People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-01-20
A DISAGREEMENT.
Resulting in a New Janitor and Various 0taer
Changes About the Court House.

Resulting In New Janitor and Various Otaer
Changes About the Court House.
The County Commissioners met
Monday last pursuant to adjourn
ment. The prospective business be-
fore the meeting was the settlement
OF the question as to whether the old
board had the right to employ a iani-
tor for a year beginning April /, 1893,
the old board having re-empioyed
Turner Barnett at its last session.
The county attorney had been asked
for his opinion in the matter and rem
dered the same in writing which was
to the effect that the contract wnlld
in law be considered illegal. Mr.. Hes
kett showed that it had been the es-
tabliShed custom of the Board for
years past to attend to this business
at its regular January session as the
last Board had done, and that il che
janitOr contract was illegal, the con-
tract with the superintendent OF the
poor farm, the Standard for county
printing, the banks with reference to
interest on daily balances, and vari-
Gus other contracts were also void.
The decision of the supreme court
on which the county attorneys opin-
ion is chiefly based declared the
awarding Of the county printing for
two years void because OF its being an
unreasonable" contract. Mr.. Hes
kett claimed that under the condi-
tionS of these contracts the supreme
court would not hold them unreason-
able.
a motion was made, however. by
Mr.. Stewart TO proceed TO the selec-
tion Of a new janitor, new superin-
tendent of poor farm, etc, and was
seconded by Mr.. FaurOt. Mr.. HeSkctt
declared it out OF order and de-
clined to entertain it. The other
members appealed to the Board from
his decision and he vacated the chair
and refused to act with them. The
Board thus constituted then elected
Z. NJ. Desart of South Haven, as jan
itor till Jan. s, 1894, and accepted the
resignation Of Turner Barnett then
on file. Desart's compensation was
fixed at $40 per month, with not to
exceed s. pay for each month for eI-
ira time. The state law makes eight
hours a days work. 50 that the salary
will practically be as per month.
Tnrner Barnett's salary was straight
SIS per month, without any clause
concerning extra time, and the posi-
bility Of his suing the county for pay
for extra time led the Board TO in
sert this clause. Turner has made a
splendid janitOr, and 1t will be a long
time before a new janitor becomes so
efficient as he was. John II. Wolf Is
temporarily performing the duties Of
janitOr until Mr.. Desart arrives on
the scene Of action.
The Board then re.employed w. Il.
Reed as superintendent of the poor
farm and W. H. Maddy assistant
county clerk, until Jan. s, 1894. on the
same terms and conditions as the pre-
vious contracts.
"The Sumner County Standard was
designated as the official paper OF
Sumner county, Kansas, for the term
of one year, ending Jan. s, 1884,"
The minutes read further and rec
Ognlzing that under this order the
Standard could collect full legal rates,
the Republicans went for Mr.. Faurot
about 1t, and Mr.. Faurot next morn
ing persuaded Mr.. Stewart to add
the following clause:
"And was awarded the county
printing for same period on same
terms and conditions Of the previous
contract with said paper"
Previous to this wrangle the Board
had transacted considerable business
Of which the following are the princi-
pal points.
A number Of personal property as
sessments were changed and abated.
The Kilby Manufacturing Co., Of
Conway Springs, who own the old
sugar works, came at the Board again
for an abatement OF the taxes on
that institution. They were repre-
sented by A. A. Richards, as attOr-
ney. The matter was laid over till
the April meeting.
The official bonds Of the following
township officers were approved: John
Lucas, trustee, Oxford; Washington
ClOdfelter, constable, Palestine; Il.
j. Moore, constable, Creek; Geo. Z.
Steele, constable, Osborne; c. p.
Johnston, constable, Morris; Sherman
Query, constable, Greene; |. A.
Hood, constable, Bluff; NJ. +. Deck,
constable, Eden; Sam Grant, consta-
BILE, Dixon; Abel BOtkin, constable,
Harmon: Mark Hurst, constable,
London; F. II. Burton, justice Of the
peace, Palestine.
On January the Board appropri-