The daily sentinel., 1906-10-03
A MATTER OF RECORD.

1t is a matter of record that the
board of county commissioners of
Mesa county. under republican ad
ministration, passed resolution per
hitting the clerk and recorder of this
county to use the receipts of that Of
fee as he saw fit, so long as they did
not exceed the income of the office.
To state the matter plainly any
clerk and recorder had the privilege
of employing as many clerks as he
office necessitated such expenditure,
so long as he did not exceed the reve-
nues of the office.
Such an order is so unbusinesslike
that We can hardly credit an intelli-
gent board of county commissioners
with having entertained 1t. The re-
suit would be that it encouraged the
employment of unnecessary clerical
force, and the expenditure of monies
that should have gone to relieve the
burden of taxation. And 1t has done
so right here In Mesa county.
Perhaps we are not fully advised
of the work entailed in the conduct
of the office of clerk and recorder. but
Judging of the amount of business
transacted to conduct the affairs of
;he county and comparing it with the
work necessitated in carrying on the
business of large wholesale house,
transacting more business than that
OF all the departments OF
the county government, We believe
that the entire clerical force of thar
office could be done by force much
less than now employed and whicn
as been encouraged by the foolish
order made by the board of county
commissioners.
We have always regarded that the
monies earned by that office. over and
above the actual expenses of the
conduct of that office. should be
turned in as a profit to the county
True there have been comparatively
small sums converted back into the
county treasury, but totally made
quate sum. compared with what
should have been.
We cannot understand by what
holus pokus the clerk and recorder
maneuvers to secure about three sal
aries. If we are Informed correctly
he receives the salary provided by
law for the position of clerk and re-
corder, This salary. due to the pro
oigality of the trainers of the laws OF
Colorado in the early day. a most
generous one and usually larger than
the majority of men could earn in any
other i,ne of business; also a salary
TO act as clerk of the board of county
commissioners. which should be a
part of his duties and also another
snap created by the commissioners,
from which he draws salary-pur-
chasing agent of the county.
New what are the conditions that
pecessitates the very large force that
seeems necessary to conduct the bust
ness Of the county in that office. Is
1t is not because of the very general
ineficiency in clerical work of the
men that have held the position of
| clerk ana recorder. we DelleVe tnat
the average voter will agree with us
that this is the true cause.
For the very particular reason the
Democracy of this county determined
that in offering candidate for that
position to the public's consideration.
they would endeavor to place in NOM
nation a man who had the qualifica-
tions to conduct the affairs of the
county in his own self and that he
would not be dependent upon his dep
uties to perform the entire work,
while he stood as a mere figurehead.
for which costly appendage to the
county goernment the public had to
pay.
II the people are not tired of paying
for figure heads. as part of the county
government, they jlould be. We
shall not attempt to figure out to the
hour or minute the actual wark per-
formed by the present clerk, but if
what is said is true a large sum of