The herald., 1893-09-12
TO BE ARBITRATED.
COUNTY AUDITOR LOPEZ MAKES A
Il. FAIR OFFER.
The Result of Conferences of the
Ige Citizens League, the Auditor and
tho supervIsors-The Tax
Roll Matter.

The Reform League Is sitting up
nights now, and throwing up intrench-
ments around the works OF the county
auditor.
They have evidently started out with
determination to conduct the siege
with proper solemnity and decorum.
That is, all except Windy" Smith.
z who sxplodes before the mine is prop
erly charged.
The league advanced upon the board
OF supervisors yesterday and labored
with them for some time in connection
with the "big job' shortly to be given
out by Auditor Lopez. when the super
visors fix the tax levy rate.
As heretofore stated, the work con-
sists in computing the taxes OF each
man on the assessment rolls, according
to state, county and district rates, car'
rying them out and footing up the long
p columns.
There is q difference OF opinion De-
tween the vigilsnt league and the coun-
ty auditor as to how much this work
should cost the county.
The league made q proposition to the
board that certain experts whom they
wot Of desired to do the work for $500.
It has cost much more than this here
tofore, and the league and Aaron Smith
have been fat-footed in the statements
that any amount of men were standing
ready to carry out their proposition.
Auditor Lopez hasn't said much, ex-
cept that he feared the work could not
be done for the sum mentioned, al
though he said that owing to the fact
that the state board of equalization did
not raise the county this year, the ex-
ira computations of last year would not
A., be necessary, and he believed it could
!. be done for about $500 less than the
$3470 of last year.
Both sides assembled before the
board yesterday and held big pow
WOW.
The Spokesman for the league, with
occasional Interruptions by Windy"
Smith, was G. J. Griffith, while Abbot
Kinney and other Leaguers assumed
graceful attitudes around the walls and
listened we'll.
Mr.. Griffith explained that they had
been assured from certain investigations
made by them that the work had cost
very much too much in the past, and as
citizens and taxpayers they desired to
for their edification. He claimed that
gentlemen we'll acquainted with the
work had assured them that the COM
putations could be made for the sum
before mentioned. Auditor Lopez had
informed them that he would be obliged
to have such men do the work as would
satisfy him and his bondamen. They
had had at first thought that If the con-
tract could be let to their $500 men they
Y would back them up and give bond ii
Z necessary. Since the auditor had eig-
nified the objections his bondsmen
might make they had gone no further
on that plan. What they wished now
was for the board to fix compensation
OF 10 cents page for the work, which
would make the work cost about what
they had said, 500. .ss'4s.F5
Mr.. Griffith asked Auditor. Lopez if
the work could not be done for that and
the auditor replied that he did not think
it could. 1t was necessary Tor it to be
done in q certain length of time and he
did not believe the gentlemen could find
many skilled enough to perform it for 10
cents page. There were 20 lbig as
SCISSORS books to 60 through, making in
all some 1000 pages. The computations
this year include number of additional
columns not heretofore embraced in the
work. psA9-
n Mr.. Griffith--Can't man do 35 Of
those pages day? LtaI
(, Auditor Lopez-No, sir. do prt
!, think it can be done. snHa
II. "Windy" Smith, explosively--I assert
that 1t can. There are q number uf men
who can go In there and do it. l can
refer you to Mr.. Eddy. Mr.. Mullen, Mr..
Varcoe and others. Yes. sir, it can be
! done. si.a
After the air had cleared the discus
sion began again. The board had called
in Mr.. Varcoe to give some information,
bat before he was interrogated Auditor
Lopez, who had been quietly talking in
such low tone that he could not be
heard, took the floor.
He said that he wanted to do what
was right in the matter, and would sug-
gest that If the Reform league would
name some impartial man and the su-
pervisors would do 30, he would name q
third, and let them look over the work
: and give their opinion as to what would
be just in the matter. He was perfectly
willing to abide by any impartial and
intelligent judgment in the matter.
The proposition OF the auditor seemed
to strike the views of all hands, and the
arrangement was made that the experts
named by the parties concerned meet
this morning in the supervisors' room
and arrange for the arbitration.
WORKINGMEN RESOLVE.