Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-08-29
To the Court Of Common
Pleas Of Wy0ndOt Colt7a-
tn, Ohio:


Your Committee heretofore appointed to ex-
anime the oil sial transactions of the County
Commissioners and the financial affairs of the
County. having performed the duty assignc cd
them submit the following report:
In general We find that the business of the
County has been conducted with due regard
to the public interests, and We do not hesitate
to say that the board of Commi IS toner's, during
the period coveredby our investigations, We're in
all their official acts, seeking to advance the
welfare of the County, So much the better can
they aE-crd to have their mistakes pointed out;
and we dem it our duty to detect and expose
in the fullest and clearest manner all errors
whi;h we may discover, IN order that if not
now capable ofcorrection, they may hereafter be
avoided.
The boar ofCommissioners IS It's powers and
duties vcrv accurately deffne'l and rrcsCribed
by law, and although invested with a
large discretion as to the manner in which they
s. all act in particular case, they have no
choice as to the subject matter. They are not
the general guardians of the county, and are
not authorized to go outside OF the law and do
ali such things as they lay conceive the public
good to require.
A want of attention to these axiomatic prin-
ciples has doubtless been the cause of the few
illegal acts which have fallen under our obser-
walton and which we proceed to specify.
CONTACTS.
On the 21st of September, 1879, without adver-
tising for proposals, 4 contract was entered in
to with Walter Laidlaw ferrrouiing the Court
House and furn ishing materials at twelvchol-
lars per square, and December eth, 1870, the
claim of Laicilaw, under this contract, was al
! lowed, amounting to sG29 32. This was clearly
a contract for an outlay of money and the esti-
mated expense could not have differed essen
italy from the amount actually paid
The Commissioners should have advertised for
proposals and awarded the work to the lowest
responsible bidder. or by a unanimous vote,
entered with the grounds thereof, upon their
| journal. dispensed with the requirements of the
law in this particular case. See act Of March
9th, 1865, 63 vol, Stat. 32 s & IS.
| still more marked violation of this law oc-
Cured in the proceedings of the Commission
ers at Il special session ed June 10th, 1871, at
wh;5h time VI ithout advertising or undertak ins
to dispense with the requirements of the law
they entered into three contracts with Brooks,
Light s. Co. 1st, for furnishing and putting up
| a boiler at the County Infrmary for $T25. I'd,
| for furnishing pipes and come .tions attached
| to the boiler for the purpose of warming the In
| Urinary, ST25. Sd, for making and putting up
| at tic mfirmary wrought iron tank, $40.
These contracts amounti ing in the aggregate
| to 81, ,89O were not only made at thc same time,
with the same party, but are for the same kind
of work and material. to be put up in the same
place, and ior the same general purpose, to-wit:
| warming the in1rmary,
This was direct and manifest violation of
the law already referred to, and We, regret tc
add, looks like an attempt to evade She law
If it can be avoided in this way it is dead let
ter, and it would cnly be necessary to divide
any work into pats enough, for instance TO
make separate contracts for building each of the
walls OF house, to escape the literal provisions
ofthe law. In this case however had the con-
| tracts been really distinct the first two would
| have been illegal.
| At the December session, 1870, 1t was "Urder-
| ed that the claim of George z. Tyler, amount
ing to the sum of One Hundred Dollars, for the
right of the County to the exclusive use oi
Campbell's System of Indexing, as per agree
ment with Commissioners, be paid by an order
| on the county fund.-
As the only Visible equivalent for the county
fund tn Is disturset, there remains IN the Audi
tors oflce an awkardly drawn assignment to the
County Commissioners of the right to use
Campbells's PATENT System of Indexing and to
of Wyandot The Commissioners have not used
the System nor have they sold any township
rights The prospects for getting our money
back are discouraging.
We don't believe ",ystem of indexing'' 4:
patentable and we know the County Commis-
sioners have no more business to spend the pub
lie funds in buying it than theyhave to use then
in running 4 business collage or a dancing
school.
Il :, APPROPRIATIONS.
At the March session, 1871, the sum of SIC!
was appropriated from the County Bridge FunC
to pay Jacob Swartz for repairing the highway
in Antrim township AMI S83. 70 from the sam,
fund to pay w. HIrris, for making flltceI
! rods of co ,duroy bridge.
The first appropriation was for repairs rem
dered necessary by high water aud is OF doubt
fnl legality; the other is clearly illegal. Tn,
Bridge Fund is to be expended ''in the build
ing or repairing Of bridges and cClverts;" 6s
Vol. Stat. Iii. Corduroy bridges are not with
in the letter or spirit of the law, nor should an,
local improvements, except such the Law
provides, be made at the COMMON expense o
the entire county.
The appropriation at the Dec session, 1870, o
, S44 20 to Peter Weinandy, for stone spawls, use
in repairing road in District No 4, Crane town
ship, was wholly unauthorized; see s1 vol
, STAT. -. So in our opinion We're the appro
t'r:a,icns st the March session. 1871, of els t
selber S Lily fer bolt of tracing cloth for us
of Ccr;ty surveyor and ofS3.25 to p, C. Piersol
for 10 fsoTss feeds for horses claimed to he stolc
and left wish him by the Sheriff. and the allow
ance to John Ringeison and John Agcrter c
$t423 each, to reimburse their costs in cschcat
cd land cases.
FEES, saLaRrTS aEp rEKoUrs;TEs.
| ; AZ the December sesS ion. 1870, Inman & Oven