Arizona silver belt., 1904-10-13

and from which monthly, auarterl,
 and annual reports can be made ant
 rendered quickly and correctly, em
 phasize the opinion have given. Int
 said ledger will be of great conven
 fence and use to the board for quicl
 reference and information, and as [
 means for keeping up discipline or
 all offices. and to carry out the good
 reforms that you are iDsti tuting here
 now, it seems to me that by strength
 ening the clerks power for work and enabling him to do all these things ir
 the proper form, will be greatly to the
 interest, protection and benefit of the county, and will keep out all derelic'
 tlons of duty by other officers, and save expensive examinations to right
 wrongs which are the outgrowth of
 free-and-easy, go'asthey please ways. This may cause your meetings to be adjourned "from time to time," as al. lowed by law, so that you can meet the first Monday in each month, and see that these matters are all attended to, and that each officers report is filed, and test it's accuracy. In that way your good efforts to get system and better government will be re- warded well.
 The great exertion of Clerk w. D. Fisk has kept up his records in credit able correct form, as recorder, and he has his records in excellent shape exceptionally fine, for do not think any office in the territory can surpass it in condition of records, and l doubt if any even equal it, all being consid- cred. l tested his work carefully, checked up his accounts and he stands clear and correct: but it would be un- reasonable to ask him to continue to do as he has been doing single handed; and with the additional work which l have recommended for him as clerk, he should have for the public good, the assistant have named, and as al- lowed by law. While the receipts of the office now are about 5000 per year, gross, they can and ought tc be more, by collecting the statutory fees; but as custom and scale of prices for record work have been set here for d long time, it will, perhaps, seem strange to the public to pay S2.75 for the recording of mortgage, that in the past they have been used to get ting recorded for $2. So, again, with deeds and other instruments. The statutory fees of 95c for filing, noting and indexing, and then 20c per folio for the remainder of the fee, counting all words and figures in the instru- ment, make the usual mortgage run from s to 10 folios, and sometimes more, so the old price of s2 is unjust to to the county; and, again, the law requires the recorder to collect the legal fees in advance, or he will incur liability, for the fees of the county can not be cut. By raising the fees to the right place, and as each certified copy made is required to be charged for at the rate of 20c per folio, and Toe for the certificate, the county getting that as being fee taken for work ren- dered by the recorder for fee, by vir- tue of his office, the income of the of- ice can be rightfully and lawfully in- creased, and the expense of d deputy covered, and more. The clerk of the board then can give full attention to the other work, which the board un- der the improved system requires to be kept up, and this work for the county is much needed, and will be found to be money well invested. Leaks can be stopped and prevented. The allowance book, with the issued warrant number shown, makes refer ence easy and quick, and from 1t post ings to the general ledger can be made; and while the allowances show in the minutes, also, the allowance book shows only allowances.
 This is such an important county office that it is good philosophy and good economy to strengthen its power for work; for the board can quickly note derelictions and prevent malfeas- ance in office by nipping in the bud.
 For purposes of bringing parties up for false representations, every report filed, and every demand presented, should be verified by oath, to comply with the law.
 In checking the demands of Re- corder Williams, which was done un- der the last order to thoroughly go over his work, it appeared that war rants had been Issued for which no de- mandS appear; but, as they were to such persons and for such purposes that the county was not wronged, and they were proper disbursements, no improper motive can be ascribed.