The San Francisco call., 1898-04-27
REGISTRAR
 NEW SYSTEM Safeguards Against the. False Registration of
 Voters.
Will Correct Pending Evils if Aided by Election Com
 nliSStoners.
Many Changes Made for the Con- venience of the General
 Public.

The Registrars office of the City ana County of San francisco has been thor. or~hly renovated, and now assumes the aspect of a respectable business office The old and unsightly structure, which formerly occupied the center of the office, has been removed, and a disposi- tion of the different desks has been made which it is expected will materi- ally facilitate the work of the office and afford greater convenience to per- sons desiring to register.
 An entirely new and radical change has been inaugurated in the system of conducting registration, by which the Registrar hopes to make illegal regis tration not only difficult, but in every way reasonable of detection.
 Registrar Biggy says that under the system, in vogue in the office for many years, it was possible for a person to register with each of the several pre- cinct clerks in the office, thus affording an opportunity for fraudulent registra- ton of the most alarming magnitude. The registration being made by differ ent clerks was not easily detected by the force in the office.
 By the new system, recently adopted all persons applying for registration are compelled to pass the careful scru- tiny of at least three clerks; one taking the voters measure. another taking his address, and the third fixing the pre- cinct in which the voter belongs, be- fore receiving his certificate AS all of the work of the three clerks is done si- multaEeously the registration is made with remarkable rapidity.
 The Registrar expects by the new methods which he has already put in operation to frustrate any attempt 10 register illegally in his office.
 Another important feature to which MT. Biggy called attention is the char acter' of the clerks under whose direct supervision an applicant for registra- tion must in all cases come. They have been selected for their special adapta- bility for the respective positions they occupy.
 One of the greatest faults found by the Registrar is in the manner of ap- pointing men on the precinct boards This is done by the Election Commis- sioners, usually at the solicitation of political friends, belonging to the dlf- ferent political parties and by politi- clans representing certain factions therein, thus forcing upon the Registrar men of unknown capability and at the same time making him responsible for their acts.
 The appointment of men by the E!ec- tion Commissioners for the purpose of detecting fraudulent registration in the different precincts 1t is claimed by the Registrar takes away one of the great est safeguards against fraud that he has to deal with, and MT. Bfggy says that in view of his being held responsi- ble he should be given an opportunity to learn the character of the men for whom he is made accountable.
 MT. Biggy aims to overcome all of the present difficulties in the way of honest registration by the cooperation of the Election Commissioners In the selection of men known to be entirely competent and reliable.
 The Registrar has thrown the affairs of the office open to the public and frankly says that he will conduct the same on purely business principles, free from any political taint, and that he will make every effort to insure to the voters of San Francisco an honest reg iStratiOQ