Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-06-04
THE COUNTY@AUDITORS,


q - -
1oouands Of DdoA,ain Illegal Fees Bsne
q strlbksn Oss-The WORK Of s.
B, - - ssvaos 1Gpnths.
The county auditors continue to wrsstle
with the intricate and wonderfully con-
structed bills of the constables, the city
aldermen and Columbia justices of the
peace-''county for costs" Some OF
their bills contain hundreds Of names 80
badly written that the auditors have
no little trouble in decipherinq
them. The bills, on the whole, arc not
more than half as large as those presented
before the county auditors made their
exhaustive examination of last year but
they still contain hundreds of items
charged for which the auditors strike out.
One of these bills after having passed
through the auditors hands LOOKS as
though it were suffering from q terrible
attack of smallpox. 1t is covered with
stars, crosses, lines, and interlineations in
red ink and blue crayon, to
indicate those parts of it which
the auditors have eliminated and which, in
their report, they will declare to have been
illegally charged against the county
Among the items stricken out most
frequently are those in which energetic
constables and policemen charge Is cents
for subpGning themselves and 12 cents
mileage for finding themselves so
that they could be subpGnaed. The
reporter was shown q constable's bill
which states in effect that the unfortunate
officer lost himself four times in single
month, and had as many snbpeaas issued
by an accommodating alderman to enable
him to find himse0, ut cost to the county.
Of only $1.OS. This is dirt cheap. Think
of the thousands Of dollars that have been
expended in the efforts to find Charlie
Ross, and all 10 no purpose. Other items
in which tho auditors frequently place the
red mark of disapproval, are cross actions
between professional low grade litigants,
cases in which no hearings wero had but
for which full fees were charged by con.
stables and magistrates, search warrants
issued and served and no goods found,
" alleged recOgnizances taken of which
there is no record, &C., &c. For recog-
nizances taken some OF the magistrates
charge so cents, whereas the auditors are
inclined to think they are entitled to moth
ing, as the fee bill fixes no fec for such
service; but the lawyers say they
are entitled to 25 cents, under the
clause that gives them that sum for
taking private ball." and accordingly
tho auditors allow them a "qnarter -
instead of ''half," for all legitimate
recognizances taken, But right here is a
difficulty. The only way in which the
auditors can find out whether the recOg-
nizance charged for was really taken, is BY
examining the magistrates docket; and
the magistrates, under advice of their
counsel refuse to hand over their dOckets
for inspection. The auditors and their
counsel, claim the same right to examine
their dockets and audit their accounts as is
possessed by tho court of common pleas,
and under this power they threaten
to have the cOntumacious magistrates ar.
rested and committed for contempt. But,
then, there is smallpox in the county
prison, and there would be danger of the
aldermen and justices contracting the dis
ease if they were sent thither, and per
haps they might, after their discharge:
communicate the disease to many other
peOple-the auditors themselves, for in
stance! Hence the auditors have been
going along very slowly, holding not
more than two sessions week. They
don't know how long it may take to
finish their labors, and, indeed, they
are not quite certain OF the extent Of their
own power and duties. They claim that
Gheir last years course was the correct one
and their counsel advises them to pursue
the same course this year but their au-
thOrity to examine dockets and audit
accounts that have once passed the scru-
tiny of the county solicitor and the county
commissioners, being denied and resisted
by the aldermen and Justices the matter
can only be decided by the courts The
auditors say they would have had fair
sailing by this time had the county CON-
missioners promptly prosecuted the mag.
istrates and constables for the recovery of
the illegal fees they had received from the
county treasury as shown by the last report
OF the auditors but eight months time
was lost before suit was brought, and much
more time will be required before the
matter is settled in court.
The bills OF the sheriff as certified by
the clerk of quarter sessions have been
audited and found correct. The sheriff
keeps no record of jury fees and fines paid,
but the clerk of quarter sessions certifies
them. The auditors find it difficult to get
the particulars of the accounts between
the sheriff and prothonotary whore the
jury are charged as their settlements are
made by balances and offsets, in which the
Items DO not appear. .... .
The auditors believe the thorough inves
tigation they made last year resulted in
great saving 10 the county, and If persisted
it will tend largely to put an end to the
enormous abuses that have for years ex-
listed in some Of the county Offices, and
among police, magistrates and cOnstables.
Removing q House.
Axrf, Oh L.