The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-29

Fielder's clerks so perfect is his system
and so regularly is the work kept up
The system of indexing in the Registers 5
office was adopted by a commission
created by an act of the Legislature
whose duty was to reblock the entire
county and to readjust the index system.
Prior to the act the Freeholders by reso-
lution adopted what is known as the
Lusk system, and authorized the then
Register, ]. B. Cleveland, to retranscribe
into the new system all names indexed
under the old for deeds and mortgages.
When Mr.. Fielder became Register, he
continued that system, adding assign
ments, releases and lis pendens, and all
these are recorded, and that record kept
up to date, as every lawyer has reason to
know
The rule laid down by Mr.. Fielder, and
which is rigidly adhered to. is that every
Instrument filed in his office shall be in
dexedsand recorded within five days of the
time of filing
All the continued indexing work in the
Registers Office is done by an efficient
staff of clerks. who are paid out of the
fees collected by the Register, and these
clerks have the fling and indexing of
documents and safe keeping, too. to such a
high degree of efficiency, that It is admit
ted by lawyers of experience that there
is no county In the State where the work
is better done than in Mr.. FEEDERS office
Precisely the same satisfactory condi-
ton of affairs is found in Surrogate
O'Neil's office. Let anyone go in there to
take out letters of administration or of
guardianship, prove an inventory, record
an assignment, or file an accounting he
will have no difficulty in transacting his
business, and should ale desire 20 see any
paper of the kind mentioned, it can be
found without any trouble or delay. From
week to week the registration of those
documents is kept up, and Mr. O'Neil
keeps, besides, a daily registry, so that
a person can see what has been filed the
day before. This is done by a slip and so
complete is the system in the office that
the records are in perfect order and kept
up 10 date.
In both Mr.. Fielder's and Mr. O'Neil's
offices when the volume of public business
demands staff of clerks competent and
able to handle it. these gentlemen apply
q very simple principle, the supply shall
equal the demand, and the work is done.
done well, kept up to date and tilere is
general praise and not general condemna-
tcn as in the case of the County Clerk.
In an interview with '.World'' repor-
ter Clerk Fisher admits that the records
are a little behind.
TT is usually this way" he said. 1.-TWO
weeks before election. Of course. we get
behind in keeping the legal papers fled
posted up. There is a natural accumuIa-
tlon of such papers. People have no idea
of the routine work in the County Clerks
office in connection with a general cleo
ton. There are many petitions to pass
upon, notices, whether regular or ire
gular, TO be sent out. The mail sent out
at such times is more than that of the
balance of the year
Il put on am extra man, Richard Gar
rick, two weeks ago upon just such work
as is falling behind. He is actually doing
the routine work which my assistant, E.
w. Gritten, usually does
The same thing would occur in any
business house. No one has any greater
desire to keep things right up to date than
have. You can rest assured of that
fact. Talk about economy. I have more
help than the office ever had. We are
nearly over it now.
"All matters of liens that come into
the office are indexed Immediately upon
fling. Contracts, &C., sometimes get be-
hind because they are not so important.
Yet they are on the desk for anybody to
look through.
It would avail little to bring in mex
perienced clerical help to meet these
emergencies. Experience is necessary to
act upon applications for naturalization
and all business incident to elections, and
to procure such experienced assistants
with any idea of permanent employment
would be out of the question 1t would
IA ka SiY aaIr 70 L