The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-29
THE GREAT LOWING

We print this mofng the fuii ist
Of employees in botycity ana county
for portions of ths aren't year, part
of which was pushed last sunday
those of the cityfihs TAKEN ior 'ne
first six months I'D those of the coun-
ty for the Fl rs/ mine months OF the
year.
The shown made is most appalling.
nearly 4oOO bple appearing on the
pay rolls o1e city and county for 1.-The
periods med. While many names
are duplyted by their owners being
emplove in more than one Office or
depsrtrht temporarily, this fact does
not de act in any way from the mag
nitud of the system of jobbery, but
instel, adds thereto, for it exposes
the lck of the political manipulators
in ,tating useless positions in all de-
psyments into which, one after an
q Ter, in an endless chain, ara placsd
1eir henchmeu on whom they depend
br assistance in handling the primar.
les and conventions.
a scrutiny of this list will show the
names of small army of men who gain
their livelihood by following beaten
path through one useless deputyship
after another nearly the whole year
round. Starting with the county in
the spring they fad two or three sine
cures apiece there and then swoop
down upon the city like swarm OF To-
Gusts to repeat the act there. What
positions do they fill? Absolutely
needless special deputyships. Why are
so many required? Because numbers
Of thsse men are utterly incompetent
to fill any position, and while many Of
them are doing nothing or worse than
nothing by making grievous errors,
the few competent ones are doing the
work and the many are only an incu-
bus in the different departments and
drain the public funds to the last dregs.
The outrageous mutations Of pub.
lie records made by the mistakes OF
some of these patriots are enough to
draw tears from the eyes of craven
image. As a fair sample, it may be
mentioned that the clerk of the board
of supervisors and his assistant have
had much of their time occupied dur
| ing the last few months in receiving
and filing the claims of great num-
Der of taxpayers for rebates on erro.
neous assessments, where the errors
we're caused by pure stupidity. such as
entering $4,000 for $1,000, etc. There
have actually been men employed on
some Of the county books this year
who do not know how many ciphers to
place after figure l to make it read
1000.
This year is different from previous
years only in the fact that the list is
larger, and it will be different from its
successors only in the fact that its list
is smaller than those that are to fol
low will be, unless system is devised
to stop the raid.
Part of this special crew is still feed
ing at the public crib, and the last
special deputy in this years list will
hardly have been away from his jot
long enough to permit the seat of hi;
chair to cool when the time for another
assessment will be upon US. Their
from all quarters the great army viii
mass again in the court house, thu
chain will be given another yearly turr
and another 100000 will be dragged
from the taxpayers.
1t is not alone in the matter Of spe
cial deputies that the public suffers
and that jobbsry oreeps in, for thos
who are employed steadily form bod.
of no uncomfortable size, far beyont
the requirements Of the service; and
even aside from this force there ar,
many avenues through which the pub
lie funds are dissipated to purchas
political control. Think of nearly one
thousand one hundred men employed
many of them a good portion of tn
time, in improving the roads Of Lo
Angeles county during the year, AM
then look for the improvement. Yo
cannot find it. -,
Truly this state Of affairs is suf
ficient to cause the taxpayer t.
pause aud stand aghast at the though
of what the future is to bring fortl
unless remedy is applied, and wha
that remedy is to be, in itself forms
field for deep and careful study.
The mass of the voters are intelli
gent and trustw orthy, but ara 30 Ell
crossed in private aft that it
only when the widely diversifie
threads of political manipulation ar
gathered together, as here, that the
are brought to realization of existin
conditions; but we feel confident thu
the coming year will bring forth II
suits which will accrue to the interes
Of Los Angeles county.
We advise every one who has not tn
time to scan the list of 3719 taX-eater
of this county and city to lay the tw
pages of TIE HERALD containing then
aside for future reference and perusa
Los ANGELES COUNTY is the banne
orange county of the state. Accordin
to the estimate of President Naftzgel
/ Of tho Eruit aychaOua thia apaaon