Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-12-11

pacity as Commissioner. and his bills
for services are rendered as by Com
missioner Possibly the section quoted
authorizes the Commissioners TO appoint
a superintendent, but if they do, he
must qualify give bond and take an
oath of Office. That has not been done.
Section 1882 provides that Commits
sioners may cause gates and toll-houses
to be erected at such places as they may
designate, appoint the necessary col
lectors of tolls, remove them at their
pleasure, pay them reasonable compen-
sation, that the collectors shall month
ly, after deducting the pay allowed them,
cover the residue into the Treasury OF
the county, and that the Commissioners
''SlsGU apply Sstch money 10 the keeping
Ia repair Of said road lctthin their re-
Spectioe counties"
Can there be any donbt about the
meaning of the words in italics? Clearly,
no part of the annual pay of Commits
siOner can be lawfully taken from ''such
money" Yet, it has been done, and is
being done. Undoubtedly. 'the Commits
sioners" may superintend the road, but
they must do it as Commissioners and
be paid as Commissioners, out of the
County Fund, as they are paid for all
other services. If they spend day set
Ting with the Intirmary Directors they
do not charge that day up to the lnfirm-
ary Fund, or if they go out to locate a
bridge they do not charge that day to
the Bridge Fund. No one of them can
act in any other capacity than as Com
missioner, nor be paid for any service
rendered other than as and
all of his pay must be drawn from the
County Fund.
1t will cost but little to test this ques-
tiOn. A few men who are most inter
ested should unite and enjoin this di-
version of the funds of the road. If the
view taken herein is the correct one, the
road is entitled to recover several thous-
and dollars from the County Fund. The
matter should be judicially determined,
and all controversy about it ended.
THE Farmers Alliance of Belmont
county held county convention at
court house hall last Thursday. The
attendance was a disappointment, still
about fifty representative farmers took
part in its deliberation.
Mr.. RID. Sutton, of near Stewartsville,
was President of the meeting, and Mr..
J. B. McMechan, of near st. Clairsville,
Secretary
The afternoon session was opened
with discussion of annual VS.. biennial
sessions of the Legislature, by Mr. r. E.
Gifin. Mr.. Gifin favored biennial ses-
sions, and advanced some good reasons
for the position taken by him. Hon.John
W. Laughlin, n B. Nichols. Charles H.
Arick, Hon. Ross J. Alexander, Hon. w.
). KenDon, Hon. J. w. Nichols, and 9th
ers, participated in the discussion. The
majority of these gentlemen took the
ground that, owing to the changed con-
dition of things since the adoption of
the Constitution, annual sessions are
At night very interesting and elo
quent address on the topic "Shall we
be Landlords or Tenants?" was deliver
ed by Rev. Joshua Crawford. Rev.
Crawford's address was full of matter
for serious thought, and was closely
listened t.. Hon. j. W. Nichols follow
ed in a brief address upon the subject
of double taxation. This matter, which
is eliciting much discussion throughout
the State, was ably. handled, and the
difficulties facing its treatment by leg
islation clearly pointed out.
J. B. L.