The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-05-13
THE COUNTY, DEPOSITS

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The Board of Audit met on Monday
last to consider the matter of the coun'
ty deposits, as there seems to be con
flict of authority. = The Commissioners,
as our readers were informed byreports
of their proceedings, advertised for bids,
accepted the bid OF the Mobiles County
Bank and designated that bank as the
place of deposit.
The Board of Audit claim that the
Commissioners have no authority to act
in this matter, as the law distinctly
says that it shall he the duty Of the
Board of Audit to advertise for bids
andto designate the place of Deposit
The law also distinctly says that the
bids shall be to pay interest on monthly
balances, whereas the Commissioners
accepted the bid Of the Mobiles County
Bank to pay an aggregate sum of $75
for the deposits. Examiner Knox, in
his report, says: 'The proposals receiv-
ed from the banks must show the rate
of interest to be paid on monthly bal
ances."
The Board of Audit therefore saw in
this action of the Commissioners a
stretch. of authority and also method
Of letting the deposits which is not &C.
cording to law, in fact, an assumption
of powers delegated to the Board of Au>
dit. But, being disposed to get along
as amicably as possible, the Board decl-
ded to concur with the Commissioners
in designating the Mobiles County Bank,
as it was understood that after June l
county orders would be redeemed as is
sued, which would reduce the deposits
somewhat.
Outside of the Board of Audit there
has of course been free talk and some
swearing at this action of the Commits
sioners. It has been freely asserted
that it was one of Crosby's schemes to
give the deposits to his political creator,
Peter Thompson, and that the other
members of the Board fell into the trap.
Be this as it may, there seems to have
been a purpose to give the deposits to
Thompson, us the legal bids of the 9TH
er banks were rejected and the bid of
the Mobiles County Bank, which was
not according to law, was accepted
1t is freely asserted that the bid of the
Messrs. Smith, of the Bank Of Worthing-
ton, to pay per cent. on monthly bal
ances, was much the better bid. Esti-
mates made by the Board of Audit,
based OIL settlements of last year, show
average balances of over $1,000, which
at per cent. would yield over $500 in
terest.
We regret that we have not space
herewith to copy series of questions
asked by Examiner Knox upon this
very subject of county deposits. We
can give only one as a sample, thus:
Why should Anoka county, with $685.
600 receipts, report $685. from inter-
est and Pope with $4,000 report even
$6467 interest Gf that is ALL while
Swift with $50, 1000, Mobiles with $50, 900
and Jackson and Martin with $34. 600
annual receipts get nothing at all from
this source.
In his next report he will probably
ask this question:
Why is it that Anoka county, with
$50, 900 receipts, reports 1896. g. from in
terest, while Mobiles county, which re-
ported SAT 900 receipts in her last an
nual statement, gets only $50 interest?
And then that very malicious" pa.
per, the ADVANCE, which is always but
ting at something, will probably an
swer:
Because the County Commissioners
rejected the legal bids to pay per cent.
on monthly balances, and accepted the
illegal bid to pay an aggregate sum OF
SO for the deDOSitS.