The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-24
Unlawful Allowances by the Town
Roqrd


Board.
The organ of the plunderers of the pub
lie treasury holds that the town auditors
did not allow the assessors SIS day, but
allowed him his legal pay, $3.50 day, and
then allowed him 50 80 day for his team;
and the organ iustiies the allowance of
$3.50 day for the horse and wagon on
the ground that township auditors are au-
thorized to pay contingent expenses nee
essarily incurred for the use and benefit of
the town." This is too small hole to
crawl out of. The town clerk brought in
bill of over $50, scarcely one item of
which is charged in accordance with any
law, and the whole of which would not
legally amount to one-fourth of that
sum,-but the auditors allowed it without
question, and with just as much authority
Of law as they allowed the assessors bill.
In the clerk bill he charged for team
delivering election notices, and the board
allowed it; yet the law provides that he
shall have certain stipulated fees for the
work. The charge for horse and buggy
is as legal in one case as in the other, and
it is illegal in both.
But let US see if the assessor did charge
$3.50 a day for himself and $3.50 a
day for his team. His bill reads as fol
lows:
For1S days with horse and buggy making the an
nual assessment for taxation Tor A. D. 1875 from
April 1t TO July Sth- at So per day $4,000
Here is no separation of the days the
team was used from the days it was mo-
used. April 7th is the day after election
and before he received notice of his elec
ton. Did he commence work before h
was notified Of his election? The clerk
account shows that he did not notify him o
his election until the 10th, three days afte
his bill commences! The clerk has mad
a false or erroneous charge or the assessor
could not have received notice of his cleo
ton till three days after he commenced tC
charge So day.
From April 18th to July 8th, deductin
Sundays and holidays, there are only Z
days, between election day aud the da
the book was returned. Do the auditor
suppose that a horse and buggy was use
every day of that tine ''for the benefit c
the town?''-rainy days and all? No
body believes any ssuch thing, an
the auditors neither knew or care
t. inquire whether it was or moi
They allowed the bill just as it wa
presented, without any authority of law
or without knowing or inquiring whethe
there was any law authorizing it or nO
If they had allowed SO much a day for tn
use of team, would it not be natural t
require bill of the number Of days tn
team was used? The law authorizes theI
to require bill of items, and (Sec. g. al
thorizes them to require the account
be verified by an affidavit setting fort
that the same is correct and just, and
unpaid, or, if any part thereof has bee
paid, setting forth how much" No sue
account was presented,no did the auditor
make any inquiry as to how many days ii
the team was used. They allowed So
, day for the whole time, bad weather AT
all For three or four days, or q wee
perhaps, among the residents of that pa
of the town annexed from Black Hawk,
team might possibly expedite the work
little. But in the old town it would be
nuisance, a hiudrancc. requiring more tin
to hitch, unhitch. get in and out, and lo
q after the team than it would take to
" from house to house. Nobody believ
that the team vas used IS days, or tn
=" any inqairy was made by the auditors
: to how many days it was necessary, or "
u used.
! There is no law for any such allowan,
. any more than there is for allowing t
y, clerk for a team for delivering election
~ tees. The law fixes the per deim of t
'e assessor, and the auditors had no power
~ allow cent beyond the sum fixed. T
u law fixes the fees to the clerk for deliy
~ ing notices, and the auditors had nc pc
" er to allow a cent beyond the sum fix