May 14, 1964 (24 pages)

ae — SMALL TOWN SMALL WORLD . SURELY THERE IS MORE 10 DO THAN JUST WATCH AND WAIT Normal procedure in the matter of Nevada County's problem of an assess~ ment roll that appears to be shy of state estimates of the state average would call for the county to’ watch and wait until August and September. But where preliminary state estimates show that the county's roll is likely to be as much as $10 million under the state average, it would seem logical that the county should take some action in advance of the state deadlines. We have wondered why the supervisors have not yet asked for legal advice astothe county's position in the event the preliminary state estimate turns out to be accurate. Certainly there must be avenues that can be pursued by the county to make sure that the county's taxpayers are not being subjected to taxation by error. Nevada County's assessor, Charles Kitts, has said that the state's appraisals last year appear to be in error. Must Nevada County taxpayers accept the state's interpretation of what our county's assessment roll shouldbe? Or is there a means of legal redress? At the very least, we suggest, there should be an official request that a public hearing be held in Nevada County by the State Board of Equalization at which time the state board could lay on the table facts relative to last year's appraisals and their veracity. FEUD IS DETRIMENTAL 10 OPERATION OF COUNTY The current feud between supervisors and the district attorney's office in Nevada County should be resolved immediately. No good can result from a continuation of the ill-feeling that has been expressed. The supervisors seem to be of the opinion that a position of county counsel should be established. Such a step would require the setting up of a new office in the county government, and would likely cost $20,000 per year. But this expense is small in comparison with the $4 million annual budget of the county. If the supervisors feel that such an office would be beneficial to the county, then certainly the expense would be justified. But the supervisors should spell out why they believe this office isrequired, so that the public can weighthe cost against the benefits. There is no need to wait until after the elections to make this move. It will be no more desirable then than now. Onthe cther hand, if the supervisors do not feel this is the proper time to establish the office of county counsel toadvise them, then they must give the district attorney's office sufficient staff to conduct the county's legal business properly. The district attorney has requested that his part-time deputy be raised to full-time status. In effect, this would give the county legal office the same manpower it had prior to the county counsel squabble and resulting cutback of the legal staff by the supervisors. And it could result ina reduced salary budget in the department, compared with three months ago. The county's business is too important to place legal advice ona priority basis. Yet this can be the only result of a reduced staff. On the surface, it would appear that the taxpayers can best be serve d by making the deputy district attorney's job a full-time task. The county's interests can thereby be protected, the cost can be within the fiscal budget. However, ifthe supervisors still feel that the need for a county counsel is worth the extra cost, then they shoul move in that direction now. The needs of county government will not wait. The decision of the supervisors should not wait, either. SIERRA BYWAYS THE LIST THAT WAS NOT READY. IMPORTANT ONE THE VOTERS..Dropped in on candidate Dick Knee earlier this week and saw him poring over a list of registered voters in District 1, where Dick hopes to become supervisor.. Seems he had just picked up the list--the latest---at the courthouse, He'd been told the newest list wouldn't be ready for a week or two, but received word that copies of the list had been given to each supervisor running for reelection at the last meet ing of the board.. Knee felt the lists had been compiled with taxpayers funds and that he was as entitled to one as was his incumbent opponent. Got it, too..We're sure by now that all the other candidates have their copies, too wikats Atthistime of the year Mr. Voter, Nevada County, is an important person. THE SHORTS OF IT..A thoughtful reader noted that spring was here and sent me a copy of Bill Fiset's column (Oakland Tribune) on women golfers. . . Which brings to mind the descriptive quip: Golf Bags.. It seems that Fiset, with urging from Eastbay males, has been conducting a campaign of sorts against shorts as attire for the feminine golfer.. One idea that has come from the furor his comments have caused has been a compromise solution: "Golf clubs should require, before admitting a woman to membership, that she take a ‘hippopotamus oath’ never to wear shorts if she's bigger than size 12" eves The idea is worthy of consideration, but I fear there will be those women, size 14, who would squeeze into the 12 and the resulting bulge, the danger to fabric at the top of a tee swing, the rattled male nerves might make the whole idea a failure. Fiset's column continued: "If you're a woman rapidly growing apoplectic at these words, it isn't merely a matter of golf. Supermarket owners in the Eastbay have a genuine difficulty securing intelligent male clerks, only because the glut of housewives in shorts is too depressing to cope with every day. "Occasionally a genuine lulu comes along, of course, and brightens the day of any grocery clerk or golfer, but these are few and far between.. "It's the rare lulu of a shapely lady, incidentally, who looks even better in shorts by comparison.. "If you don't happen to belong to a country club you ‘can at least appreciate that the situation isn't an easy one, and the principles apply everywhere. Only perhaps one woman in 100 should wear shorts, and of course she SHOULD. "They always say nobody loves a fat man, but people dolove fat men and yet rarely is a fat woman loved except as a frame of reference. She's invariably sitting in the center of the sofa, in the middle of the back seat of the car, on the aisle in a movie or in the doorway of a bus, "And if you should happen to be a fat woman, you ‘ll survey yourself in the mirror and say that men golfers must be wrong, that you're attractive and loved by your husband despite your being overweight, But stop to consider why your husband tosses you complimentary tidbits or your ego. If he said you were too fat you'd diet, and e'd have to go along since you do the cooking. And since you're his housekeeper, and laundress, and perform other services he's had to keep peace in the family.. "The golf courses should be kept as a reserve for the beauty, and for men who play the game to, ease their tensions, " CRIME JUMPS..Nevada County District Attorney Harold Berliner passes on information released by the Department of Justice.. There were 49 felony defendants in 1963---one was certified to the juvenile court, one acquitted by jury, two convicted by jury, and 45 convicted by their pleas of guilty.. The felonies included three assaults, ten burglaries, ten grand thefts, one auto theft, ten forgery and check cases, three morals offenses, and 14 miscellaneous felonies.. The district attorney noted that felony dispositions have been rising steadily since 1959, when there were 20.. Already this year there is a marked increase shown in comparison with early months of other years. eeeee ABS9. 60. Thenew aidto unemployed families-program, a part of AB59, seems to be working better than most counties expected, it is reported by the California State Department of Social Welfare.. Nearly all counties have initiated a community work and training program for these unemployed welfare cases, caseloads are not running as high as had been anticipated, and community reaction tothenew program “is quite encouraging”, according to the state agency.. The claim seems to be borne out by an editorial printed in the California Welfare Directors’ Association confidential (?) bulletin last month.. "Itis clear that the counties over-estimated the initial impact of the program.and that the estimate of the State Department of Social Welfare, which most of us thought was ridiculously low, was in most instances much nearer than our own, It is evident, if it wasn't already known, that the vast majority of unemployed are willing and anxious to work," the editorial says in part tees It continues to warn county supervisors to budget sufficient for the program, noting that the program is sensitive” tochangesin weather, economic conditions, etc. 1088nN ONL’ ‘OL a8eg “pO6T ‘eT AeW OT e8eq"* NEE . The Nugget. Page 11 May 14, 1964. Page 11.

ae — SMALL TOWN SMALL WORLD . SURELY THERE IS MORE 10 DO THAN JUST WATCH AND WAIT Normal procedure in the matter of Nevada County's problem of an assess~ ment roll that appears to be shy of state estimates of the state average would call for the county to’ watch and wait until August and September. But where preliminary state estimates show that the county's roll is likely to be as much as $10 million under the state average, it would seem logical that the county should take some action in advance of the state deadlines. We have wondered why the supervisors have not yet asked for legal advice astothe county's position in the event the preliminary state estimate turns out to be accurate. Certainly there must be avenues that can be pursued by the county to make sure that the county's taxpayers are not being subjected to taxation by error. Nevada County's assessor, Charles Kitts, has said that the state's appraisals last year appear to be in error. Must Nevada County taxpayers accept the state's interpretation of what our county's assessment roll shouldbe? Or is there a means of legal redress? At the very least, we suggest, there should be an official request that a public hearing be held in Nevada County by the State Board of Equalization at which time the state board could lay on the table facts relative to last year's appraisals and their veracity. FEUD IS DETRIMENTAL 10 OPERATION OF COUNTY The current feud between supervisors and the district attorney's office in Nevada County should be resolved immediately. No good can result from a continuation of the ill-feeling that has been expressed. The supervisors seem to be of the opinion that a position of county counsel should be established. Such a step would require the setting up of a new office in the county government, and would likely cost $20,000 per year. But this expense is small in comparison with the $4 million annual budget of the county. If the supervisors feel that such an office would be beneficial to the county, then certainly the expense would be justified. But the supervisors should spell out why they believe this office isrequired, so that the public can weighthe cost against the benefits. There is no need to wait until after the elections to make this move. It will be no more desirable then than now. Onthe cther hand, if the supervisors do not feel this is the proper time to establish the office of county counsel toadvise them, then they must give the district attorney's office sufficient staff to conduct the county's legal business properly. The district attorney has requested that his part-time deputy be raised to full-time status. In effect, this would give the county legal office the same manpower it had prior to the county counsel squabble and resulting cutback of the legal staff by the supervisors. And it could result ina reduced salary budget in the department, compared with three months ago. The county's business is too important to place legal advice ona priority basis. Yet this can be the only result of a reduced staff. On the surface, it would appear that the taxpayers can best be serve d by making the deputy district attorney's job a full-time task. The county's interests can thereby be protected, the cost can be within the fiscal budget. However, ifthe supervisors still feel that the need for a county counsel is worth the extra cost, then they shoul move in that direction now. The needs of county government will not wait. The decision of the supervisors should not wait, either. SIERRA BYWAYS THE LIST THAT WAS NOT READY.. IMPORTANT ONE THE VOTERS...Dropped in on candidate Dick Knee earlier this week and saw him poring over a list of registered voters in District 1, where Dick hopes to become supervisor... Seems he had just picked up the list--the latest---at the courthouse, He'd been told the newest list wouldn't be ready for a week or two, but received word that copies of the list had been given to each supervisor running for reelection at the last meet ing of the

board... Knee felt the lists had been compiled with taxpayers funds and that he was as entitled to one as was his incumbent opponent. Got it, too...We're sure by now that all the other candidates have their copies, too wikats Atthistime of the year Mr. Voter, Nevada County, is an important person. THE SHORTS OF IT...A thoughtful reader noted that spring was here and sent me a copy of Bill Fiset's column (Oakland Tribune) on women golfers. .. . Which brings to mind the descriptive quip: Golf Bags... It seems that Fiset, with urging from Eastbay males, has been conducting a campaign of sorts against shorts as attire for the feminine golfer... One idea that has come from the furor his comments have caused has been a compromise solution: "Golf clubs should require, before admitting a woman to membership, that she take a ‘hippopotamus oath’ never to wear shorts if she's bigger than size 12" eves The idea is worthy of consideration, but I fear there will be those women, size 14, who would squeeze into the 12 and the resulting bulge, the danger to fabric at the top of a tee swing, the rattled male nerves might make the whole idea a failure. Fiset's column continued: "If you're a woman rapidly growing apoplectic at these words, it isn't merely a matter of golf. Supermarket owners in the Eastbay have a genuine difficulty securing intelligent male clerks, only because the glut of housewives in shorts is too depressing to cope with every day. "Occasionally a genuine lulu comes along, of course, and brightens the day of any grocery clerk or golfer, but these are few and far between... "It's the rare lulu of a shapely lady, incidentally, who looks even better in shorts by comparison... "If you don't happen to belong to a country club you ‘can at least appreciate that the situation isn't an easy one, and the principles apply everywhere. Only perhaps one woman in 100 should wear shorts, and of course she SHOULD. "They always say nobody loves a fat man, but people dolove fat men and yet rarely is a fat woman loved except as a frame of reference. She's invariably sitting in the center of the sofa, in the middle of the back seat of the car, on the aisle in a movie or in the doorway of a bus, "And if you should happen to be a fat woman, you ‘ll survey yourself in the mirror and say that men golfers must be wrong, that you're attractive and loved by your husband despite your being overweight, But stop to consider why your husband tosses you complimentary tidbits or your ego. If he said you were too fat you'd diet, and e'd have to go along since you do the cooking. And since you're his housekeeper, and laundress, and perform other services he's had to keep peace in the family... "The golf courses should be kept as a reserve for the beauty, and for men who play the game to, ease their tensions, " CRIME JUMPS...Nevada County District Attorney Harold Berliner passes on information released by the Department of Justice... There were 49 felony defendants in 1963---one was certified to the juvenile court, one acquitted by jury, two convicted by jury, and 45 convicted by their pleas of guilty... The felonies included three assaults, ten burglaries, ten grand thefts, one auto theft, ten forgery and check cases, three morals offenses, and 14 miscellaneous felonies... The district attorney noted that felony dispositions have been rising steadily since 1959, when there were 20... Already this year there is a marked increase shown in comparison with early months of other years. eeeee ABS9. 60. Thenew aidto unemployed families-program, a part of AB59, seems to be working better than most counties expected, it is reported by the California State Department of Social Welfare... Nearly all counties have initiated a community work and training program for these unemployed welfare cases, caseloads are not running as high as had been anticipated, and community reaction tothenew program “is quite encouraging”, according to the state agency... The claim seems to be borne out by an editorial printed in the California Welfare Directors’ Association confidential (?) bulletin last month... "Itis clear that the counties over-estimated the initial impact of the program.and that the estimate of the State Department of Social Welfare, which most of us thought was ridiculously low, was in most instances much nearer than our own, It is evident, if it wasn't already known, that the vast majority of unemployed are willing and anxious to work," the editorial says in part tees It continues to warn county supervisors to budget sufficient for the program, noting that the program is sensitive” tochangesin weather, economic conditions, etc. 1088nN ONL’ ‘OL a8eg “pO6T ‘eT AeW OT e8eq"* NEE . The Nugget.. Page 11 May 14, 1964. Page 11.