The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-27
COUNTY CLERKS
GOOD RECORD
PrOminent Attorneys Express Their
Views as 10 the Conduct Of
the Office.
BUSINESS IL SYSrEMATIZED
Auyoas Csu Eiad Information Desired In the
Shortest lime Old Records aud
Documents Reduced From
Chaos to Ordst
BUSINESS Is sYsrEMATIzEr

Some little discussion ha,iuS arisen "a
to the conduct OF various county ofiictH
and the efficiency OF officials. an AsIo.
rtan reporter started out yesterday az.
trrnoon 20 nud out what people know
about tho matter Hc took the county
clerks once for text. and some OF tho
Interviews appear below;
c. q. FULTON
Il consider Mr punbar's ofiicc TO he In
better shape nov than Il ever mas be-, II
bcfors Tho books arr IN bcttcr shape.
and no Is most grntlvmanly ofiiclai
lie attends strictly to business, and while
We might get another clerk Just as
good as hc Is, We could secure no one
better The office is thoroughly sys.
tcma,iEed. and when you want a paper
or document you can hnd e. In addl.
tion 10 tho work formerly done Ia the
clerks once, that otficlal now has to
collect taxes. and the county court now
meets once a month regularly. where Il
used 10 meet once In two or thrive
months, Tho number ot rvcoris dllrd
will show the amount of work done aud
| am satisfied that Il has been done with
as small a force ana az chcapiy rs any
ono could have done H. | am for Mr.
Dunbar FOR reelection on business prln.
ciplca, and believe that the county can.
not better itself by making cnangc"
MAYOR TAYLOR
Mayor T. J. Taylor was seen In his
Office and when questioned In regard 10
tho subject or the county clerks office
and the manner In which lts business was
conducted. dld not hesitate 10 express hts
views.
Mr., Dunbar has made an exceptionally
good clerk ot the county and circuit
courts HIS records are In splendid
shape. and his Office u conducted on bus
iness principles. never saw an Office
In which you could get 50 much informa.
tlon In so short a time Unti the present
there has never been thorough system
of handling details Everything about
the ONCE now Is as complete as one
could wish to have H. II may cost the
county a little moro for book Keeping,
but 1t pays hugely to keep track OF the
business from day TO day II n Just
the Same as "a merchant or a broker hay.
Ing an expert bookkccpcr 10 keep track
OF his business so that no can tell any
day or at any hour In the day. just how
his business stands Mr. Dunbar has
had many good predecessors. some OF
whom were exceptionally fne court
clerks. but none OF them ever had the
office as we'll systcmatlEcd ns II n now"
GEORGE NoLAND.
when Mr.. Noinnd was asked his opln.
Ion OF the county clerks ONCE and the
manner In which II was conducted he
said:
''Of course Mr.. Dunbar and I differ In
politics. can only say that he ~
gentleman who n always ready and will
Ing TO give out information to any who
call upon him. As far as I know his
office Is well conducted. There have been
men In that office who handled II almost
single handed and at less expense to the
county. and It perhaps might be done
again"
]. A. EAKIN.
"one Of the best public Offices and one
which II conducted In the most SYSTEM
ltic manner have ever seen is the one
now under charge OF Mr. +. l. Dunbar,
county clerk OF ClatsOp county. I have
lone business In "a great many courts,
but am free to say that the records In
The clerks office OF this county are In
~ good shape as I have ever known
anywhere. One can find what one wants
It the expense OF little time Mr. Dun
oar has also succeeded In reducing to
'rder large lot OF old papers and records
which for years were In a state OF
'haos. II II possible now to search the
'ecords quickly and thoroughly for years
'ack. While discussing this question,
me must recollect that thorough work OF
his Kind takes help and costs some
money; but II ls money saved to the |
ounty The county clerk ls now also
compelled to collect delinquent taxes, |
he distribution OF which alone consumes
great deal OF time and causes much |
nnoyance which former clerks did not |
Experience. one who has had no actual I
experience In this kind OF work can form /
20 proper idea Of It's magnitude. Il
very detail in connection with taxes ls
ot properly carried out. the clerks rec
rds cannot possibly be made TO balance
nth the books OF the county treasurer
certainly think that Mr. Dunbar has
lade superior officer, and am heartily
! favor Of his reelection"
J. @. a. B OwLBY.
Judge Bowlby was found in his Office
n Bond street, and when told or his
rrand by the reporter, he laughed, ana
rid: Seems to me there can b. no
uestlon ~ 10 the present condition cf
10 county clerks office or OF the efii-
ency OF the official In charge, Mr. Dun
lr has certainly made ono OF the best
erks | ever knew ! can say partlcu-
.rly that he has handled the collection
delinquent takes IN a most systematic
nd buslness-like manner II is true he
~ perhaps n little moro help than was
nployed In former times, but the busi-
sss Of the county on the whole has In
eased, and new duties have been Inn
'sed on the clerk. The county Judge
Is in chambers all the time, and the
urt meets IN regular session monthly
stead Of occasionally M heretofore It ,
also true that the circuit court holds
any more sessions than formerly. Yes,
2 county clerks office ls In good shape, b
ID you can find anything In II that you
ant dOn't baIteVc Up oan got a bettar