The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-11
FOR THE TAXPAYER.
Second Session of the Organized
Retrenchment Conference.
SCHOOL BOARD ON ECONOMY
Sheriff Van De vanter Also Appears 10
Refute Mr.. Ga@ch's Statements
The Feeding OF Prisoners.

gs12zes3 -stre7cament conference vas
bed last evening. with the Intention %
taklng I'D matters app@rIaintEg 20 ecoa0-
NY IN the matter % school affairs. Tee
meeting vas called 20 order a. SD ~
Chairman Z. @. Graves. WITH the follow
lag members present. Joseph Ship2sn.
~ao ws-h Mr.. Graves represented the
Chamber O. Commerce. J. A james OF
tne city council: Mayor Wood represent
Ing The executive branch % the CRY gov-
eminent; Fred GeSch. OF the board ~
county commissioners: Mr.. Thomas sud
Dr. Churchill. OF the school board. Be
slies the above regularly elected mem
Dsrs OF the committee. there we're presen;
Comptroller Parry, Sheriff Van De Nas-
ter And II {. Gordon. CHIEF clerk in me
Office u The county clerk. Later n the
evening j. W. Pratt. also a member CO
re subcommittee OF the Chamber or
Commerce. came ia
Mr.. Graves stated that the purpose os
me evening was The taking up az school
board matters. and the meeting Was regu-
iaTiy commenced, when Mr.. Shipper said
iAst Sheriff Van &c Vanter was present.
ara desired a few moments time OF the
meeting Ar. Van de NAntsr then said
mat ne had read IN the Post InteIllgencsr
or the same date the statements made By
Mr.. Gascn relative 10 the maintenance
OF county prisoners, which the comrn!s-
sioner had said the night before amounted
10 500 10 Sso0 monthly. These figures Mr..
van de |anter said he vas prepared 20
refute BY & statement from the office
Or the county auditor. He then
read the document. showing tina.
Tor the fiVe months past with an approx
innate figure for the present month the
figures had a no time reached the sum %
S-f'' and were as follows: April, sis. May,
s4.44o. June. Sos So; July. ISIS 90: August.
nd srsff- fs.a~
winter months. the sheriff stated vera
naturally higher owing to the greater
number OF prisoners, but the expense bills
hac never reached The maximum figure
named by Mr.. Gasch. He then reviewe
the system OF retrenchnent tina. had been
inaugurated in his office and carried on
Until now. 4 comparative statement Of
expenses with Other administrations OF
the same office exhibited a nattsriug con-
dition in favor OF the present
~ the close Of Nr. Van de Esnter's
statement, Mr.. Gasch arose and said that
the ngures were correct as given and that
he had been misunderstood in his report
o. the night before.
Mr. Graves inquired s. to the expense
ptr diem for keeping I'.soners and vas
Informed by the saeriT that the state al
loved eo cents. bur the more rscen: rUl-
ings az the comnilsi Soners had established
= price OF 80 ce1ss per day. Fer several
months after taking c1arse Of tn Office
NJ was allowed - ceats per day. the pr,ce
paid the officer precel!r him.
He agreed with Mr.. Shipper thar pris-
oners pending an appe Al should be sent
10 Waila Waila. and At the request OF
M Graves made a comparative state
ncnt as 20 the expense OF maintaining
county and city prisoners. The sheriff
said that the county prisoners might be
cared for az less figure. as the uArAet
- cheaper than at DC time the Ir;-e wa~
nxtd. or the priSoae-s nov IN the county
jail ten are waldag for new trials Al the
conclusion Of tie suerifi's cros>-ax nlina-
ton Mayor Wood sail taat Mr. Gordon
was presen, aud might be disposed 10
make some statement relative 70 affairs
In the office Of Tie county clerk. parlcu-
larry with refs7sa p . the matte that
tad been discussed he night before.
Mr.. Gordon said that he MAS not pres
ent 10 make any statement. but that he
had only accompanied Mr.. Van &c Vanter
20 the meeting with the idea OF gaining
information. lie did. however consent 70
say that there are TO books kept In tho
Office OF the county clerk the keeping or
which Is not established BY state law.
There are. he said. certain books that are
worthless. and their keeping imposes a
hardship on the taxpayers. among which
he mentioned ne books for the record or
criminal proceedings. Since he had on
tered the clerks Office the expenses had
been reduced s2g7 per month. while the
work had been greatly increased by tho
euActments Of ISHi. that made attorneys
nay their filings ant costs in lump sums
Instead or ~ the folio which
made 81 possible TO file the sim
p.rst ASS and thc papers in procedure of
tria's in many pages that required copy
inE iH long hand when a single page