The herald., 1898-02-03

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| accommodations for their care, and COM
peis their confinement at the county hos
| pltal, where there are absolutely no ac-
| Communications for these unfortunate peo-
| pie, who are in no wise criminal and
whose care Is certainly one of our first
| duties We censure no one for this state
of affairs, unless 1t be our last legisla-
ture, but we sincerely hope that our su-
| pervisors will find some way by which
! they can at once provide a suitable and
| healthy place for them during their de-
| tention.
COUNTY POOR FARM
A portion of the grand jury visited the
| county poor farm on Friday, January 7th,
1898, and made thorough examination of
| all departments of the institution, inspect
ing throughout the buildings and grounds,
and examining fully into the details of the
management at the farm. We find that the
grounds consist of 232 acres of land. to
which has recently been added, by pur-
chase by the board of supervisors, forty
| (4O) acres more, making a total of 272
acres. The original acreage at the farm
| is all practically under good state of cul-
tivation, and the forty acres recently pur-
| chased will likewise be utilized at once.
! The products of the farm are various. con-
sisting of oranges, lemons, milk, butter,
| eggs, poultry, hogs, etc., the total sales
of same for the past year amounting to
$780, .2S
| The inmates, numbering some IT'S per-
| sons. are well cared for, and so far as we
| could learn from inquiries among them
and otherwise, there is no cause of COM
plant of the provision made for their well
| fare.
REWARD SHOULD BE OFFERED
We have made inquiry into the circum-
| stances surrounding the death of Alice
rt,,so IL, fla
water at Santa Monica October 9Th, 1897.
In her death we fear murder was COM
| mitted and we would suggest that II a
| reward were offered it might lead to the
| apprehension of the murderer, if such
| there be.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
| We have made an exhaustive examina-
| ton of the accounts of all the justices of
| the peace in the county. AS result of this
examination we find an unsatisfactory
condition of affairs existing In regard to
with the county.
| Several of the justices have failed to
make monthly reports to the board of su-
pervisors or file monthly demands, as re-
qured by law. In a number of instances
| fees have been duplicated, and thus the
county has paid twice for the same SER
vice. We find in a good many cases that
| JuStlCGS nave SuSpellueu tnc lSSudHCt VI
commitments where Jail sentences have
been imposed( thereby rendering the SEN
tence of no effect In these cases the
| justices work is not completed until he has
| issued a commitment.
Charges have been made for cases that
are unfinished and the fee not yet earned.
and We find the reports covering said cases
are misleading in stating the true status
of such cases. We also find instances
wherein the Justices have failed to pay
into the county treasury, as required by
law certain fines collected by them.
These derelictions appear in some in
stances as willful; in others the result of
carelessness or inadvertencies. The
amount thus found due the county from
justices of the peace aggregates the sum
of $601.25.
A detailed statement of the amounts due
from the various justices has been placed
in the hands of the district attorney, with
instructions to collect the same.
THEIR OVERCHARGES
We desire further to bring to your notice
in connection with the matter of over
charges made by the justices, that it is
obviously impossible for the district at
torney's office. in passing upon the de-
mands made by said justices, to be cog
infant of many irregularities in the de-
mands presented, for the reason that the
in many instances incorrect and grossly
misleading. An actual inspection by our
experts OF the dockets themselves, and by
a tabulation of the various demands and
reports for the period covered by the ex-
animation, enabled them TO ascertain just
wherein overcharges occurred.
CORRUPT CONSTABLES
Among the constables we find Ii not an
uncommon practice to arrest vagrants who
n he trying n 90 n nj of bo
have them tried and sentenced to term
in the county jail for the express purpose
of obtaining the fee allowed by the county
AS showing the extent to which this prac-
tice is carried out. We find that during the
year no less than S9s vagrancy cases have
been paid for by the county, to the justices
and the constables have received their
fees for making the arrests. and in each
committal their mileage for taking pris-
oners to the county Jail. We criticise most
| severely this practice of these officers in
their over-zeal to do their full duty The
most fragrant cases of this kind occur
in the townships bordering on adjacent
counties.
WHITTIER SCHOOL
We have made an examination of the
physical condition of the state school at
Whittier.
While we question the plan on which such
an institution is founded. namely the
mixing of the criminal classes with those
simply incorrigible, We have no criticism
to make as to It's condition further than
that we consider 1t a very expensive ex-
pertinent.
SAN PEDRO ROAD
We have the following report in refer
ence to the public road recently construct
ed by the county. commencing at San Pc
dro and running in a northerly direction
around the head of the bay. We believe
the work has been done at reasonable
price, but the soil being of heavy clay
or adobe nature. we find the road to be
already in poor condition, a Slight rain
rendering 1t unfit for travel. We would
recommend that coat Of gravel. which
we understand can be obtained within a
reasonable distance, be placed upon said
road, and would also recommend that adj
ditional riprapping be placed on said road
at tidewater line al all places where neces-
sary to prevent undermining and washing
away of the road by action of the water
at high tide.
BOARD OF EDUCATION
We have consumed much time and exam
ined many witnesses looking into the
abuses lying in and around the board of
education and our public schools 1t early
developed that there was a systema tic
plan of blackmailing teachers and janitors
and under threats of loss of their positions
considerable sums of money were obtained.
So serious was the condition that we have