The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-08

-, he past three or four weeks the
.i ~ commissioners have been consid-
$50 imposition made by Enoch w.
$3.50 chief deputy in the auditors Of
~ ptinv Allen and Nathan Beman.
~s,.hers OF a local printing firm, and
Lhsrs 10 prepare and install system
= ~tract indexes at an expense OF 3
80. per transfer, which would aggre-
80 i least SCI, 600 and would possibly
80 m $4,000 or even more before COM
sss,>d This proposition has not yet been
xsstded. but has been negotiated very
~,,etiy. 30 that few persons other than
~ commissioners and the interested par
~ have been aware of what was being
6one.
.,s,,,t two years ago by Mr.. Beman and
4. Knapp but after the matter had
Ssn publirly discussed the commission
- concluded not to let the contract.
No.e who opposed the installation of the
srstsm AZ that time now reassert their
,.rtous objections against the new propo-
dtion.
~ tract system, so called. It Is alleged
,,c,,id make necessary the employment OF
torce Of clerks for a period OF not less
tssn elehteen months. 1t would mean
~ rejection OF the present "grantor and
ersnfee" system, which. II is claimed. has
sroven perfectly satisfactory, and would
~uso an outlay. as stated, of not less
tksn $4,000. These opponents assert that
~ occasion for It's installation is not
s1rer. that the present system seems per-
ably satisfactory. and that when the
Srner proposition was rejected no COM
rkint was heard from any one other
&an few parties who would have profit
"A ~ the work of preparing the books.
Ths Instruments recorded in this coun-
4 feached the 10000 mark yesterday. OF
iat number. at least half are deeds, and
~ dsod carries an average of three or
~ transfers. The expense of indexing
1RG0 ar more transfers would be many
hcusonds OF dollars. In addition, when
euch Z system Is completed. 1t is said
10 b Of little value until a similar index
q the court records affecting titles Is also
eonoleted This record. which would
follow as natural sequence. would have
10 cover at least half of the 5000 civil
IA pfohate cases which may be found
n ths Ales In some of these foreclosure
ensss 30 transfers may be found, and the
expense OF completing this supplement to
the system would necessarily be very
great
Aas hson for many months, a written Of
III Of an abstract firm to complete such
I system - Is contemplated for the sum
d t1A000 or TO undertake the work Of
preparing II at the rate OF cents per
innsfer.
Ii Il said by county officials who are
ii position to be well acquainted with
he facts that Commissioners ellison and
Deycs are favorable to the plan OF tract
h1oxsA but that Commissioner i. g.
Inn Il In doubt "a to the desifabillty
u Waking such contract. 1t is further
claimed that the necessity for the i'm
MEDIATE acceptance of the proposal IL
urged BY Interested parties. for the rea-
January H. succeeding Mr.. Boyce as
county commissioner. Is said to be unfa-
yofahle 10 such a contract.
4 similar system 10 that proposed for
King county Is now being prepared In
Spokane county, at an expense OF Ia
Who have that work In hand that good
profit can be made at that figure. Such
: sy1tem was recently prepared and In
stalled In Snohomish county, but after
short trial the officers there decided II to
b Inferior TO the ''grantor and grantee"
Qstem. and returned to the old plan,
tsstins aside the more expensive rec
sras
The plan now in use calls for the con-
slant employment OF one man, with oc-
esslonal assistance from another. The ex-
tenss 10 date has been probably $4,000,
and an annual expenditure OF <l.sn Is
ample for maintenance of the books, The
sss system. 4 Is said, would call for the
exrenditure OF at least $4,000 within the
1ext two years. and the maintenance
vruld BE- al least s.. 800 yearly after that.
The public has not been invited to bid
On this work Possibly IL an open COM
sens way viii be found by which the
txpcase may be essened. II. in the optn-
an Of the commissioners. Ii Is necessary
y 90 the work az all,