The San Francisco call., 1908-05-15
GRAND JURY GIVES
LIGHT ON RECORDS
Bill Dargie's Bill Looms Largest
in Charges for Printing
and Stationery
Prevailing Conditions Appear to
Man in Street Like Legal
lied Grating

OAKLAND, May Light on dark
places in the county government, re-
vealing conditions which to the man in
the street look like legalized graft
was given today when the grand jury
filed partial report OF its expert in
vestigation OF county records. The re-
port dealt with the receipts and dis
bursements Of the year 1907. but choice
items sticking out along the line showed
plainly the good things" that the gang
arranged for itself in the old days. The
item Of s3S.i60.I6 charged against the
general fund for printing and station
cry. nearly every cent Of which went
into the pocket of Bill Dargie, looms
largest The county official does not
live who can tell the people Of Alameda
county how the county government can
use S35,160.16 worth of printing and
stationery in a year, but the figures are
there in the permanent records of the
county
Another juicy morsel was the s19,-
1858 required to run the county build
ings, including lighting and heating, re-
pairs and sidewalk construction. An
itemized statement of this bill would
be interesting. It would show labor
bills for several months of vanishing
on the interior Of the county court
house for weeks of air cleaning by a
patent device and for elaborate rear
rangement of the interior of the court
house. Just what other details go into
its makeup is one Of the mysteries re-
served for the public when the history
OF the county courthouse ring is writ
ten in full.
SOFT BERTHs FOR FRIENDS
Prior to the active interest which the
Ingler grand jury showed in the matter
OF work about the buildings the ring
in the board Of supervisors made soft
berths for dozens of its friends about
the hall of records and the county
courthouse. There were engineers and
assistants, a janitOr or two for every
floor. gardeners for both sides OF the
street. helpers, store keepers. custo-
dians Of voting machines in storage and
q vast array Of assistants for every
little extra occasion The county paid
the respectable sum Of 0,S0O.07 for
that sort of thing, and the total would
have reached nearly SIS, 900 had not the
district attorney. backed by the grand
jury, called a halt and compelled the
charitable board TO reduce the number
OF its friends who fed at the public
trough.
OF all the looting showed in the charge
OF $S,55l.S6 for the expense Of the coun-
~ statistician, who annually complies
a report purpOrting to show how many
fruit trees There are in the county and
how many barrels Of beer are brewed
here, etc, in a general resume of all
the prosperity Of the county. The re-
port is notoriOusly not worth the paper
Il is written on. The chief statistician
fC a@lr L
OF the regulars at the Emeryville track
At one time last year he had IS men,
who were much like himself compiling
statistics, but he suffered considerably
with the reduction which struck other
departments in November. The alleged
statstician had the assurance 70 rec
onmend that the board allew him TO
go 70 work earlier in the ensuing year
so that he might visit more farms.
SOME DETAILS OF FIGURES
The supervisors held down their bills
for mileage to s3,04S, for which thanks
are probably due to the interest dis
played by the grand jury early in the
year
On orders from the superior judges
Tor expenses attendant upon the opera
ton of the superior court Of the coun-
" sS6,sS5-ss was paid out
It cost s1o.9Os.e0 for the election ex-
penses Of the year 1907.
The county paid SS.43S59 for the
demolition Of the old county jaiI and
the erection Of a temporary structure
and during the year s4I,3S5 was paid
on the construction bill for the new
Jail.
An. Illustration of the method,
employed about the new Jail lies IL
the fact that the county paid 5000 70,
en- Inspector. whom the grand jury re.
ported as knowing nothing OF buildina
construction. He is the father in law
OF one Of the members Of the board
and physician by profession.
The famous Foothill boulevard. which
Is already going to pieces, cost s6s.
boS-sl for new construction last year.
With added interest the board of su.
pervisors authorized the expenditure ~
$5I3,5l7.74 from the county genera
fund. to which all the above items were
charged.
The total disbursements for the yea
were $3.102,45L52 and the receinfs
$z,6zl,30S.46- There was. however ;
balance on hand Of s1,37s. 1896. Ieav.
Ing balance at the close OF. sS97. an
Expert Norman McLaren. head of the
nrm OF accountants employed. recon.
mended that better system be devised
Tor striking balances at short notice.
The partial report was received ano
ordered fled by Superior Judge Harris