The record-union., 1899-03-16
Weather Forecast.
PUBLICITY OF OFFICIAL ACTS.


the inferior political divisions OF
the commonwealth. Let secrecy sur
round the disbursement of the public
funds, and corruption will assuredly
creep in, and mismanagement, care
lessness and inefficiency will supplant
diligence, honesty, vigilance and ca
pacity.
For instance, to use homely illustra-
fion, let there be given publicity to the
detailed expenditures made by a Road
Commissioner officially in a road dis
trict, and it is safe to say that some
regard for economy will prevail, and
that fair consideration will be given
for all outlay, since any misuse or mall
administrati ton of the road fund will
be Immediately challenged by the
taxpayers of the district and
punishment awarded politically or
otherwise. Let there be suppression OF
publicity of the expenditures made in
support of city government, and the
people will become the victims Of greedy
dishonesty and corrupt agencies seeking
to plunder the municipal treasury.
Publicity therefore is a safeguard,
measurably, against incompentency,
mismanagement and reckless expendit-
ure. Evidently the lawmakers who
have provided in the statutes for pub
1ication of certain official doings had
h- hox Tod i1- VI
In the County Government Act as it
stands there Is this provision 1.-THE
I3oardsof Supervisors shall cause to be
published a semi i-annual statement of
showing in detail the expenditures au-
thorized during the preceding six
months; and within ten days after each
session of the board, a fair statement of
all their proceedings"
Clearly the words ''in detail'' and "all
proceedings" were used with full in
tention that their common import
should have effect The mandate as to
the detail and all proceedings is pre-
cisely as imperative and as vigorously
binding upon the Supervisors, as is any
other obligation imposed upon them,
and which, under their oaths, they are
bound to perform. For failure to do
these things as the law commands the
Supervisors are as much liable to penal
ties as, if they violated ard treated with
scorn any other mandate cf the statute.
1t is not given to the Supervisors to
pass judgment upon that law, or to
determine that it is unwise, uneconomic
or unnecessary, and that it should
therefore be evaded or defied. Their
duty is to obey It. If it is an indis-
Greet mandate of the Legislature the
sDeediest way to secure its repeal or
modification is to strictly observe and
enforce it. In accordance with conclu-
sion reached at the recent Supervisors
convocation, indeed it is charged that
1t became matter Of agreement, the
Supervisors of this county have re-
solved to disobey the law, to publish.
only the'totals of their expenditures and
to refuse to publish the matter ain de-
tall as commanded by the law.
Two years ago when this subject was
before the board, the then District At
torney was called into counsel and gave
the board a written opinion that the
law means precisely what it says, and
that the plain duty of the board was
to obey it. In short, the board then
knew, as il now knows, that it has no
more justification for refusing to re-
spect that provision of the law than it
has fbr ignoring any other command Of
the people expressed through the law
making power. They We're then OFF,
cia1ly advised that 'in detail" meant
giving the names of the persons to
whom the money was paid, what 1t was
Taid for and when it was paid. The
present District Attorney gives the
same Interpretation to the law and with
the same emphasis declares that 1t is
the duty of the board to obey it.
Here then is open rebellion by SER
wants Of the law against the authority
that gives them Office and power. The
only remaining question is what are
the people going to do about it?" viii
they permit their servants to openly,
defantiy disregard a law, wise in con-
ception and explicit in command, a law
no matter what its observance costs.
intended to be in the interests of
economy. cleanliness and proper ad-
niinfstration of county affairs.
AS we have quoted, the same law
commands the Board of Supervisors to
Also publish "a fair report" of their
proceedings within ten days after each
session. This mandate they have never
obeyed. They are, however, no more
excusable for disobedience in the one
case than in the other Under their
solemn obligations as administrators of
county affairs, it is their duty to obey
the TWO clauses of the law with as
much faithfulness and respect for them
as for any. other provisions of the Act
under which they conduct business of
the county.
The State aid proposed to enable CAL
ifornia to be well represented at the
Paris International Exposition will be
we'll bestowed If the bill becomes law.
There are those unhappily who are not