The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-04-09


during tho little more than two months he
had acted as Commissioner, $24l.s7 Of the
public money, Of which amount $l92.77
was from the poor fund. No comments
whatever were made. But Mr.. Hammered
considered this little item IN ''sttsok" up
on him, and with the aid Of several assist |
ants, he proceeded to construct IN editorial |
article, column in length, which appeared
in last weeks Times, and which he fsndly
considers "defsnss." It IL . very thin
one. He begins BY admitting everything
stated in tho item, % far 90 the amount Of
money drawn 10 concerned. Hs claims,
however, that no had acted ~ Commission.
er three months. This 10 not true. The
Official records show that Mr.. Hammered
WAS sworn in a. Commissioner on tho 9th
day Of January, and that the session at
which he presented the last of the bills in
oluded IN tho $24l 81 met on the 18th OF
March; and it was between these two dates,
covering just two months and eleven days,
Tor about two and ons-third months) that
Mr.. Hammered did 50 thriving = business
on the county poor fund.
Mr.. Hammered next dsvotes his attsn.
ton to figures, but is very lame here, too.
He says there are i've Commissioner Dis.
triots in the county that tho amount e.
pended for tho poor last year Was "a $751;
o.; that this sum, equally proportional
among tho five, would give each Commits
sioner $s76.20 per annum, or $2l8.o5 for
three months. This il al good sno ugh, -
far as it gees. But Mr.. Hammered neg.
leoted to state that the 81, 1881 .o8 expended
for the poor last ear included 81 ,080. 1t. for
medicine and medical services. Mr.. Ham,
msrsl's $l92.7l included nothing Of this
hind-that money went to Mr.. h. for
goods from his store and for his In.
dividusl services - Ovsrsser Of tho Poor.
Deduoting this s.. oso,l5 from $4,ssl.os,
would leave So, 800. 8s for tho kind Of 70.
lief and services charged for BY Mr.. HAM
merel. This divided equally between
the i've Commissioners would give $780,
II per annum to each or about 1882 for
tho length Of time Mr.. h. had acted ~
Commissioner. So that Mr.. Hsmnsrsl
had drawn over sizty dollars more than his
proportion.
Again, Mr.. Hammered charged for his
services % Oversser Of tho Poor during
these two months end eleven days, $40. 80.
This would be 1T tho rate OF about sos
per year, or within little more than twen-
ty dollars Of 40 much 90 the a. ss Board OF
foe Commissioners received for th.> same
services rendered last year. Mr.. Ca. tef
received $4,000 for the year, or less than I,
twice as much a. Mr. Hammered obtained |
for two months and sne.third; Mr.. sohros-
der $40, or 1<ss than one-half As much ~
Mr.. Hammered had drawn by tho middle
Of last month Mr.. Miller only $685.:
Mr.. Getty but Sill, and Mr.. Greeley $48-l
and We have never yet heard that either of
these gentlemen neglected tho poor Of bis
District. Perhaps Mr.. Hammered can e.
plain these figures away on his "squally
proportional" plan.
De claims that tho fees Of overseers Of
the Poor are ''6xed by law" Will hs be
kind enough to point out the page and SEQ
ton in the statutes whore these fees are 80
fixed? (Mr. Hammered will not find
himself put to any great Inconvenience in
complying with this request, a. At the last
meeting Of the Board he very thoughtfully
voted himself, at the expense Of the eoun-
ty, set Of Bissell's Revised Statutes,
price $10.) As tho statutes fail to say just
how many days = Commissioner may cot
as Overseer Of the Poor, it wsuld seem
from Mr.. H.'s bills that hs put in, In
this line, whatever odd time he was not en-
gagged in selling goods from his store, TO
be charged to the poor fund.) That the
youngest Commissioner understands =
thing or two about doing business cannot
be disputed.
Mr.. Hammered is highly indignant that
any one should dare to challenge his right
to monopolize tho poor fund trade Of his
District. The statutes know nothing what
ever about trade and dioker in this matter.
They say, very distinctly, that Commits
sioner, in giving relief from the poor fund,
shall do 50 by drawing an order on the seun.
ty Auditor, who shall thereupon issue IN or
der on tho County Treasurer, (exoept in
cases where tho person to whom the relief
is given is not competent to expend the
money; but these cases are very rsre.)
This allows q poor person to buy where
ever he.can buy the cheapest, and does
not compel him to buy Of any one man
such goods as that man may choose
to keep, and 1t such prices a. he may
choose to charge. These orders signed
by Commissioner are gladly taken
by any merchant. And since the lit
tie item appeared in TIE JOURNAL two
weeks ago, Mr.. Hammered has decided, At
least in one instance, that it 10 best for him
to conform to the requirements Of the law,
and he has given one order, for $50, which
was taken to Fair Haven store As this
order was received by person whom Mr..
Hammered had heretofore supplied from
his own store, drawing the money himself,
it shows that there arc other places where
at least some people prefer buying their
goods, than at Mr.. Hsmmereps.
Mr.. Hammered dsvotes about ons-feurth
OF his article 20 figures, and tho remaining
three-fourths to abusing the ,ss4nr Of this
paper. He failed to help himself in the first
part, Or to hurt anybody else in tho last.
We would suggest to Mr.. Hammered that
he conform little moro closely, hereafter,
to the law in disburslng the poor fund Of
the county and not insist upon monopolis-
ing that fund as . feeder to his store. He
should not attempt to make too good .
thing out Of his Office the first year. And
We would further suggest to him that it 10
a hard matter to fight facts but Of this he
is doubtless by this time pretty well salts
fed.
NEW GOODS STILL COMING.