El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-15
INQUEST FEES
WILL BE SAVED
County and City Officials
Decide That Many In
quests Unnecessary.

I A saving TO the county in inquest
! fees will probably result from the ten
tative agreement between the city and
county, that the city health officer
shall issue death certificates. The city
council and the county commissioners
court. at an informal meeting Tuesday
AFTERNOON. held in the office of mayor
Tom Lea, went into the matter Of in
quests eXhauStlvely, with a view to
uolnS away with unnecessary inQuests.
Many Inquests Unnecessary.
II was pointed out that death GER
tltieates can only be secured through
physicians or corOnerS, and as a result
coroners inquests are held over the re
mains of many who died through ma
turaI causes and had no physician in
attendance Justice J. NJ. Deaver is
quoted as saying that there are many
deaths where an inquest was super
flcial, but they had to be made in order
that a certificate Of death could be
issued.
1t was announced. following the
meeting, that the city health officer in
all probability viii receive a small in
crease in salary and be given the added
duty of issuing death certificates. in
cases where no physician was in at
tendance.
Would Divide Hospital Expense.
There was discussion over an equit-
able distribution of the expense of
maintaining the county hospital and
the city eruptive hospital At the
meeting Of the county commissioners
Tuesday morning commissioner seth 3.
OrndOrff pointed out to mayor Lea. who
was present. that while the total eX-
pense OF maintaining the hospital is
borne by the county. percent OF the
cases treated come from the city.
1t was announced Tuesday afternoon.
after the conference. that as soon as
the new county Door farm shall have
received the inmates. now being kept
at the hospital, for lack of another
place, the city and county viii confer
to see if some understanding cannot be
arrived at with reference TO a division
of expense in the maintenance Of the
county hospital and the eruptive insti-
tuition.
County commissioner 7 NJ Walling
brought up the matter of the city bear
ing part of the expense Of the rental Of
rooms in the Mills building for the
eighth court Of civil appeals.
Present at the meeting were; mayor
Lea and aldermen R B. Stevens. J. p.
Jolly and county commissioners Seth
B Orndorff, James Clifford. George
Pendell and J NJ Walling.
Interpreter is Dropped.
At a short session Of the county
commissioners held Tuesday afternoon
preceding the joint meeting. an order
was passed dispensing with the SER
vices of @. y Phillips as official inter
prefer at the court house, effective
January / No successor was elected
The motion was made by commits
sioner George Pendell. who stated that
MI Philips, IN addition to his duties
as interpreter. was working in the Of
flee of Jose Escajeda, district clerk.
Mr.. Escajeda was summoned before a
vote was taken on the notion and
asked II Mr. Phillips was in his employ.
The district clerk replied that he was
not. but that Mr.. Phillips made his
office his headquarters when not in the
courts.
When a vote was called. commits
sioners Orndorff. Pendeu and Walling
voted yes" and commissioner Clifford
No
Contract Signing Delayed.
Owing to the absence Of county at
torney C W. Groom, the court deferred
signing the contract with J. Z. Morgan
for the construction Of the new court
house. some changes having been made.
Mr. Morgan stated that he would pro-
coed with the ordering of material