The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-07

| This fight does not come from the
country, he said. 1t was not started
in the grange 1t had started from per-
sons whom he had tried to compel to
pay their just takes. The communica-
| ton of the Chamber of Commerce had
| attacked his office alone. and the state
ment in it was a lie. and the man who
made it knew it was lie when he made
/ it. The law had taken away from his
office 81, 000 and yet,is was argued that
his salary had not been reduced.
| He read a list of his deputies and the
expenses incurred by him for counsel
fees in the Bailey and bank cases
showing that of his salary only ST.
t316.16 remained He did not think that
the farmers would consider this ex-
| travagant He would rather have the
confidence of the people than to have
thesincreaseI he asked for. He believed
THAT if he had gone out among the peo-
pie and explained the case to them be-
fore their minds were poisoned they
would have said that he ought to have
this increase. He did not know any
thing about the other offices, but he did
not think that any of thel county officers
wished to rob the people.
Schools he would say that the law de-
mands that he shall spend several
months of the year in visiting the
schools. People come into the office to
get information that they can get no
where else and to transact business
they can transact nowhere else, and are
forced to go home without it because
| the Superintendent is absent. If the
| t.,
much salary they should provide by
law for an assistant and divide the
salary between them, but he did not
think the people thought SO. He should
have assistance, however, in the inter-
est of the public interest.
He believed the national banks should
pay their share of taxes and thus make
the peoples taxes lighter, but he had no
feeling against the people who are oper-
ating the banks He did not think it
concerned the Board of Supervisors
whether the Chamber of Commerce has
petitioned the Legislature or not, or
that it should take any part in the mat
ter. He asserted that the petition was
circulated on the streets and the sigma
lures obtained before the meeting of
the Chamber was held. If the Chamber
had sent a committee to his office he
would have given them all the figures
they wished from his books, but they
did not do so. He knew they had been
misled in the figures furnished them. If
he had used any language that had hurt
anyone's feelings he apologized, but
when it was stated that he received &c.
0C0 besides what he paid his deputies,
! he thought the persons who stated so
should apologize to the people they had
deceived
| Mr.. Coleman said he did not defend
the national banks; they did not need
| it. But the statement made in the petit
ton had been made by a man who is
the equal in integrity and reputation to
| Mr.. Berkey or anyone else. If there
was any mistake it was Mr.. Berkey's
fault. Mr.. Berkey had given the fig
ures of the deputies salaries to that
person and allowed him to think that
deducting the amount from the salary
and fees it left him $4,000 as his clear
salary The threat had been made with
regard to the two bills introduced for
Mr. Berkey. that if they were beaten
they would be incorporated in the
County Government bill.
! Mr.. Berkey asked if any such threat
had been made by any member of his
office, and Mr.. Coleman said that 1T had
not SO far as he knew. He still thought
that, if the figures were wrong, it was
Mr.. Berkey's fault. He himself should
not have felt justified in asking to see
Mr.. Berkey's private salary list in his
books. Mr.. Berkey should not have al
lowed the individual who made the
statement to go away laboring under
misrepresentation. He thought the board
| had as much right to take action in
this matter as for the members to sign
Mr. Berkey's statement If there was
any fault to be charged to any one, it
could be charged to him, as he had pro-
cured the information from the Senator
from this county. The national bank
| had nothing to do with the matter and
| had not started the affair Senator
Doty, who had told Mr. Coleman he
would not favor his bill, had asked the
speaker to investigate the matter, as
he did not wish to do any injustice.
| Mr. Berkey said he had been shown
certain figures, and asked to make a
statement as to the expenditures, and
had afterwards prepared the statement
that had been published. He had not
denied the figures presented to him, as
| ne could not give the exact state of the
case without going over his books.
| Mr.. Coleman explained that when the
matter first came up the bib was to be
heard that afternoon, and there was no
| time to call a. meeting of the Chamber.
| and that was the reason the petition
was signed before the meeting was held.
| Mr.. Berkey said that he thought the
| only question before the board was
whether or not it thought $110 was a
sufficient salary for the Assessor. If
so, it should support the petition; if
not, it should recommend the granting
of the deputies.
| Morrison said that there were other
things in the County Government bill
| that had not been mentioned. He
! found there a provision that the Col
lector shall be entitled to retain for his
own use 10 per cent. of all licenses coll
| lected.
Mr.. Coleman said that his attention
had been called to that provision.
Thomas Mcconnell said that when on
the Grand Jury he had investigated the
expenses of the Assessors, Auditors
and other offices, and he felt that the
emoluments are large. He thought the
struggle for office justified the opinion
that it paid WE'LL and the taxpayers
should be considered.
Mclaughlin moved that his resolution
be taken up.
Morrison said that in order to bring
the matter before the board he would
second the motion.