Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-07

returned as unbelievable by the county treas
urer and to erase and cancel from the lists
such as cannot be collected but l would re-
spectfully commend the question to your
judgment whether pencil memorandum OPP
posite the names (Which can at any time be
erased or changed by anyone having access to
the books) bear any evidence of care or super
vision or cancellation by competent authority.
Such marks are as follows, for example, dead
''u. f., "w," ''left," sold out" 'no PROP, -
busted, cleft city," cleft State" etc., etc.
But leaving as they stand the innumerable in
stances of this kind which may be supposed to
be intended to be dropped as uncollectable, still
very large amount in the aggregate remains
upon the rolls which does not appear to have
been subject to any action of any kind. For
instance, the personal duplicate of 1874 con-
tains over 800 names with an amount of some
$4,000, against which entries no evidence APP
pears that any lawful steps have been taken to
enforce payment, or, in failure of that, to can
Gel them by authority shown. The personal
duplicate for 1875 has over 900 names of I'M
collected taxes, amounting to 1924, 630.2O. Is
Is true i'll this case that 3 large proportion of
this sum is marked either 81, &C." or "W''
whatever those marks may mean, but these
marks. without reference to any record of
competent authority. cannot seem to me to be
proper final disposition of the sums repre-
sented by them.
The personal duplicate for 1876 still shows
over 700 names with an aggregate of over
$1,000 of taxes yet uncollected, and not mark
ed in any way to show that collection has been
attempted, and the duplicate for 1877 shows a
like list of over $50 names, and nearly $1,000
in taxes in the same condition. A comparison
of these lists would seem to indicate that a
considerable portion of these taxes were good
and collectable, that the same names appear
upon each of the lists, and that several of them
are those of persons in official position, and re-
ceiving either regular salaries from the county
or city, or payments from one or the other on
contracts. It seems to me that the taxpayers
of the county have q just cause of complaint in
this regard as we'll as in some others not COM
ing directly under your supervision officially.
That many of these taxes could, and should
have been collected is evidenced by the fact
that the same persons have promptly paid their
taxes for 1878 into the treasury. 1t is the
evident intention of the law that these personal
lists should not remain open indefinitely, but
that the taxes thereon should be promptly paid
voluntarily or by distralnt, and the lists purg-
ed of the worthless and closed up as far as
these are concerned by some valid action made
a matter of record by your board.
VII. Several claims for services have been
allowed by the board and paid which
depend for their validity upon the
Interpretation of the several special salary
acts controlling the proper allowances to OIL
GERS in the county. An authoritative opinion
upon these points of construction will soon be
obtained from the Attorney General, which
will be hereafter furnished you for your future
guidance. Respectfully yours,
HENRY M. KNOX, Public Examiner.
P. SIN regard to the sureties on some OF
these bonds (of depositories) several of them
are known not to be pecuniarily responsible, or
only for very small amounts. Others Gas those
of the German-American, Farmers & Mechan-
les and Savings banks) are the principal own
ers of the banks themselves, and hence at a
possible time OF failure (for protection against
which the bonds are only given) would or might
be financially crippled at the very time when
they would be looked to to make good loss to
the county and State. I think that the whole
file of bonds should be gone over carefully and
new ones called for wherever the necessities OF
the case seem to demand it. 81. M. K, P. E.
The chair stated that that portion of the re-
port referring to the abatement of taxes as
sessed to Dawson d Go. required some explana'
ton. If the public examiner had taken the
trouble to investigate the matter be would
have discovered his egregious error. Mr.
Scheffer had given sworn statement which
had been arbitrarily raised by Mr.. McClung,
the same having been afterwards corrected.
In conclusion, the chair hkened the report tC
the works of an Irish author, who could en-
ploy truth to do the dirty work of faisehOod
better than any man he ever saw.
The article was referred to the committee on
ways and means.
Mr.. Blake, chairman of the board of super
visors of Rose township, called attention to
what was considered the injustice of requiring
the citizens of Rose town to maintain the three
parallel roads running between st. Paul and
Minneapolis, especially as they were largely
used by the citizens of the two cities.
The chairman told him to present a petition
FEES OF OFFICERS.
The annual report of fees for 1879, collected
by the register of deeds, was submitted by Otto
Drehr. The total amount was given al
SO, 752.98. Referredto the committee on ways
and means. The annual report of A. z. Kie-
fer was submitted, showing the costs, fees
percentages, penalties allowance and perqui
sites collected for the year ending Dec. 81
1879. The total was given at S6,9S7; CLERK
hire, 81, 800; balance, 50, 627. Referred to the
committee on ways and means.
The sheriff's annual report was submitted
showing the amount of fees costs and per
quisites charged during 1879.
Paid deputies, etc. .................. 2,2OO VI
Balance. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ,097 q
A communication was read from judge
OGorman stating that his attention had beer
called to section 265 of Young's statutes Of
1878, with the request that its provisions bt
complied with. The court stated that 30 far al
it related to the Office of judge of probate tht
same had been repealed. Referred to the com
mittee on ways and means.
The county treasurers report was submitted
and appropriately referred, the same having
appeared in previous issue of the GLOBE.
ELECTINa COUNTY PRINTER.
The following resolution was offered by
Commissioner Hoyt:
Resolued, The st. Paul GLOBE is hereby
elected as the official paper of the county Of
Ramsey for the ensuing year, and until Its
successor ais elected and qualified, and that The
committee on printing is instructed to make {
contract with the publisher of said paper tt
do all the county printing and advertising al
rates no higher than are now being paid for th'
printing of the city of st. Paul.
a vote was taken and the GLOBE was declar-
ed the county printer by the following ma
iority:
observation-disclosures Grace, Rene, Hoyt
Wagner and the chair.
Nays-Commissioner Fink and Bohland.
A resolution was adopted appropriating the
sum of $500 to the board of directors of the
aims house and hospital for March, and also
the sum of 1892, the same being for team
and wood purchased for the poor farm.
Gen. Miles Last Indian Fight.
Yesterday, department headquarters received
a telegram from Gen. Nelson A. Miles in con
firmation of the rumored raid of hostile INDIAN