Helena weekly herald., 1885-05-28

80 cent, for serving = subpoena, and 50 cents
more for a copy. a there can be but one
service, which necessarily demands a copy.
We note the general charge Of serving thirty
juror, FOR District Court 500 miles. o.
SIoo.oo-no items 10 show mile, trlveled-
vet the bill wa, allowed.
we further note such illegal bill, a !. ID.
Nllpor, hunting horse thieves, s2S4.oo; X.
T. Hammer. hunting horse thieye,, sIS.oo.
The county has no more right to pay an in.
dridual for searching for one specie, Of
property than another without due process Of
law, and each and every bin paid for such
purpose i, wholly and entirely without au-
thor,y Of law Large sums have been paid
to guard, for watching insane men-thu,. for
guarding Cunningham insane $1,000 for
day and a half to a man.
Johnsou's corpse was watched by TWO men
a, an expense Of $1,000, and subsequently
SqS.25 Of hi, estate e,cheated to the Territory
and no effort was made to have the county
reimbursed Tor the illegal allowance.
We have computed the sheriff, mileage m
numerous, cases, and find i, based on an cz-
ageralcd estimate. We demand that the
commissioner, only allow miles actually and
necessarily travelled, and that The ordinary
number Of mile, be paid for-not the highest
Mileage to the sheriff for the transportation
of prisoner, should he denied him in exce,,
Of fifty cents a, a test case, and If the county
may hl benefited by test let it be made.
The sum Of S57.5 50 was raid out in March,
1854, for a Jail plan and specifications, when
tnere was no authority to build jail and
none expected
One Of the commissioner, has lately, in
1855. allowed himself fee OF 500 for attend
ing to Jail matters in Helena, We tried to
find ont what he did and failed. This claim
is an outrage upon the tax payers Of this
county. No one authorized the commissioner
10 lobby for the Jail act, and we learn his
service, were not requested or Of any service
whatever TO the county, yet he drew the peo-
pie, money by auditing his own illegal bill.
The poor should be cared for by contract
under The law, and at one place where il is
possible TO keep them there.
If a bid comes in from tins county from a
responsible party let the commissioners award
the contract under the provisions Of the
statutes. All bid, should include transporta-
ton as well as other expenses.
We looked carefully into the county treas
urer', official statements, and recommend that
he be allowed several new books 10 replace
the old and incomplete ones. lie particularly
need, a new license book, a cash book. and a
register Of warrants We recommend the
appearance Of hi, accouu.> and believe he
Will make faithful officer. BY calculations
made up to May 9th, 1855, we find the fol-
lowing exhibits Of the various funds:
GENERAL FUNb
Paid out up to May 6tli, lsS5-.......... s2l67 y
Amount on 80 Il
Shortage ia nfund........................ s2U7 o.
CONTINGENT FUoE.
Shortage May 9TH lSs5 ................... sssi =
SCHOOL FUND.
On hand May 9th lss5 ............ ..... g. s0s o.
POOR FUND
Shortage May 9th, lss5................... s3l2 f3
SINKING FUND.
sinking fund on hand 3 i2O %
ROAD FUSD
On hani s2p5 -
The treasurer has about 81 900 on hand,
which represents partial payments on taxes
received where no printed receipts have been
issued. The delinquent tax list Is nearly
$4,000. but we have reason to believe that
il will be materially decreased when parties
find ou, that the law Will be enforced in the
sales Of property. The collection Of these
taxes should lessen the county debt consider
ably.
The statutes require quarterly accounts
, from nearly every county official, and they
should be sent in without fail or the officer
be notified of his inattention. We call all
| officers attention to ibis No bill against the
l county can be allowed unless made out in
compliance with the provisions Of Sec 557,
page 4S2, Revised Laws of Montana, which
requires accounts to be separately itemized
and the nature Of each item to be stated and
the account to be verified by affidavit showing
that such account is just and wholly unpaid
The statute cited is mandatory and we urge
rigid compliance with il in future and a
disregard of all bills not properly sworn to.
We find that it has not been the practice to
record the county annual statement in the
journal of proceedings Of the Board OF Com
missioners. The law requires that tins should
be done, and in future it must be. In othe
respects the county clerks office has been
and is. neatly and properly managed.
The law does not contemplate that the con
T tinCent fund of Che county can be drawn ol
, at the convenience Of the commissioners, an
. all such items as services for sheriff (illega
in almost all instances in themselves) are nc
contingent expenses and were illegally pai
7 on that fund.
a The commissioners have no power to pay
' bill on a simple certificate Of the sheriff, WI
|. is vested with no right to audit any clam
r. agains, the county, and we ask that this pra
n tice be summarily ended. Services legal
:. rendered by deputy sheriff are rendered
e the sheriff. and all bills should he put in in
,r name alone. He is the only officer under
Of bond, and Is responsible for all bills contraet'
IL