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

attending shall be entitled to the sum of $S
Der day and actual travelling expenses" The
bill rendered by the county auditor was as fol-
lows: "For services from September 6, 1877,
to January Is, 1878, adjusting claim of the
State of Minnesota against Ramsey county, for
delinquent State tax. etc., having made item
lied statement of attachments and erroneous
assessments, and reported the same to the state
auditor, amounting to $S7, oil 90, State tax,
etc." If it was the intention of the statute
70 limit the nay of the county auditor to the
days of actual attendance in the State auditor
office (as the words surely seem to imply, it is
necessary to say that such attendance OF the
county auditor did not exceed one day, and
that settlement under this statute has never
vet been reached. There is no question that,
as the auditor claims, q large amount of office
work was done under the provisions of the
statute above referred to.
And 80 in regard to other claims, much might
be said as to the amount of labor performed,
and as to the benefits accruing to the county
therefrom. And, although these facts do not
alter the principles upon which some OF the
claims are disallowed, it is only fair that any
explanatory circumstance should be noticed.
Thus, as to the benefits accruing to the coun-
ty from the appointment of purchasing agent,
it is claimed that the expense to the county
from this source was reduced about one-half by
such appointment. The auditors figures show
that during the years 1874, 1875 and 1875,
when each officer bought his own stationery,
the total expense to the county was $3, 154.27
while during the years 1877, 1878 and 1879,
under the resolution of the board, the total
From this total saving must be deducted
the claims paid to the purchasing agent,
or for additional clerk hire under the
resolution ($976. 66) leaving net gain of
$53l.75. But if, as the attorney general de-
cides, ''the board of commissioners was the
proper party to contract for the furnishing
supplies of this character to the county eff
GERS" then it follows that these were the Off
GERS who should have saved the county not
onlv the above gain of S531.75. but also the
amount of $976 66 paid as additional COM
pensation under the agency, and this great
saving should also have been made
for the years 1S74-5-6, ana all former years
as we'll. ~ 4pr-
It is also claimed by the present treasurer
that, in regard to the amounts allowed by the
board to Mr.. Dougan for collecting personal
property taxes of 1877, he came into office
March 1, 1878, that the ''iron-clad law" was
not approved until March II, 1878, and not
published till later, that his whole time was
absorbed by the new duties of bis office, and
the collection of the real estate tax and the &C
CELEBRATED rush of taxpayers up to June l, now
made necessary in order to escape the ten per
cent penalty accruing at that date, and that it
was a physical impossibility for him to give
proper personal attention to this matter, and
that his application to the board shows that
he asked for the help granted not only for the
purpose of collecting the taxes of one year, but
in order to clear up and purge from the lists
the accumulation of names of persons borne
upon them from year to year from whom moth
ing could be collected on account of removals,
deaths, ETC.
A word may perhaps properly be said in re-
gard to the amount paid as salary to the county
officers, and it may have its fair share of con-
sideration with the foregoing, although none
of these remarks can at present alter the legal
stains of the case. The general salary law
makes the valuation of the county the basis
upon which the auditors and treasurer's sala-
ries are calculated. Under this law counties
having valuation of $10,000.000 pay these Of
fcers 1850 per annum, besides auditors
clerk hire. Ramsey county, with two and q
half times as great valuation, and with three
to four times as much money passing through
its treasury yearly, pays its auditor "a 5OU,
from which be must employ at least two clerks,
and its treasurer % 900, from which he must
employ at least one clerk and additional assist
ance in May. If the basis of valuation is fair
one, the salaries of these officers would seem to
be out of proportion to the similar salaries
paid in the counties referred to. The pay
ments to officers and their assistants should be
fairly proportioned to the amount OF labor re-
quired, without tempting them to have re-
course to claims which involve mice distinc
tons" for services regarded As extra-official.
The amount of lone hundred dollars per an
mum and no more" cannot of course be intended
az a compensation for the many and important
duties which should be performed by tn, COM
missioners of this county. If such necessary
services cannot be obtained through appeals to
public spirit Gas seems to be expected) then it
would be better to attach to the office such
compensation as to secure q careful attention
to its duties, and an adequate supervision of
the current work of the county offices.
Another question here arises in regard to the
legal disposition of the funds arising from the
payment of the claims allowed under the at
torney generals decision. Did these moneys
belong to the officer in whose name the claims
were brought, or did they belong to the county,
it being understood that they were not for sal
airy but for additional compensation beyond
the regular salary provided by law? To an
swer the question, reference must be had to
the three special laws governing this point dur
ing the period covered by the above list of
claims. I condense them as far as possible.
Under the special law of 1872, chapter 1877
Tin force from April l, 1872, till May l, 1875.
''the fees, COST, percentages, penalties, allow
kind" received or collected for any official ser
vice by any of the officers included in the list,
"shall hereafter be received and collected by
the said officers respectively, to and for the sole
use of the county treasury, as public moneys
belonging to said county and not otherwise. and
shall be accounted for and paid over as such, in
the manner hereinafter provided"
The special law of 1876, chapter 2O7 lin force
from May 1, 1876, to March 8, 1879. fixing the
salary, fees and compensation of the officers
named, provides that mo other or greater COM
pensation shall be allowed or paid, either as
additional compensation, or for deputies, clerk
hire or otherwise"
The special act of 1878, chapter zig, Tin force
since March 8, 1879 fxes.the salary and COM
pensation of the respective officers named, and
says: sand no other or greater salary or COM
pensation Of any kind shall be allowed, or
paid to Hf:received by any of such officers as
additional compensation, or for deputies, or
assistants, or clerk hire, or for any cause any
account whatever, or in any way or manner"
Section 10 of the act also provides that each
of said officers named in section of this act
1.-THE abstract clerk, judge of probate, auditor
and treasurer) shall, at the end of each and
every quarter of his official term, account for
to the said county of Ramsey, and pay to the
treasurer of said county, for the use of said
county of Ramsey, all the fees, costs, percent
ages, penalties, allowances and perauisites OF
every sort collected or received by him during
said quarter" Section IL prescribes the PEN
atty Of removal from Office aud severe fine for
violation of any of the provisions of the act.
It will be noted that the 1876 act alone of
the above three acts does not specifically pro-
l. L., A@e, r. oil