The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-04-30
THE RIVER PRESS.

Office Of all of them, and only men o.
known honesty and capacity should bs
called upon to fill it. A careless, reck-
less system of doing county business is
not only reprehensible but atrocious,
and if not criminal it is an outrage upon
the tax payers which public opinion
should stamp out at the proper time,
We express ourselves thus strongly and
emphatically because we think the ex-
animation we have made justifies it and
in the hope that this will bring forth
better results in the future. During a
part of the past year there was only one
commissioner in the county, during
which time, as a natural consequence,
there were unjustifiable methods in
vogue. In the past two years NEARLY
there were only two commissioners,
when with disagreements nothing could
be done in the way of reform. But now
there is a full board, the majority of
the board being a thoroughgoing bust
ness man of large means in the county,
whose every interest is to revolutioniZe
the way business has beer done, and we
are glad to say that after an eXamina-
ton Of the record of the last meeting
the board as now constituted promises
the much needed reform. It is but fair
to. say that the above structures do not
apply in a great measure to former adj
illustrations
We suggest that the board appoint a
competent citizen of the county versed
in the law to sit with them during their
sessions, and that they take his opinion
Upon all matters of law and all bills
coming before them.
We appointed a committee of our
body to examine the county poor farm.
They report that they find this portion
of the county property an expensive
and as now managed a useless institution.
They find the farm to be about four
miles from town, with no habitable i'm
provements, about thirty-fye acres of
plowed ground with fence and no pau
pers there. We find that paupers, as a
rule, are quartered upon the leading ho-
| tells of the town and furnished with fine
rooms and all the necessaries of an opu-
lent and fastidious taste, We recon-
mend that all medicines and medical
attendance, as we'll as the care, support
and burial of the paupers of the county
be let to the lowest bidder, and that no
favoritisn be shown to doctors or others.
The management of this department of
the county government Is a crying evil
that demands a thorough cleaning out
and reform.
The Office of the probate judge was
also visited by us, but we found very
few records, owing to their having been
burned III the court house fire. Since
then the records are well kept. 1t is
only right that we should say here that
the present judge should be commended
for the manner In which he has striven
to reduce as far as lay in his power the
criminal expenses of the county.
We have examined the books of the
trustee of the military reservation dbl
ton to the city Of Fort Benton and find
they are yet incomplete, owing to a
number of the contested cases being yet
unsettled, and we recommend that as
0 as possible the record be indexed
We find that in many cases more than
two lots have been granted to single APP
plicants. We find that lots have been
issued to persons not residents of Fort
Benton. and whose affidavits show that
fact. We find that many lots have been
issued to persons or to whom applica-
tons have been made by agents. We
find in all cases where deeds have been
issued there was no contest, and the
deeds as a consequence were properly
issued by the trustee.
We find that two thousand three hun
dred aud thirty-one lots were sold, and
that settlement of the financial part of
the transaction is made in full with the
commissioners, and the money paid
over to the county treasurer.
A committee of our body was appoint
ed to examine the public property of the
county, and reported hat they were
courteously invited by the jailor to
anime his books, and inspect the Jail
and surroundings. They found the Jail
in good order and condition, everything
the building. The books, such as he
has, are models Of neatness, and kept in
a very business like manner. The com
mittee recommend that the sheriff be
provided with books for registering all
the necessary data and statistics, and
keeping the proper accounts.
They learned that the prisoners had
good victuals and beds, and everything
was granted them toward their comfort
consistent with their confinement. We
have one of the finest and most secure
jails in the territory, but we recommend
that q suitable stockade be built around
it for its better security.
The report of the committee to investi-
gate county affairs does not show the
correct indebtedness of the county on
the Goth of February, 1884, for the rea-
son that warrants allowed in March,
amounting to So, 606.21, were enormously
taken into consideration, and also be-
cause the money in the sinking fund to
pay interest to accrue, and outstanding
bonds, was not considered an asset. We
find the county clerks statement of the
outstanding ponds to be correct, the
committee having failed to enumerate
$171. 35 of old outstanding warrants rum