The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-03-08
OUR COUNTY AFF4ZRS-LET U.s. HI We

Il FULL AND FAIR COUNT.
The report Of the County Committee
on the County Treasurer's accounts,
which we published last week in con-
nection with the proceedings of the
Board Of County Commissioners, should
have been more complete. AS the Com
mittee had been making settlement of
accounts dating back to the organiza
ton of the county, their report should
have covered the whole ground. The
taxpayers have right to know how
much money they have paid into the
County Treasury, what amount has
been disbursed, and for what purposes,
since the county was organized and as
this is the first and only report of set
Element which has been published, it
should have shown all this clearly.
1t is said that county bonds have been
issued to pay off county Indebtedness to
the amount of $9,725. Recently an en-
abling act has been passed authorizing
the issue Of bonds TO the amount Of
S., 900 more for the same purpose. The
County Treasurer, as shown by this re-
port, has paid out in cash, $34, 300, max
ing total of $49,025. Add to this
the amount disbursed by his predeces-
sor, (which is not shown and we have
considerably over $4,000 as a total of
county expenses, nearly all of which
has been contracted within the past
four years.
The taxpayers are interested in
knowing whether or not the county has
had value received for this outlay
They have a right to know for what
purpose this vast amount of money is
being expended. And if the recent in
vestigations Of the County Commission
ers have not shown this....clearly their
work is very incomplete.
Weunderstand that figures have been
so arranged III the county books as to
show correct balanoes;3 that the men
whose duty it was to know better have
all the time represented that the &C.
counts were all right and even more
than right, and that there was sur
plus of cash on hand belonging to the
county which puzzled their wise heads
to know how to account for, While at
the same time there WAS an actual de-
fcit.
And we wish again to call attention
to the fact that the Board of Audit,
whose duty it was to have made an ex-
animation and a correct report Of the
Treasurer accounts, has been, until
the LIST of January, 1877, made up al
most entirely of men who have been &C
lively and intimately connected with
the Worthington Ring, and that al
though the law requires them to make
these settlements three times in each
year and report the same to the County
Commissioners, they have never once
done so during the whole of these five
years in which they have had entire
control of this business.
This state Of affairs has tendency
Indirectly to cast suspicion on all of
those officials who have had anything
to do with the management of the fl
nancial affairs Of the county, and it
falls more especially on those who have
been active and influential managers of
the Ring, and indicates very clearly
that they have had a motive in perpet.
uating themselves Or their confidential
friends in office.
While the people have confidence in
the integrity of the County Treasurer,
still the examination showed that the
books have been loosely kept And
Judging from this examination, we have
good reason to believe that there may
be discrepancies in other departments.
We therefore ask, on behalf Of the
people, a full and careful examination
of each Of the different accounts, and I,
statement from the County Commits
sioners, backed by the figures, showing
what amount of money each one of the
county officials had a right to receive
each year, and also what amount each
one of them has actually drawn from
the County Treasury. A statement to
this effect is due alike to the officers
and the tax payers, and if this report
shows fair dealing, it will do very much
toward restoring public confidence.
We have honestly opposed political
rings on general principles, believin g
the tendency of such combinations, un-
der the most favorable circumstances,
to be wrong. At the same time, we
have supposed that most Of the indlvid-
ual members of the Ring were, in bust
ness matters, upright and honorable
Now, since the recent investigation has
aroused some suspicion as to their do
ings, it is but fair to give them the ben
eft of fair investigation. They have
a right to ask it, and the people have
the right to demand it and they should
do 50.
by all means, let us have more inves-
tigation.
| TIMER CLAIMS
The following circular has been re-
ceived at the Worthington land office.
1t explains itself:
DEPARTMENT OF TIE INTERIOR, !
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 8, 1877.
GENTLEMEN: The second section of
the act OF congress entitled "Anact to
amend the act entitled An act to ell
courage the growth of timber on west
| arm mr., iripS , - npDrOvn1 Mnrnh 70 1914