Arizona republican., 1895-12-08
pearance of jobbery avoided by the board of supervisors"

The new jail being made almost ab- solutely safe, at a cost of $25 1000, the inquiry is made why three men, at monthly expense of S250, should be re- tained to guard it. As an assurance that these guards are unnecessary the committee finds them in use by the sheriff as deputies.
 The Tempe road is the subject of grave comment. The road at first was started as a charitable matter to give a living to the unemployed alt mini mum wages, ''but he original idea seems ito have been lost sight of On the work was expended more than | $7,000, of which the unemployed re- ceived but about S950. One of the 1 supervisors (Priest) was interested in 1 the construction of the road and re- ceived $400 for his services, while an- other (George) received near twice that much for services of his teams, etc. The county surveyor was not consulted in the matter and the work was done in a hap-hazard expensive manner"
 The general road management is called "unsystemaltic and wasteful," and instances given of over charges and extravaganza.
 Most especial of all the objections raised lies in the manner of conduct ing indigent relief. Almost $12, 900 has been appropriated by the board to this purpose during 1894 and up to October l, 1895, illegally and largely unneces- sarily disbursed and the opinion is ex- pressed that the amounts So appropri- ated should be sued for on the officials bonds.
 In the indexing of the records of the supervisors office at the rate given an ordinarily skillful man could earn
 upwards of $26 a day, the sane work
 being now done in the recorders office for $3 a day
 A slap is given at Deputy Clerk
 Kirkland for. want of sy5 em in keep I ing accounts, vouchers and documents
 and the recommendation is made for a
 change in the occupant of the office
 The next slap is: We find that the board of supervisors on the completion
 of the north and south road took a trin
 for the purpose of inspecting the road and accepting the same if in compli-
 ance with the law eXempting from tax
 ation, which the people were led to
 believe was in the nature Of free pie
 nic, as the same was a courtesy ex-
 tended by the railroad officials: but to
 our astonishment we find that the
 board charged the county for two days
 services and S24 each in mileage, be- ing a charge of S34 each. besides al- lowing mileage of SIS to Engineer Barry, at total bill Of $144, making a ; rather ridiculous examination to the ; days festivities
 "We find that most of the aimoIers of the county belong to an undeserv.ng class who pay no taxes and are re- , sponsible for 85 or 90 per cent of all cost and expense.
 "The grand jury mentions these mat , ters and calls attention, to these irreg-
 ularities and illegal actions of the
 board in the conduct of the business of the county not for the purpose of
 embarrassing in any way the business of the county, but for the purpose of
 securing the discharge of the bus; ness
 of that office in strictly economical,
 legal and business-ike manner, bear
 ing in mind as we do that the assessed valuation of the county has risen from little over $1,0O0,00O 10 nearly $S,000,-
 900, our rate of taxation remains about the same without any corresponding
 public improvements and with incr ecs-
 ing burden to the people. We suggest to the supervisors that :, , they practice judicious economy, adopt | | business methods, comply with the law in every respect, let public work to lowest and best bidders, publish the : : minutes and appoint competent and reliable clerk of the board" Expert Culver's report takes up nine ; pages of figures. It embraces a state ! ! ment of all classes paid for the twenty | ! one months under investigation. The new jail in all cost s24,036; fur
 niture and supplies for the court. house, , $20, ,129. Board of prisoners in 1894 cost $2,649; in three-quarters of 1895, $1.S32.
 The sheriff's office cost s9,139; as-
 sessing 1894 s1,4S5; county salaries, 6,716; supervisors, $41SS; county
 election, $5,144, Of which $3,G26 was for ; registration: hospital and indigent sick, 1894, S13,O16, and for three quar-
 ters of 1895, $12,65S; county roads,
 $13,711; building Phoenix, Tempe &
 Mesa road, $7,530; for two road ditch
 CTS, S1S6
 = The Tewksbury case, when tried in
 Pima county, cost s5,2SS; county print
 ing for 1894 cost S651. and for nine e months of 1895, s1,249. Scalps cost }. s220; first inspection, $500; the capture !. of Price and Young, s576; repairing e levies, s25O insurance, $500; duplicate d tax roll, $500; jury certificates, s9,563 s The justices and cons5ables cost the S county S1O,593. Supervisors per diem n for the three-quarters of 95 amounted
 to $1,6C2. To Deputy Clerk E. B. = Kirkland was granted $1,466, and to $ Meador and Kirkland for compiling
 claims and indexing mortgages, $631