The herald., 1894-10-31
4 THRIFTY OVERSEER.
N. H. HOSMER OF THE SIERRA
MADRE CALLED TO EXPLAIN.
Drawing Wages as Ovsrsesr He Also
Ext"nds His Business Activity and
Does Good Mon Out OF tho
Chance for Work.

It appears. il report speaks correctly,
and there is no reason to doubt, that
certain of the Republican candidates for
office are allowing their political zeal to
outrun their honest discretion.
This particularly applies to certain Of
tho supervisors, and whether certain
course of action is dictated or even car
ried out with the cognizanoe OF the gen.
tlemen principally concerned is a moot
point. 1t ct present can only be mere
matter of opinion.
N. H. Hosmer has the honor OF being
road overseer OF Sierra Madre road dis.
trict, and he, in common with other Of
these district magnstss, Is pulling
hard" for the Republican candidates.
In HoHmer's case, however. he has not
used reasonable discretion. for he has
been bold enough to say to the men in
the district that a vote cast for Wood
ward will be considered by him as vote
cast for himself. Some of his men are
debating the point whether it will be
safe to kick over the traces at election
time or not. One or two OF the bolder
spirits plainly etste that they will vote
''ae they d., well please" and that
''Hosmer's record 10 not too sweet, any
way"
The inainuation conveyed by the OK
preseive assertion OF their right ie an
sllusion TO the psculiar, not to uee go
harsh term, methods followed by Hos.
mer in the official position 40 road mas
ter. The amended section, 2645 OF the
political code says: Road commission
M Iiroctinp apd ouNa,v;a;0v,
and pursuant to the order of the board
OF supervisors must take charge OF the
high ways within their respective dis
tricts, and shall employ all men, teams,
watering carts and all help necessary to
do the work in their respective districts
when the same is not let by contract !;
provided, that road commissioner shall
be interested, directly or indirectly, in
any contract or work to be done in the
road district under his chargs and con-
troll"
Tho allegation is made that Mr.. Hos
mer has driven coach and horses
through this section of the code, and
has in 30 doing rendered himoelf liable.
MANY charges are made, but all are of
similar nature and few statements
sufice to illustrate the general COM
| plant. In the first place. it ia charged
that Hosmer's own name ia entered up
repeatedly under the term OF "self aud
| team" and he 10 always credited with
! 81 per day. while other meu with teams
only receive 1915 per day. A small
daily difference. truly. but amounting
! to sum in the aggregate OF Importance
to workingmen. Then several boye,
who were known as q matter OF fact to
have been engaged personally by Hos
mer to work for s12 to $l5 per month
with board, are entered up Us driving
team. and are credited with the usual
rate of 1915 per day. True, the boys
drove the teams all right, but who did
they belong to? The boys themselves
didn't own good suit OF clothes. much
less team apiece. 1t is alleged, and
the circumstances certainly offer room
for suspicion. that Hosmer owns these
teams himself. and, while paying these
boys q nominal wage, is pulling down
the ordinary rate of wage due to o man
with team, for his own behoof.
Meantime the men under Hosmer' 8
| control are kicking. and now that he 10
trying TO control their votes by thre ats
OF dismissal they want to know what
strings be has on Woodward, the Repub-
lican nominee for supervisor, that he is
trying to bolster himself in the soft
piece he has MADE for himself.