The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1909-03-19
REPORT IN FULL OF
THE GRAND JURY
Returned 80 lndictments---Was
in Session II Days.
Visited Various County Offices and
Find Some Things Which Seem
Capable of lmprovement--P
Criticism on Present Road Law

The grand jury completed it's work
last Saturday and after presenting its
report to Judge Garfield was dis
charged. The report in full was as
follows:
TO the Hon. Il. W. Garfield. Judge
of the Superior Court of the State of
Washington, for Whitman County -
The Grand Jury convened by YOU
on the lst day of March, 1909, now
desires to submit Its report and be
discharged.
Immediately upon organizing we
were deluged with a food of COM
plants from different parts of the
county Of attractions of the law.
ranging from minor misdemeanors to
grave felonies. It was a matter of
some doubt with us as to what lengths
1t would be wise to proceed in the in
vestigation Of such offenses, but with
regard to our duty, as we saw it, and
under your charge, as we understood
1t, we have investigated great many
complaints, and about all that have
been presented to US which seemed of
Importance. The result is that We
have inquired into 81 cases of alleged
violations Of law and examined 76
witnesses, and returned 80 indict-
ments. We have also visited the va
rious county offices. and find some
things which to US seem capable of
improvement.
In the Sheriff's office, as heretofore
conducted, as far back as we exam
ined, there seems to have been kept
very incomplete records Of the trans
actions and official business of that
Office. We would direct the attention
ers to this matter, and recommend
that he be provided with suitable
books and records for that purpose,
in which may be kept a complete rec
ord of all matters pertaining to his
office. We believe the present in
cumbent has fair idea of what is re-
quired in this line.
1t seems that the Auditor and
Treasurer have not a perfect system
of checking tax collections, and that
section 1912 of Pierce's Code has not
been observed. We think that the
County Commissioners should look
into this and see il these officers can
not improve on their system of &C.
counting, and extend it so as to COM
ply with all the requirements of the
law.
We think that carbon copies of all
receipts given by all county officers
should be taken and retained in the
files Of the office.
The county Jail should be in
more sanitary condition by providing
hot and cold water, bath, etc., and
perhaps better arrangements could be
provided for keeping juvenile delin-
quents separate and away from the
influence Of older criminals. When
practicable we think the county con-
victs should be made to work on the
roads. While prisoners must be
treated humanely, prison life should
not be made in any sense attractive.
A committee of our body visited
the county poor farm and made re-
port, a copy of which we attach here
to, as rejecting our views on that
subject.
There is general and pronounced
dissatisfaction with the present law
for working the county roads, and we
believe the old law under which the
county was divided into small dis
tricts, and the people of each district
worked and kept up the roads In their
vicinity, was far superior to the pres
ent system. But, as we are under the
present system, we recommend to the
County Commissioners to subdivide
the districts as much as possible, and
endeavor to procure more even dis
tribution of the public work on the
roads, to the end that no community
may be neglected by the road super
visors.
We find much complaint about in
creased taxation, and are asked on
every hand If we can not do some
thing to stop the tendency in this di-
rection. We would certainly be glad
to do 30, but find that our county
government is responsible for but lit
tie Of this increase, and outside OF
the system of working the county
roads, which Is too expensive, due to
the state law, and sometimes to a
careless supervisor, we do not ind
where county expenses can be mater
tally reduced under present laws and
conditions. The most of our taxes
are for state, and local special pur-
poses.
In conclusion, as did the last grand
jury in this county, we have discussed
somewhat the usefulness, or lack
thereof, of a grand jury, under our
system Of criminal procedure, and II
- 20 o,,,o baooAt m record onr