEFEATED SCHEME.
Increase CT Salaries and Offices
Scheme Dead.
What the Sacramento Delegation Has
to Say-The Unwisdom of Work.
ing in the Dark.

~ RS@O A4oOO Oy Lue IECOhD-
UNION yesterday, and for some days pre-
ceding, concerning the increase of county
official salaries and of county offices
scheme, for this county, greatly aroused
the people, and brought out on all sides
hot expressions of Indignation against
the measures referred to and their au-
thors.
There were two bills of that character.
one is now dead so far as Sacramento
county Is concerned, and the other is in
the throes of dissolution. 1t was stated
that the two bills raised the salaries in
aggregate $500 This was not exactly
correct. and as only perfect fairness is in
tended, it is proper TO say that eXamina-
ton discloses that the Assembly Bill \ o.
714, under the substitute, raising salaries
some $4,000 and creating new county
offices, would have effect, pending
the going into effect. little less than
two years later, of the omnibus county
government bill, raising salaries up
wards of $50, 900. That is, both bills
would not be i'll effect at the same time.
Concerning the first bill, which is still
pending, the gentleman who has been
mainly instrumental in promoting 1t
terday voluntarily stated to RECORD
UNION representative that the clause af-
tecting Sacramento County, Section 2,
was there simply because Auditor john
son of this county desired it, insisted
upon it, and told him and the friends OF
the measure that sacramento county
needed and wanted 1t.
Learning that such is not the desire of
the people of this comfy Mr.. Gamble
and the legislators supporting the bill, he
said, had consented that Section shall be
eliminated when the bill is taken up in
The Senate, and large number OF Sena-
tors have said that it shall be done if
Sacramento's Senator asks it, asit is not
the desire to put upon any county officials
and salaries not asked for by the county.
Senator Hart said yesterday that when
the bill comes up he Will ask to have
Sacramento County left out and is conf
dent that it will be done.
Relative TO the omnibus county govern
ment bill, and the operation of it upon
Sacramento County, the Sacramento dele
CATION in the Assembly yesterday pro-
tested and had the county excluded from
the salary schedule.
Assem- Dlymen Anderson and Owen
yesterday stated to a RECORD UNION rep
resentative that the whole delegation had
been surprised and amazed by the bill
"Ihey came to u.s." said Mr. Anderson
Will d llIll6 WrlIUen out,
of changes needed, and we agreed to
them as we understood them. For there
Is need in some Offices for more assistants,
of that there is no doubt. For instance
another assistant is absolutely needed in
the District Attorneys office"
who came to your" was asked.
Why" replied Mir. Anderson. "Mr.
Ryan for one, and others" "Mr. John
son,n interrupted Assemblyman Owen.
wanted the changes"
WELL" continued Mr.. Anderson, 1--WE
were practically misled, and when the bills
came out they were not what we thought,
and |, for one, resolved none OF them
should have anything. 1t was an unfair
thing to the people and to the delegation
and we have had it knocked out
I'VE have. however, put in 81 900 more
for the Office of Treasurer in the omnibus
bill, and 500 more for the Superintendent
of schools. That IS right, and there is no
objection to it. If the movers of the
scheme had played in the open about this
matter something more might have been
done, but now the whole thing shall go
and Johnson can take his dose"
Asselnblyman Owen echoed the same
sentiments. The bill so far as it relates to
sacramento County therefore, with the
exceptions noted, is dead, as it oug bit to
have been from the outset, but the in
dignation of Assemblyman Anderson is
still alive and blazing.
The facts appear to be that there is need
for changes In some respects as the county
grows and duties OF officers eulargeE
notably is this true of the Assessors
Office. But the method employed to get
legislation through this session was not
done before the people. Not all thee ounty
officers were in the work, however. and
some of them denounced the schedule
that was fixed up. Thus, while the
Assessor now has heavier labor than
ever, the income of that Office was cut
down two years ago, and by this bill was
brought up to higher figure again but
did not much help the office out: but
than needs were met, and for that official
4 soft, easy berth was made so that he'd
have little to do but grow fat.
Under the omnibus bill, which goes
into effect in 1875, the Supervisors have
power to allow the District Attorney an
assistant (Section 25). Had the Sacra-
mento section remained in the bill, we
would have had also an Assistant District
Attorney and a Deputy District Attorney.
So that in 1879 Sacramento might have
had four District Attorneys.
The scheme was not put before the
people: the claims made for a change
were not made public, and public iud1-
ment was not educated to consideration
OF the matter. In short, instead OF COM
ing into the open and making this mat
Ter of general concern, the thing was en-
gineered in a species of privacy so far as
the people were concerned, and accordinp
TO the legislative delegation, so far as il
was concerned.
1t remains, that whatever may be said
about needs for increased salaries and
more assistance, there are plenty of men
who break their necks to get the offices.
and put up money with political parties.
and hob-nob with the bosses, and all that.
There is never a dearth of candidates.
though all hands are fully aware of what
ethe official duties are and what the COM
/ pensation is.
y conscientious officer will 90 on and
work to the best of his ability, and if
public work accumulates and is not per-
formed for lack of time and help, the
people will never hold him responsible
for what results. No man is required to
do the impossible, in or out of office,
The thing TO do to bring about needed
reform is to work openly for it; let the
necessity be MANIFEST and the methods to
meet it be unconcealed, and the PEOPLE
taken into counsel relative to them.
1t has not been done in this case, since
it has been impossible to find one citizen
in twenty who knew anything about it,
or what was being done, and even the
legislative delegation seems to have been
at sea and surprised at the aggregate OF
the demands made. One man, however.
seems TO have been thoroughly posted
along the whole line, and particularly
shrewd in looking out for number one
Auditor and Recorder johnson.