Imperial Valley press., 1920-11-02
FIRST REPORT
WOULD. GUST
PUBLICITY
30 A R D
Supervisors Expected to Act
Monday or Tuesday; In
vestigati0n Will Be Con-
tinued into the Various
Angles of County Affairs,

Although the first report of
the Imperial County Grand Jury
relative to the tax investigation
which has been under way, car
ried recommendations which if
followed out will result in the
ousting Of the present publicity
commission of nine members and
the numerous deputy purchasing
agents for the county, the grand
jury has other work before it,"
FOREMAN A. II. Kellar stated this
morning.
The grand jury itself has ad-
journed for two weeks and when re-
convened is expected to take up other
angles Of the tax situation.
Action on the report of the grand
jury is expected the first of the
week by the board of supervisors,
which will meet for its regular meet
ing in December. 1t has been stated
that the supervisors will act favor
ably on the recommendations.
The report presented to Judge Phil
Swing is as follows
To Honorable Phil D. Swing.
Judge Superior Court,
department. Z.
We, the grand jury of the county
of Imperial, state of California, tor
the year 1920, beg to report that
we have carefully examined into the
affairs of the different county offlc-
es and find that during the past year
27 deputy purchasing agents have
been employed by the board OF super
visors at salary Of $500 per year,
with the exception of one employed
at salary of $500 per year, and
one at $500 per year, and that to the
best of our knowledge and belief, not
more than two Of the so-called depu-
ty purchasing agents are employed
as assistants to the purchasing
agent. In other words, are not acting
in the capacity of a deputy purchas-
ing agent, but all of these are en-
ployed as deputies and clerks in vari-
Gus county offices.
We are advised and believe that the
appointment of these deputies is a
subterfuge and occasioned by de-
mands of increase in pay of the vari-
Gus deputies and clerks, which in
crease is in excess of the legal salary
amounts.
We find that nine of the present
county officials, to-wit, the district
attorney, the county clerk, the coun-
ty treasurer, the county recorder, the
county auditor, the county tax collec-
tor, the county assessor, the county
superintendent of schools and the
county sheriff have been employed by
the board of supervisors to act as
members of publicity commission,
at salary of 500 per month, in ad-
dition to the regular salary fixed by
statute for their elective office; that
the pay for this special appointment
work commenced on or about July l,
1920; that we are advised that the
appointment of this commission was
made in lieu of the regular county
development agents office, in which
there was at the time of the appoint
ment Of this commission vacancy.
We find that one member of this COM
mittee claims never to have attended
any of the meetings. We are advis-
ed that the regular time of meeting
is fixed for Tuesday evening of each
week, at which the average attend
ance is from four to five. Some of
the members of this commission have
admitted to this grand jury that it
was a subterfuge and the means for
increasing their pay as regular
county officer. We have been unable
to find any minutes of their meetings
to fully determine the amount and
value of the work they are doing for
the county.
We believe that the practice of in
creasing the salaries of the officials
and employees of the county, by sub.
terfuge, is a bad precedent to estab
lish and should be discontinued.
We, as grand jurors, will recon-
mend to the coming legislature ade