The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-14
GRAND JURY'S REPORT.
CONTINUED from Third Page.)

70 the health of our children, but aISO
to entire neighborhoods in their locali-
ties. The above boards and officers are
legally constituted, and it is MADE their
duty to apply the remedy which would
improve and keep in healthful condl-
ticn our public school buildings.
The conclusion is forced upon US that
they have either neglected to inspect
these buildings, or having done so, fall
ed TO make report of same. If parents
would frequently visit the schools and
see for themselves the conditions we
have herein pointed out. they would be
convinced that sanitary improvements
were sadly needed in nearly all of our
schools, and no opposition would come
from them over liberal appropriations,
honestly and judiciously expended, in
/. the support and maintenance OF our
schools
Q1ere follows comprehensive Stats
tics, compiled from the records of the
city and county schools, by the Grand
Jury's expert, Prentiss Maslin, contain
ing a fund of information on the sub
ject of the cost of maintaining the pub
lie schools.)
COUNTY CLERK.
"A close scrutiny into the conduct OF
the County Clerks office has convinced
this jury that radical change is de-
manded in the care and protection OF
the records of this office. Many Of these
records are invaluable, and yet it is
the custom of lawyers, searchers of rec
ords and other persons familiar with
the Office to- take papers from the filing
cases and in many instances to take the
papers from the Office without the
knowledge or consent of the County
Clerk or his deputies, and the liability
of these papers to be lost. misplaced or
stolen is great, and while the County
Clerk is the custodian of these records
he would be powerless to prevent either
accident or theft.
This jury strongly recommends that
the Supervisors remodel the County
Clerks office SO that the large stand
ing desk containing the register of
actions" etc, be moved and placed
within about four feet of the fling
cases on the west wall of the office, and
that the large tables now inside the
desk and railing be placed on the out
side for the use of attorneys and others
examining papers and records. And we
recommend that the County Clerk be
authorized to employ d deputy at a
salary not to exceed S15 per month, to
be known as file clerk and that no
person be permitted to handle the pa
pers in the filing cases except the file
clerk, and that a receipt be required
for all papers that are taken out of the
office
This jury also recommends to the
County Clerk that he has all certificates
issued by hinl-"the certificate of. cor
rectness of copy" the certificate to
signature of Notaries Public" and the
certificate to signature of township
Justices" printed in books and consec-
utively numbered, with a stub contain
ing a corresponding number and record
of when and to whom each certificate
is issued, in a like manner as the Coun-
ty Clerk now keeps the record of the
issuance Of marriage licenses.
COUNTY Assessor.
This most important office has been
conducted in an efficient manner during
the past year. The expert accountant
reports that he was unable to detect
single error in the assessment rolls of
1897 and 1898 that originated in this
office.
This jury recommends the compilation
by the Assessor of a country valuation
book" That such a book be plated on
a large scale to permit the insertion of
each years valuation of each tract of
land in the county. That this book
shall be the property of the county and
that the Assessor be required to cor
rectly and properly mark therein the
assessed valuation of each parcel of
land every year and to deliver said
book in good condition to his successor.
THE SHERIFF.
This jury believes that the present
Sheriff has been a good executive Off
Ger and has surrounded himself with
efficient deputies. His care of the Joun-
ty Jail merits commentator which we
have been pleased to extend him iii our
discussion of public buildings.
We strongly recommend that the of
flee of Tax Collector be consolidated
with the Sheriff's office.
LICENSE COLLECTOR.
An investigation into the method of
conducting this office showed that in the
past there has been gross inattention
to details.
The bonds required by section ) of or
dinance 80 to be furnished by persons
engaged in the retail liquor business
We're unnumbered and unlabeled, and
the record of such bonds in very poor
condition. Many people were engaged
in this business without complying with
the law regarding bonds-having never
furnished one. Many bonds had become
nullified by reason of the business fail
ure, the death or removal from the
State of the sureties on said bonds
These matters We're called to the at
tention of the present Tax Collector.
who has made every effort to have the
law fully and strictly complied with.
and all such bonds are now submitted
to the Board of Supervisors and an
proved by them before a license is is
sued for conducting a saloon The Au-
ditor should at A1e end of each year re-
call all license books and stubs issued
to the License Collector and issue en-
tirely new and unused books of license
to that officer, and then the Auditor in
the presence of the District Attorney
and the Chairman of the Board of Su-
pervisors, proceed to cancel the unused
licenses recalled from the Collector.
Recommendations have been repeat =
eddy made by former Grand Juries, that
the Auditor issue new licenses to the
Collector at the beginning of each year
and recall the old ones but neither the
Auditor nor the Tax Collector has paid
any attention to these recommends
tions. This Grand Jury, therefore.
strongly recommends that the Supervi-
sors in their legislative capacity adopt
an ordinance providing for such issu-
ance OF new licenses each year, and the
cancellation of the old ones ON the