Amador ledger., 1906-03-16
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
FRIDAY ............ MARCH 1e, 1906
Revise the Schedule.


schedule, as adopted by the board of
supervisors nearly ten years ago, and
continued in force from year to year
ever since. This. schedule, even
when originally adopted, was vague
and unintelligable in several ways.
1t is also very incomplete and un-
satisfactory, both from the stand
point of the local printers and the
county. We have therefore on more
than one occasion urged its thor
ough revision, as protection to the
county treasury, and also to bring it
to up-to-date requirements. At one
time we fled written request to this
effect with the clerk of the board,
still nothing was done.
We again feel it duty on our part
to urge this matter, the urgent
necessity for which has been brought
to our notice accidentally. The fact
that under the existing financial
methods, the itemized bills, after
being allowed, and paid, are slowed
away IN the vaults of the treasurer's
office, tends to prevent detection and
exposure of overcharges. Unless some
inkling is had from outside sources,
these bills are not investigated after
they reach their burial place in the
vaults named. If anyone wants to see a
particular bill, he can do so by per-
sonal application to the treasurer for
the particular bill required. But this
is rarely done. The assumption is
that the bills are reasonable, other
wise they would not be allowed by
the supervisors. Where the charges
are supposed to be governed by a
schedule fixed by the board, this
assumption becomes stronger, and
seldom indeed is any effort made to
look ''behind the returns
Now, we have been informed, and
ere this we should have settled the
matter by personal Investigation had
it not been for the fact that the
treasurer is sick and unable to attend
his office, that the county has for
long time past paid at the rate of
four and five cents apiece for the
blanks upon which are made out the
claims against the county. A large
number of these blanks are used
every year, and they can be and
doubtless are ordered in lots of more
than thousand at time. 1t must
strike any ordinary business man that
such price for billheads must be
an extraordinary charge. Billheads
for mercantile firm can be had at
So per thousand. Why the county
should pay eight times that price for
its ''blanks'' is beyond our compre-
hension. We have no hesitation in
saying that blanks fully as service
able and covering all legal require
ments could be secured by the county
at the same cost. This class of work
is not specifically covered by the
schedule rates, and hence the oppor
tunity for over charge. There are
many other things in the printing
line left out of the schedule list, and
therefore liable to out of-sight rates,
it not closely watched. We do not
object to good stiff prices for work
not included in the regular list,
especially if the rates specified in
the schedule are in several respects
exceedingly low. But that list, in
justice to the taxpayers ought to
include every class of printing re-
quired in the regular routine of the
county's business. Because it does
not do this, but leaves vast gaps to
be filled at the caprice of the printer,
and to pass muster before the board,
the members of which are not CONVEX
SAINT enough with such matters to
detect the jokeIs, we again ask that
the printing rates be reestablished
on more satisfactory basis-a basis
that will be just to the county and
at the same time shut out outrageous
charges.
The scheme of joint statehood for
New Mexico and Arizona was defeated
in the United States senate. The
proposition concerning those terri
tories was simply stricken from the
bill. 1t leaves the territories Just
where they were before, and has
undoubtedly deferred their entrance
as separate states for many years to
come. But that is far preferable to
the distastetuI union proposed. The
people of Arizona went wild with
jubilation when the defeat of the
unseemly alliance was flashed over
the wires