The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-10-25

County Clerk Bob" Koontz is
having his troubles with the public
and certain ones of his fellows on
the neutrality-suspicious. ticket.
1t may be that Mr.. Koontz is justi-
fed with whatever of trouble there
may exist between himself and his
brethren on the house of all ma
tons ticket and every man for
himself list of candidates. In the
general maul-hauling the so-called
republican candidates are giving
each other, Koontz is probably do
ing no more than this share of pug
ging for himself"
But that is neither here nor there
to what the public have to consider
about him in his appeals for anoth-
err two years at the public crib, he
having been four years chief under
Erwin as well as two years in for
himself.
The public is interested in the
record of extravaganza he has made.
When the republican managers re-
move the embargo from the publish
ing of the financial report for the
current year, it will be found that
koontz's Office has cost the tax
payer the sum of $17,550 for the
year ending last June.
Of THIS s17,500, 1t must be remem-
bered that altogether too large a
sum went for books. 1t was Koontz
who made requisition for the five
indexes which cost the county
$64.50 each, and the judgment in
dex which cost STA, any one of the
six being purchasable in the open
market for less than $50. Aside
from the extravagant cost of the
volumes, one is at loss to know
why Koontz should ask for five iden-
tical books to be used for the same
purpose.
Also of that $17,5O0 to be publish
ed some time, is the item of SILL
919 he has used for salaries in car
rying out the usual republican
policy of furnishing jobs to the
hungry. There are now ten depu-
ties in the office. two of them
women, fact which has thrown
Koontz open to criticism at the
hands of men who feel that they
have been shut out from the public
crib. The grand jury drew public
attention to one of these feminine
deputies by recommending that the
salary she receives for doing stenO-
graphic work be reduced from $50
a month to a sum more in keeping
with the incomes of women who do
similar work in private institutions.
The grand jury, aside from the
fact of indicting the county clerk
for receiving campaign contribu-
lions, pointed out that the deputies
were contributing lin sums ranging
from $3.50 to $40 per month Ac-
cording to that, the ten deputies
would be turning into Koontz's cot
fers from $75 to 800 per month.
A year would bring the total to
5000 or $1,000 in addition to his
salary-truly a tidy income reaped
from his own deputies.
This compilation of figures also
illustrates probably something near
what Koontz may be throwing into
the present campaign for reelection.
The report of the auditor for the
year ending June, 1905, conveys the
information that the total expenses
of the office of clerk reached $751;
O46-$4500 less than for the current
year. Thus Koontz has shown his
extravaganza in the matters of ex-
cessive material purchased, in the
number Of employees and in the sal
airy of at least one.
Mr.. Clement, the democratic can
didate, who was for a number of
years clerk of the court for this
county in territorial days. after
careful calculation based OH his past
experience and on inquiry as to
present conditions. unhesitatingly