The record-union., 1895-07-13
The STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS.
Its Spirit of Inquiry is Justly
Aroused.
Questionable Bills by the Deputies OF
the San Francisco and Alameda
County Sheriffs.

The State Board Of Examiners held
meeting yesterday afternoon, Governor
Budd, Secretary Of State Brown and AT
torney-General Fitzgerald all being pres
ent.
A large number of bills were consid-
cred and explanations asked regarding
them. Attorney-Genera Fitzgerald
asked Commissioner Maude of the
Bureau of Highways why the Com
missioners had expended money before
July stand incurred Indebtedness before
the beginning of the present fiscal year.
Mr. Maude explained that the intention of
the Legislature in passing the law Great
ing the bureau was that the commission
should go to work Immediately, as was evil
denced by the discussions in committee,
but by some inadvertence an amendment
crept In limiting the use of the appropria-
ton to the present and next fiscal years.
The expenditures had been made for artl-
cles TO be used during the present fiscal
year, and the bills were not due until the
present year.
A claim was presented by the Fish
Commissioners for legal services rendered
by w. ID. Timing in the case of the PeO-
pie VS.. Mcfarland, and Attorney General
Fitzgerald asked Fish Commissioner
Morrison in relation 10 it. The latter
stated that he knew nothing Of the bill. as
he had been notified only of two meet
lngs since he had been on the board. and
no bills had been considered at any meet
ing at which he had been present. The
other two Commissioners seemed to act
without reference to him and special
bad hall .>f1 ioh hn had
not been notified.
The Attorney General read the law in
relation to the commission and to the eX-
animation by 1t of claims and the de-
mands were laid over, and the Secretary
of the board was directed 10 notify the
other Commissioners to attend the meet
ing of the board next week.
The claim of Sheriff for bringing q
prisoner to testify in case IN court
called forth statement by the Attorney
General that although 1t had been the
practice to make 1t charge against the
State. 1t was wrong, as it was properly
an expense against the county in which
the case was being tried.
In regard to claim By Sheriff for
$500 reward for arresting criminal, the
Attorney-General also expressed an
opinion that it was the duty OF the of1i-
GERS OF the law 10 arrest criminals whom
ever possible, and that it was not proper
for the Sheriff to claim the reward, no
matter what had been the custom in the
past. L. was explained that the arrest
was in an eXtradition case.
The matter of telephones to be paid by
the State came up, and Secretary of State
Brown moved that telephones be allowed
to certain specified State Com missions
and lnStltutiOns-twenty in num- ber-
provided that satisfactory rates be made
to the State by the companies.
debate ensued on the motion and
Secretary Brown explained that a num-
Der OF the commissions did not need long
distance telephones, which were ex-
pensive. 1t was agreed that the Gov
ernor, Controller and State Printer
needed telephones in their offices, and
that the Secretary of the board should
communicate with the companies in re-
gard TO rates for telephones and switch
ing, as the bills of the companies hereto
fore had been eXorbItant.
The claim of Sheriff Whelan of San
Francisco was taken up, and Secretary
Markley stated that the Sheriff charged
50 for taking person to Mendocino Asy-
lum, when all other counties of the State
except Alameda. charged only So. His
bills for taking persons to the Preston
School were also larger than those of
other counties.
The Sheriff ex planned that he had asked
his deputies about 1t and they said that
they could not make the trip, on account
OF the trains. as cheaply as other counties
could. The charges were the same that
were in vogue at the time he assumed the
office, and supposed that they were
proper, as they had always been allowed
In the past.
Secretary Markley stated that the depu-
ties could take the same trains that those
from other counties could, and that only
the Sheriffs of San francisco and Ala
media made their charges so heavy. They
could take the early train to return, as
other deputies do. The hotel charges by
the San Francisco and Alameda deputies
were also larger than those of other
counties, the hotel bills for two persons
from the former counties being $l0
while those of deputies from other
counties were only 81 to 50.
Attorney-General Fitzgerald said the
matter would have to be explained.
There was no criticism of Sheriff Whelan
himself, however. These matters were
going to be Investigated, and if the
charges of an Alameda deputy for stop
ping at Vests Hotel and charges of other
deputies were found to be false, he should
push them to prosecution, as he con-
sidered il the meanest kind OF petty
larceny. MI. West had stated that the
Alameda deputies did not stop at his
hotel on the trip in question.
The son of Sheriff White of Alameda
stated that the Sheriff had naturally to
take the statement OF his deputy as cor
rect, and that If it was found not to be so
the deputy would be discharged
The Sheriff Of Kings County had
crossed out of the blank the statement
that be had not charged for any part OF
the distance travelled on q pass. The
Attorney q eneral said that the Sheriff
was known to be perfectly square man
with whose bills no fault had ever been
found, but he should like to near him
ex plain the matter.
The Sheriff said that he had sworn in
his account that it was for money actually
eX expended, and he felt the requirement. in
the blank to be an insinuation that he did
not think had been authorized by the
board.
The Governor said that the provision
had been inserted because the board had
found that several Sheriffs had travelled
on passes and charged their fare to the
State
The Attorney-General said that the
Constitution provides that any officer of
the State accepting a railroad pass shall
forfeit his office, and that If at any time
he procured evidence that any State
official had done so, he should at once
institute proceedings against him to GUST
him from office.
pTJRJTC ADMTNISTR ATO9