The record-union., 1898-02-11
SUPERVISORS STRIKE BACK.
SOME GENTLE REMARKS MADE
BY MORRISON.
Auditor and District Attorney
Roasted-The Former Loses
Two Extra Clerks.

O'Clock, and for some fifteen or twenty
minutes things were about as animated
as one could wish for.
1t happened about in this way: Chair
man Morrison asked Mr.. Jenkins to
please take the chair for a moment. as
he had some remarks to make before
the board.
Last night" said the gentleman from
the Third District, Il got to thinking
matters over ,and 1 came to the con-
cluSion that there are some ways in
which we can probably economiZe to
some extent. There is a clause in the
Constitution which declares that the
salary or compensation of an official
shall not be increased during the term
for which he was elected, but 1 find
there is a certain county official who
has an extra clerk in his office draw
ing $75 month over the regular sum
provided for his Office
Mr.. Morrison then went on to explain
that he referred to the District Attor-
neys office. He said he desired to in
vestigate the matter a little further and
it was quite likely he would ask the
board to employ lawyer to bring suit
for the recovery into the treasury of the
money that had been paid out as salary
to this extra clerk.
Pursuing the subject, Mr.. Morrison
said a saving might be made by dis
pensing with the services of the County
Detective appointed to assist the Dis
trict Attorney as an adjunct to his Of
flee. This officer cost the county S1OO
a month, and the incidental expenses
amount to much more. Mr.. Fisher
is an excellent and worthy officer, but
the position is becoming an expensive
one, and he believed the interests of the
county demanded that this adjunct OF
the District Attorneys Office be discon-
tinued.
Believing that the interests of the
county would be subserved thereby, and
acting on the suggestion of Grand
Juries, the board had recently employed
an accountant to expert all demands
filed against the county, before their pre-
sentation to the board, in order that any
over-c charges or Implications might be
detected and money saved to the county
that would be lost by mistakes. The
County Auditor had taken it on himself
to refuse to draw the experts warrant
for his first months salary, by the ad-
Morrison) was not aware that the
Auditor had found it necessary to con-
suit the District Attorney regarding the
salaries of the two extra clerks recently
allowed him for special duties, nor TO
refuse to issue them warrants for their
salaries.
Mr. Morrison said that, speaking for
himself, he had always acted fairly and
literally with the various officials-and
so had the board-when they asked for
extra clerical assistance to aid them in
discharging unusual duties required of
them. and he could not understand why
it was that certain of these Officials
should take advantage Of the first op-
portunity to interfere with the board
when it found it necessary to employ a
little clerical assistance that was in the
interest of economy.
Some months ago, said Mr.. Morrison,
the County Assessor, in the discharge OF
his duties, came into conflict with a
property owner who was trying to avoid
paying his taxes, and the board had en-
ployed counsel to defend an action
brought against the Assessor for al
legged damages. The Auditor and Dis
trict Attorney, however, had refused to
permit the payment of counsel fees in
that case.
81 now move" said Mr. Morrison
that the action of the board in allow
ing the Auditor to employ two extra
clerks in his office, for writing UP certain
records be rescinded."
Supervisor Curtis seconded the mo-
ton.
Supervisor Mclaughlin arose and re-
marked that he believed the law al
lowed the Auditor the extra clerks.
The roll was called, and all the mem
bers voted aye, except Mclaughlin, who
voted no.
Mr. Morrison then gave notice that
during the present session of the board
he would move to dispense with the
services of the county detective and
for he employment of counsel to bring
suit TO recover the SO per month that
has been paid out for a clerk in the
District Attorneys office in addition t.
the regular Assistant District Attorney
Warming up to his subject, Mr.. Nor
rison then referred to an incident OF
the receding day, when the matter OF
the acceptance of the metal cases for the
Sheriff's and Clerks offices came up.
The contractor he said. had gone to the
Auditors Office 10 get his warrant, but
that official had refused to issue it be-
cause cne member Of the Board of Su-
pervisors had filed a written protest.
THE Auditor had no right to do any
thing OF the kind" said Mr. Morrison,
and any schoolboy should know bet
ter. only a legal injunction could re-
strain the Auditor from issuing a war
rant for a claim regularly allowed by
this board. Moreover, ii was not an
act Of decency for a member of the
board 10 resort to such petty methods.
That member" he continued, has
made purchases for furniture and other
things for the Courthouse and offices,
and bills amounting to away up in the
hundreds of dollars, which he had con-
tracted on his own hook. have been pre-
sented here and been allowed without
objection. But there are some more
bills of his contracting now before the
board that / will not vote to pay, be-
cause l do not know anything about
them"
NJ. Morrison had landed his broad
side and sat down. 1t was evident that
some of his hot shot had reached the
mark intended. for Supervisor Me-
Laughlin got UP and said:
when / made a protest yesterday
against a certain bill you should have
investigated that. and I'm willing you
should inquire into all OF mine"
Morrison-Well, / have some now here
that / viii investigate before / vote to
pay them.
Subsequently Mr.. Morrison appeared
before the Grand Jury and explained
to that body the necessity for an expert
to go over all claims against the coun-
ty. The jurors asked him a number
of questions concerning the matter and