Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-04-23

sonable rent upon his own property. One |
farmer who has worked hard and faith.
fully as any slave could Tor the best part OF |
II lifetime, 10 clear up and make produc.
tive farm IN this township, informed us
n few days since that he was now paying |
$40 taxes on that farm. Many farmers
have been assessed from 81 900 to 81 500 |
on farm tor ditch taxes alone. Many
could not pay aud their farms went into
the "Jtck Pot" of a so-called court aud
there was nothing eft for the man who
had laboret with the hope of making il
productive and saving little home for his
family, and himself when the infrmit;es
of old age notified him to cease labor.
But the editor of the Sandusly Register,
who resides in distant county, has 10
taxes TO pny or interest in Wood county,
yet sees at glance over The Wood County
Commissioners report AZ published in the I
Sentinel OF Feb 1lll last, the glaring evil
dences of fraud as there represented, and
uses them two days later in column ar
ticle, "with no malice aforethought," but
simply as AN argument to illustrate the
crying need OF Judicial reform and the
passage OF such laws as will give the people
redress from the legalised and wholesale
robbery, not only in Wood but nearly all
the counties in the State, The editor OF
the Register evidently did not see the Com.
missioner's report OF this county lor the
year previous, wherein the Examining
Committee called attention TO the utter
worthlessness of the report us guide to the
taxpayer TO show how his money had been
expended in the following verbatim re.
port as publishedat the time
INSPECTORS REPORT.
Hon. Henry II. Dodge, Judge of the Court Of
Common Pleas OF Woed county, Ohio.
The Committee appointed by YOU to examine
the report of the Board of Commissioners OF
Wood county, Ohio, for the year ending the
third Monday in September, 1854, ewing TO the
delay in receiving said report aud the pressure
of professional duties have been unable to give
portance demands. We submit as the result OF
our examination the following:
LIST, Said report does not relate the financial
transactions Of said beard for the year IN this
That IL docs not show the levy of taxes for the
year, under general and special laws. 1t does
not show the issuing of about sl35,OOO of bonds
for which the county is originally and collater.
ally liable Other important financial trans
actions relating tocounty bitches and improved
roads, involving II very large expenditure oil
money, are not mentioned in said report
end. The law knows no such fund as General
Ditch FUND, as designated i'll said report, but
the law provides for n County General Ditch
Improvement fund, consisting OF taxes collected
on county and township levies as provided In
sections 1901 and 1902 revised statutes, and all
balances remeining uneXpendcd of special
ditch improvement funds arising from excess
| of assessments on ditch improvements after the
expenses thereof have been fully paid. See Re
viscd Statutes i5OS. And the payment OF engi
nccrs and surveyors as set forth in said report
out OF such designated ditch fund, is uuauthor
lied by law.
3D.. Though not apparent on the face of said
| report we learn in the investigation that tho
commissioners charge per diem and mileage iol
overseeing and looking at county ditch and
| improved road work, after such Improvements
have been finally established and their pay
| ment provided for, which we think II plain
violation Of their powers and duty under the
laws providing for such improvements, and al
! unwarranted burden upon the taxpayers, and
| should be ut once discontinued.
ith. We find no authority for the employment
OF Janitor at the court house.
5th. The charge for attending the Commits
| sioners Association meeting at Columbus, Ohio
| andthe allowance OF the same by said board is
wholely unauthorized and illegal.
''g'Vt."i. j. .. il. ELDER
JOHN W. CANARY,
Committee
"About Sl35,0O0 raised by bonds" and
not accounted for, is no small item 10
the people of Wood county, especia lily
when the levy OF taxes has been worked
MP to the highest limit of the law. But
the Commissi oners' jnnketlng expenses TO
their annual meeting nj Columbus was
reported, and pronounced wholly unantll.
orized by law by the examining COM
miltce. Yet The Registers own Common
Pleas Judge has rendered decision In
n parallel case in Sandnsky county, that
huring been taken under forms of ldw can
not be recovered back to The treasury-a decis.
ion that ought TO speedily strip the judi.
cial robes from the shoulders and forever
di'lranch.se any man who would render
or attempt to sustain such decision.
The editor OF the Register don't know
| what tender-hearled and accommodating
Judges we have in this district, whose
modeSiy and gentle dispositions will not
allow them 10 refuse TO allow attorneys
from $500 TO $500 for the drawing up OF
the necessary papers for the divisions OF
orphans estates-in some instances amount
ing 10 one-fourlh of the esiate-and tile
fees allowed being about $3.50 to s 400 per
| day more than the President OF he Uni
ted States gets tor overseeing The vast pos,
sessions of America. The Register don't
know that cases that cost the county $500
or $500 for the grand jury to get the nee
es'ary facts TO indict criminals and the in
diclmenls are nollied with apparently no
more than The wink of an eye. II the
| Register resds only the Sentinel for its
Wood county information IL knows meth.
ing about the clean out and o. I steal ol
about 81 900 ON the first batch OF $780,
| OOO worth OF bonds issuod some nine
years ngo, wherein 5 per cent. was paid
u w. Merry TO make trip down Ia
New York To place the bonds. when tho
Auditors desk WAS Aooded with let,
Iers 10 get the bonds at par, and would
have brought n premium Of or /! per
cent. had they been advertised for sale.
and this Transaction without any nuthor,
ity of law. The heatiaet, that makes q
speciality of Wood county news. and "does
not lumber mp lis columns with any
thing el1e, knows nothing about ihis
Iran'aelion, and has never dared 10 shirl