The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-06-24
The Auditor Generals once.

1t is probable that but a small por-
ton of our fellow citizens who have
never visited the Office of the Auditor
General of the State, have any idea of
the Importance and magnitude of the
business connected herewith. It. is
the great engine by which the wheels
OF the State government are kept in
motion. Here resides the central power,
by which our taxes are assessed and
collected, as also for payment OF all
demands against the State. No claim
can be paid by the Treasurer, without
the warrant of the Auditor General.
From this it may be seen, that the
business of the office is intricate and
extensive: but we propose to go little
more into detail.
Delinquent taxes are returned to this
office. These are to be copied, and it
requires the labor of IL to Is clerks, for
about a month in each year. When
the returned lands are advertised for
sale for the taxes, three copies of the
list must be made-one for the printer,
one for the county treasurer, and one
for the Office. This takes IL to Is
clerks about two and half months.
The cancelling departmentoccu the
time of one man, and the bookkeeping
another. The correspondence keeps
three or four in constant employment.
Two clerks are occupied in connection
with duplicate receipts from county
Treasurers.
A considerable item of labor for the
present year, is in compiling what is
called a "tax history" Heretofore, if
tract of land returned for taxes, was
to be investigated, as is constantly re-
quired to be done for parties interested,
it might be necessary to hunt through
several books at cost of much labor
and some uncertainty. These books
were likewise becoming much worn,
and would have to be copied in little
while. The Auditor General has there
fore adopted the plan of collecting from
all the books and records of each tract,
so that they can be found at once !;
showing the history of every action in
regard to them, from 1888 to 1855. It
is believed that the time saved in ex-
aiming these records, will in a short
time, more than pay the expense of
the work; although six clerks have
been employed in it for over two years.
All the blanks for assessment rolls
for Supervisors, are furnished from this
Office; as well as sale books for County
Treasurers, and other blanks. The
recording of sales, as reported by
County Treasures, occupies the time
of one clerk.
The taxes, interest and charges, on
lands advertised last year, were $780,
$751; Paid before sale Sl9,923. Sold
S43,434. Bid to the State, $54, 900.
Delinquent taxes returned for 1856,
$l69,260. All these numerous accounts
are kept with the county Treasurers
with the most perfect system and ac-
curacy Every transaction with them
and with the State Treasurer, is made
matter of record, every voucher and
paper not copied, are filed, and all let
tiers received, amounting to several
thousand annually, arc bound into a
book for preservation. So whenever a
man writes to the Auditor Generals
Office, he may know that his letter will
constitute a chapter in a manuscript
book. The time of one clerk is occu-
| pied in entering in the tract books the
sales of Government lands.
The imperfect details we have thus
given, may afford some idea of the
amount of labor, care, and difficulty,
connected with this Office. Carelessness
and irregularity would soon throw
things into interminable confusion.
Col. Jones, the popular Auditor Gen.
eral, is always at his post, ready for
consultation, and Mr.. Butler, whom
everybody knows, is as familiar with
the business of the Office as a sailor
with the ropes. Ask him almost any
question relating to State finances, and
he will tell you at once, where the an
swer may be found for there is re-
cord of it somewhere in that office.
If you wish to visit this Office, take a
walk with US up to the well known
Capital square," which Mr.. Kanter
could not find. 1t contains fifteen
or twenty acres, rising from each side
to the center; and here, where the
future Capital was designed to be, some
short sighted men in power, erected a
building called the State Offices" 1t
is large building, of respectable style,
and designed to be succeed. Butjust
then the Republicans came in power !;
and they thought the $4,000, or so,
which it would cost, had better be ex-
pended in other public institutions of
more immediate importance to the
people; and it will probably tumble
down before the stucco is applied, or
be torn down to make room for Capt.
tol worthy of State of the two million
of inhabitants which Michigan will
have before she is as old as Ohio now
is.
The Auditor Generals department
occupies the whole Of the first story of
this building, save modest corner for
the Treasurer. Yet they are cramped
for room, and very few years will
make more room absolutely necessary
for the work, and the numerous records
and documents constantly accumulat.
ling. How they got along when all the
offices were crowded into the State
House, we could never conceive, did
we not know that the business has
4 doubled within the past six years. Ye,
our opponents pretend to think that
the Department should be carried on a,
less expense now than then, or the party
now in power are guilty of great ex