The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1883-02-03
WHERE TIE BLAME LIES.
A Hamilton Correspondent on the
situation.
UAMILroN. Jnnnary 29. l8e

HAMILTON, January 20, 1889.
EDITOR News Your article in last issue,
Untitled "A Wholesome Law That Has Been
Disregarded by County Officials" was just to
the point, only il was not strong enough. On
moro than enc occasion during the term of
officers ending Jan. l, 1888, / had been as
signed, in connection with ethers, to i%nvesti-
gate and report on the manner in which the
duties of certain officers were performed.
have always done so fearlessly and correctly.
and have found i. impossible to get the facts
before the public. In the April term Of 1881.
certain Irregularities we're found, and a rec
commentator to the Board of Commission
ers to employ an expert to overhaul the
books of each county oficer was made unan-
imously by the Grand Jury. Said recon-
mendation, as you know, was totally disre-
garded by the Board, and the report was
pigeon-holed. Again, in tho November term
of 1881, after such investigation as a number
Of citizens on Grand Jury committee. to wit j:
Frank Drake, Samuel Liddle. Thomas Rock
hill, j. b. Williamson and your humble SER
want, with the limited time that they could
give, with distractions Of every nature
placed in our way hs the county officers, and
by one member Of the Committee. found
some irregularities, and the Grand Jury as a
body made some recommendation, which was
totally disregarded, as before, by the Hon.
Board Of Commissioners We also showed
in that report (which the News published,
that there was not an officer in the county
Except Nick ernan, and he not strictly, who
obeyed or had any regard for the law under
which he was acting and had sworn % obey.
" 6 found that the revenue had greatly de-
creased, when tho prosperity OF the counts
was apparent, floating personal property TALL
ing OF Si2,OO0, an amount Of so0s allowed q
Deputy Assessor, because one of the Commits
sioners was to act as such deputy. all of which
was contrary to law and common sense; a num-
Der oil parties, not assessed at all, and others
assessed With u view to affect their political
influence in the future; an officer getting 5000
a year, tor years, for doing five months work,
and disregarding the rights of citizens and
his oath OF office. And strange to say that
report was only endorsed by niue OF seventeen
Of the Grand Jury. draw the inference).
The fact is, tho officers have been carrying
tho county in thor vest pockets, and any per-
s9A ~ bJoNhNN " a nOObNu AZ as AudlCOn-
tent, imbued with selfish motives, a scrip
sharp, ETC., by the maj rity of he Honorable
board.
Even now they are employing counsel to
assist the District Attorney, with u sou re-
%tainer, out of II depleted treasury. ~ hat
will be the iull fec ? Does ii require So much
intellect p Had they have ebeyed the law,
do you not think the bondsmen would have
met the detielenAs without this great ex-
ponset Had they obeyed the law governing
their trust as Commissioner n deficiency in
all probability woIld not have existed. Their
Noncompliance with the law op.nod the door
for such u result. Are tho already over
taxed people VI this county, through the i'm
becility OF the Commissioners and tho trick.
cry OF the officers. 10 be compelled to pay
this large fee to cover up their neglect Of
dutyf | trust not. Their ought to BIO some
high kicking first
The plain duty of our Commissioner was
and Is. to make tho different county officers
conform to law, AMI If they deviate, to i'm
mediately take legal measures, not only to
protect the county, but to enable official
bondsmen to protect themselves. Tho en-
ployment Of an expert Is all right. but it
should have been done long ago, and now A.,
instead Of dilly-dallying along with the ex-
animation, it should be thorough, and a
trial balance sheet of every set of books be-
longing to the county should he made, begin
ming with the first day January, 1877, when
the majority OF these honest men took the
rslns of office. You will hear from mo some
more on this now interesting topic to the
taxpayers oil this county.