Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-17

son & Co. at 100000, double the amount of
funds to be deposited, and in requiring" as
| they did in writing, on March l, 1878, the treas
urer to deposit therein to the limit of $4,000
The amount assessed to that firm on the dupli-
cate of 1875 under which the bond was given
was $75, 900, upon which the sum of $45, 600 was
! abated on the petition of the firm, and the cap
! ital stock assessed to the firm for any subse-
quent year has not reached the sum of 1874, 600.
| Second-The act requires that the bonds shal
be 'signed by not less than five freeholders of
| said county as sureties' and they were
signed at the date of execution; but on account
of the death of several of the sareties so sign
| ing the number of sureties upon the bonds of
two of the banks has been since reduced to
three each. Third-Changes have been made
| of the sureties and the additional fact is also
| noted that some of the sureties
are also the stockholders and principal owners
of the banks whose bonds they sign. This
would not, perhaps, be a necessary disqualifoa-
| ton, except in the case that the financial re-
sponsibility of the surety would be affected by
| the failure of the bank. In this event, at q
| possible time of failure of the bank (for pro-
lection against which only the bonds are given)
| the sureties upon the bond would be fnanci-
| ally crippled at the very time when they would
| be looked to to make good loss to the county
and State.
In regard to the bonds of the county officers
pencil, which would not seem to be proper in
a document of this Importance. The penal
| sum named in the bond of the treasurer, l note,
has been raised from S6O. 900, the sum named
| in the bond for the past term, to $lO0, 600 for
| the term about to commence. Upon what
| principle those amounts of penaly were fixed
upon, it is impossible to determine. The bond
being gwen as protection to the State and
| county, it would seem to be obvious that it
| should protect all the funds at any time in the
treasury, and not part of them. 1t is well
known that in Ramsey county there comes into
the treasurer's hands officially three or four
| times the amount of the penalty fixed as given
| above, even in the bond for the term commenc-
| ing March l, 1880. The bonds given by banks
as depoaitories afford no protection for
the funds, except in case of their
failure, as every cent SO deposited
check. The attorney general, in an opinion
given this officer the subject of official
| bonds, under date of June 26, 1878, says:
'Sureties cannot be held in an amount exceed
! ing the penalty expressed in the bond executed
| by them. Care should be taken, therefore, and
| especially in the case of county treasurers, to
| fix the penalty high enough to cover the high
| est amount likely to come into their hands Off
| cially during the term for which such bond is
given.' 1t ia not difficult for man of high
| standing and character to obtain sureties for
| this highest amount, and every obstacle pos
of different character to prevent his qualifying
for such an important and responsible Office.
The penal sums named in the bonds of other
officers found on file with the secretary of state
are follows: Auditor. 800 900; sheriff, $5. 900;
register of deeds, $1,000; attorney, $1,000;
judge of probate, 81 900; clerk of court, 81 000
coroner, $3. 00O; surveyor, $500. Some of these
penalties fixed by general law as basis for all
the counties of the State, are entirely inade-
quate to cover the responsibilities of the Off
GERS of this large county.
SALARIES, FEES AND ALLOWANCES.
The salaries for several years of the various
officers receiving fixed sums as compensation
for services have been checked from the audi
tors record of "audited claims 1.-THE original
orders having been destroyed), and found to
have been properly allowed according to the
several special salary laws in force at the time.
In regard to the Offices paid by fees, the
amount of such fees received during the past
year has been taken from the books shown by
the several officers. Under the provisions of
chapter DIG, special laws 1878, sections Sand 9,
it is made the duty of the abstract clerk, judge
of probate, auditor and treasurer to report to
| the county commissioners quarter-yearly
true and correct account and statement, under
oath, in detail, giving items and dates of all
costs, fees percentages, penalties, allowances
and other perquisites Of every kind charged OF
chargesble in his Office, etc.. and also to "keep
full and regular books of accounts subject at
all times to the examination of the county
commissioners, of all sums collected or re-
ceived." etc. Quarterly reports of fees are
found to have been made by the abstract clerk,
and regular book of accounts of the same is
kept in his Office. Returns of fees are also
made by the judge of probate at irregular
times, but no book of accounts has heretofore
been kept of the receipts of the Office, and the
Mt for are M fn ha nv
reference to the documents filed.
In regard to the fees, etc., of the clerk of
| court, sheriff, and register of deeds, l do not
find that sections 265-6-7, page 164, G.. s., have
| ever been repealed by any of the special acts
regulating their compensation.
Section 265 makes it the duty of these Off
GERS ito report to the county commissioners
the first day of January of each year a certi-
fed and sworn statement in detail of all the
costs, fees, percentages, penalties. allowances,
or other perquisites of every kiad charged in
his Office during the preceding year.
Section 266 fixes fine of not less than $500
nor more than 81 900 penalty for inten-
tionally making no such statement or making
false one.
Section 267 makes it the duty of the COM
missioners to publish during the first week in
January, the aggregate amount received by
each of said officers, as 50 rendered and sworn
to.
Mono of these sworn itemized reports have
been made for term of years, and of course
no publication made. The attention of each
of the officers has been called to the statute and
the matter brought to the attention of the
county commissioners.
The board of commissioners are found to
have drawn as compensation as follows: For the
year 1875, g. 6O3.2O; for 1876, 81 1853; for 1877,
90, 1880; for 1878, $l,0S3.34. Nearly ten
months pay of this latter year (lS7S) was reg
ulated by the provisions of the special act of
March 8, 1878, but it appears
that while the amount of claims
paid was SO largely decreased
the provisions of this latter act (taking into
account the allowances to them both as men,
beers of the board of commissioners and of that
of equalization) was more liberal than those of
the several acts under which pay was drawn for
the years 1875, 1876 and 1877. Under this act
of 1878 the total amount of allowances paid and
due to commissioners for the year 1870 was
800, and the amount charged in full for the
services of four commissioners, acting upon
the board of equalization for that year, was
1852, OF . total possible CO mpensation per an
mum of 1852. In the large amounts paid to COM
mlssiouers for services during former years,
there ia no doubt (and it go appears) that extra
allowances were granted for work upon the
boards of abatement, upon committees, etc.,
etc. but for the proper allowance of these 1
H-vr h@A~n al l.