Show County lerk jacob coleman kaplies to the nephi record I 1 am called the nephi record to give an account Sg of the of my office moet I 1 respond to thia request tor I 1 beleve that any public official who 13 arrau to throw the doors of his office open wie to the lime light of public and inspection is not only worse incompetent and negligent but is deserving the ever last ing a wronged and ill treated public a the nephi record charges that I 1 neg one of the daies of my office in not making the report to the state board of equalization asahe required time in replying to this state that it was through no fault that this report was not made onetime the county board of equalization on account of some difficulties in equalizing the valuations of the large minea and the 11 st could not corn their work the latter part of june with the books turned over to me at that late date ff was impossible to make all the changes in valuations and to cotal and balance all the assessment rolls by the first monday in july although I 1 worked nighta and holidays m attempt ing to do so the record would have you in ter that juab county was the only county that was a little late in making this re port but there wa sUtah county and a number of others df clayed in the eama way 1 am again accused of burdening the taxpayers by the employment ot a per 1 manent deputy as it I 1 were foisting a new and unusual charge upon the county for a long time past on account ot the volume of business lone in the clerk s office there has ben a permanent deau ty my critic that I 1 have been increasing instead of lessening the expense of my office but we can prove that there has been a great saving the records will for years past the county has paid an expert accountant per day to do tte bookkeeping my deputy is saving the taxpayers this extra expense not ony this the deputy erk this year does allabe proof reading for the county recorder thus dispensing with the hiring 0 a proofreader tor that office editor pyles catic ses my action in hiring additional yield to compute the taxes I 1 will state that it was not my plan to employ estra assistance in doing this work but at lae earnest request of the county treasurer the board of county d reeled me to place extra help on the ta rolls aal rush the work through that the notices might be sent out and tue tax money beg n to come in a monthS arl er than heretofore saving interest oa the overdraft at the bank be the opinion of ffman in the office claiming that he could do the work without auy assistance it may be true that ago when this ex clerk was in office and the county was doing but halt the business that is now being done he could have run the clerk e office unaided or in halt the time vvhs could t but we challenge the record to point out a single county in he state which does the amount ot business of baab county clerk does the w rk without assis danee and in response to inquiries of other counties we have receive figures which that this county has paid out less for deputy hire daring the past six months than any other county in the state doing a like amount of business it is true that there ale periods in the year when a deputy could be dispensed with but the commissioners have seen fit to use in the recorder Ke corder s office all the spare t me of my deputy it must be borne in mind that the clerk has the duties of three offices to perform every day he is not only clerk of the county but county auditor and the clerk of the district court as well with all the numerous and varied duties that are attached to each ol 01 the respective offices As county clerk of h s p me cal duties are to asue and record all mar nage licenses to keep a record of the toads and h to bounty all wild animals to take acknowledgments and oaths to examine and approve all school trustee bonds to collect all the county licenses licences licen ces to record and file all articles of I 1 incorporation keep an actuate record 0 all tees received to record the proceed ings of the county commiss boners to have care of and be ble for a 1 cobit bouse property to fi e aud pub sli I 1 all lists ot i nat oils t rov do al election cupi lies esuo elect on cert ti cates aud to act as clerk of the board of canvassers As county auditor a few of his numer ous duties are to examine the books of all county officers and report arregu canties to make reports to the state of the county finances to investigate and audit all the claims against the county to draw all warrants to procure and dis tribute all county stationery printing etc to act as clerk of the board of and as euch to nume all eions and changes ordered in the assess ment rolls to compute all the county taxes and apportion among the school districts and cities the assessed valuation of all railroads car telephone and tele graph companies As erk of the district court he is the custodian of all the records papers etc must be in constant attendance at every session and enter and record all the judg meets decrees and proceedings of the court and keep an attendance roll of and pay all jurors and witnesses for the state lie is also an ex officio federal officer before whom homestead proofs are made of government lands there being no resident commissioner at the county seat in cabes of urgency and prompt action be must assume the role ct a commissioner the life of atje clerk is one of constant interruption it is difficult for him to concentrate on any one task and ascom the results pose ble were hia dut es not so varied and conflicting he must answer by return mail the voluminous correspondence that is directed to his three offices the only telephone in the court house is located in hie office eo that he does messenger service in running after the attorneys adge and all the court officials who are being constantly called up on the phone he may be in the midst of a long column of figure and a young couple may come in and re quest that tae wedding ceremony be per formed in his office y or a peddler may call for w license i er an indian veter arf may the clerk to make out hie papers I 1 to aid him in securing a pension he ie never left alone there are people in hie office doing business from morning till night and yet record editor tho has never inspected the work or ed a single book in my office thinks there is little to do and that I 1 incompetent to do that little he requests me to pat tern after the treasurer e office let me gay that we have often vie ted that office to audit the books and agree with the editor that they are in good condition prior to this year it had been a difficult matter tor the county auditor to check up with the treasurer because the method of book keeping did not correspond with that in the auditor s office in order to obviate these difficulties the county commissioners at the beginning of the year employed mr bryan wio w io is a recognized expert accountant to introduce his system of book keeping in the treas aier s office and the auditors office As a resu t mr has been able to dispense with a deputy part of the time and as previously mentioned we are saving the county the expense Sot book keeper and a proof reader and we offer to submit oar books to any expert accountant or for comparison with those of any other county in the state what then can be the basis of record e charges T ah it is easy to see the motive back of this scurrilous attack As long as I 1 was g ving the the bilk of the county trade it could not speak my praises too eighty but the moment I 1 be gan to give another paper its portion of the county work its insinuations and began to crop out with the re cord the slightest withdrawal of trade means the beginning of abusive attacks be assailed our and he has cast reflections on our county of schools hinting that he was too easily led when of all characteristics that pre dominate most in mr sperry is that of firmness and decision ot character ii was the same story with my predecessor mr andrews because he would not give that paper all the trade this editor could not say anything too mean about him when every one knows that tb steil ng character and exemplary life of V andrews is as far above reproach as that of the blackmailing record editor is beneath the respect of all good honest citizens but who is this editor that elevates himself on a pedestal as friend of the taxpayer tax payer and with dissembled grief says in these times of deficient reven aes ues and rising taxes we deem it our duty to point out the leaks and defects what I 1 wish every taxpayer in this county could read the county mm ute book on page 87 which shows that in the printing of the election supplies last year the nephi record would have charged the county the exorbitant anee of and which the deveret ne s and other papers offered to do tor in other words the record tried to filch from the pockets ol 01 the tax payers 75 a total sum far greater than has been paid tor deputy hire during my incumbency n office let the record editor curb his pride and visit 0 the other printing offices of the state and there learn a lesson in h nesty and lair dealing towards the tax payers for whom he shed so many e tears this revengeful editor has intimated that he intends to hound me with abusive articles till the end of my term but I 1 wish to say to the citizens and tax ayers of this county that I 1 shall go on doing my very best tor the people s interests regardless of the unjust accusations of carping critics of lesser spirits |