The San Francisco call., 1908-08-06
STATISTICS GRAFT
PROVES FAT PLUM
Twenty Assistants" to County
Statistician Magill Appoint=
ed by Supervisors
Vicious System Is Heavy Drain
on Treasury for Enriching
OF Rings" Workers

OAKLAND, Aug. 5.-Twenty assist
ants" to County Statistician II. E. Ma
gill were appointed by the board of SUI
pervisors today on the eve of the pri-
mary election. Their salaries will be
$loO month and their nominal duties
Will be the collection of statistics" re-
garding county activities to be filed al
the state capitol
The annual farce of gathering statis-
tics in compliance with a vicious state
law is being gone through with again.
The law itself is a typical sample OF
program legislation designed purely and
simply to provide for political hangers
on in the various counties of the state.
In return the hangerson are expected
TO do valiant service for their imme-
dfate masters, who in turn support the
state central machine. 1t works out
beautifully at both ends, everybody be-
ing we'll taken care of except the tax
payers. Just what use the statistics
gathered under the terms of the law
can be to anybody is not clear, but the
which 1t was expressly designed to
create. is evident at glance
The possibilities of the law have
never been overlooked in Alameda
county. The push" knows too well the
advantages to be derived from its oper-
alton. The provisions of the law are
stretched to the limit, ostensibly to get
up single sheet of statistics upon
which even a backwoods agricultural
journal would place no dependence The
statistics, when gathered, deceive no
one and in that respect the business is
entirely innocuous.
But the fact that the tax payers
We're mulcted for $4,000 in the year
1907 for the statistics" showed the
serious aspect of the game. Viewed
in the light of its cost TO the public
the scheme is a legalized steal of the
kind so popular with Herrin state and
Alameda county politicians. 1t is the
poisonous fruit of the political system
in vogue by which the parent tree may
be clearly known.
Experts in the employ of the grand
jury reported the amount of money
paid out last year for the statistics.
When the time came in the newly
started fiscal year of 190S-1909 to do it
all over again, the. grand jury notified
Chairman John Mitchell of the board
of supervisors to go slow. District
Attorney Brown took up the matter,
and only when he had affixed his
20. K" to resolution for-the purpose,
were the supervisors permitted to go
ahead. On Monday they appointed Ma
gill and today they varied widely from
the old practice and appointed his as
sistants at public meeting. Formerly
Magill enjoyed that perogative-
A startling contrast is shown when
Magill's salary as statistician is COM
pared with that of County Expert
James Sabin. Sabih goes over every
detail of the expenditure of county
finances and is really the finance COM
mittee of the board of supervisors.
Without his services they would be alb
solutely at sea. Magill will receive
$500 a month for his services. Sabin,
who spends eight hours day in his
office at work, is on a salary of $3.50 a
month. Judged by the standards of the
ring in control of county affairs, Sa-
bins chances for advancement would be
infinitely greater IL he devoted less
time to the duties of his Office and
put in 20 working hours week on
the outside.
MapilIs assistants are.