Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-11-20
10 report, and awaiting its action the
Qnard took a ,.nnacs.

County Board is hereby authorized and
requested to appoint special commit
tee, authorizing and empowering them
to approve the bonds of the different
county officers, elect, and whose offices
commence on the 1st. day of January,
1885, to wit: the county treasurer, elect;
the county clerk. elect; and the sheriff,
elect; district attorney. register of deeds
and coroner, and county surveyor, elect.
c. G. RoDoLF.
The. resolution was unanimously
adopted.
Mr.. RODoLF then read a resolution
authorizing the county treasurer to de-
post money belonging to the county, in
the bank of G. w. Ryland 4 Co., at the
risk of the county, upon the officers OF
the bank giving bond properly secur-
ed, for the monies SO deposited.
THE CHAIRMAN said that he could
speak for the bank in the matter, and
said that it would not give bond TO
secure the money.
Mr.. BARLEY said of course the OBJ
ject of the resolution was to take the
responsibility off of the Treasurer an d
his bondsmen and place it on the county,
Mr.. WATSON moved to lay the resolu-
ton on the table.
Tue CHAIRMAN ruled the motion out
of order
Mr.. RODoLF then offered another reso-
luton touching the same matter.
Mr.. BEEBE said he did not think that
the Board had authority to designate a
depository for county funds. The
county board of Milwaukee county had
such authority under the law, but other
counties with the population of ours lad
not. The county ought to provide a
good burglar-proof safe, and pay the
Treasurer sufficient salary to enable
him to guard it properly. Then if he saw
fit TO desposit it, it would be at his own
risk. There ought to be some steps Ia
ken to protect county treasurers in the
future. A good burglar-proof safe
would probably not cost the county
more than $1,000 or $500. Fire-proof
vaults in which to keep the books and
county records, should also be provid-
ed. The loss of these books and rec
ords would be terrible loss to the peo-
pie of this county, and steps should be
taken to protect them.
Mr.. WHITCHER said the committee on
county property had examined the vault
in the county treasurer's office, and il
was certainly not a safe place to deposit
any considerable sum of money.
Mr.. BEEBE said he thought it would
not be improper for the Board to me-
morialize the legislature to authorize
Boards of Supervisors, in counties the
size of this, to designate places where
money could be Deposited at the risk
of the county. In consequence of the
great risk they have to run, it is now
difficult for county treasurers to find
bondsmen. When using due and rea-
sonable precaution to protect the
county's money, they may be legally.
but are not morally responsible for
loses that may occur through no fault
or negligence of theirs, and they should
be protected.
Mr.. WILSON then offered the follow
ing resolution:
ResolUed, That the Chairman of this
Board appoint special committee of
three persons to examine into and make
such arrangements as they may see fit,
with the consent of the chairman of this
Board, to provide proper place for the
safe keeping of the funds of the county,
and to fully ascertain whether the vault
now used is a safe place to keep the
same.
Mr.. RoDoLF thought it was careless
ness on the part of the County Treasure
in depositing in the wildcat Platteville
Bank. The vault in the treasurers Of
flee was perfectly safe. We had never
had trouble before. Lancaster had
plenty of people with whom money
could be safely deposited. If he were
treasurer he could take care of the
funds.
Mr.. WILSON said the proposed COM
mittee was by the resolution authorized
to investigate the sufliciency of the
vault, and if the vault is safe, that is the
end of the matter. If it is not safe
something ought to be done. He be-
lieved with Mr.. Beebe, that the law
should be SO that the Board could desig-
nate depository.
Mr.. WHITcHER said that Mr.. Rodolf
charged that Hodges bank was Wild
cat bank. but four hundred depositors
Considered it safe, and it was generally
considered safe up to the time of its fail
ure.
Mr.. DAY wanted to know what fig
ure the special committee report would
cut in fixing the liability of Treasurers
in the future.
Mr.. WILSON replied that it would cut
none at all.
Mr.. WATSON said he did not think
there was necessity for such COM
mittee. No one here could tell whether
it was safe or not. 1t the committee
reported it safe, it might in future pre-
JUDGE the case of the county.
MIR. KICKS said that if the committee
reported the vault safe, it would only
have the effect to take responsibility off
of the treasurer and his bondsmen and
shoulder in onto the county
Mr.. hartley said the county had
nothing to do but look after county
Treasurers' bondsmen. If they were
responsible the county's funds were safe.
As far as he was concerned he proposed
to hold the county treasurer's bonds
men.
Mr.. WILSON said that Treasurer Les
Ter did not consider the vault safe, and
deposited in banks. He could get into
the treasurers office in half an hour, and
anyone else could. He would not risk
fifteen cents there.
The CHAIRMAN said it was not a
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