Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-02-15

commissioners at the county seat. Inc
statutes provide for quarterly meetings,
and permit monthly meetings. The pres
ent board of commissioners nave evident
~ construed the laws governing the times,
places and number OF meetings with
hDerallty that has but doubtful legal sup
port. Their itemlZed bills Oh file Tor tue
three months ending Dec 8, 1892, show
that IN addition 10 the quarterly meeting,
IIsl Mohday OF December, and the mouth
" meetings tor October, November and
december, beginning september Ii, they
helu twehty-four GA meetings at which
all three We're present, ana as many
as ten at which two member were
present including the regular quar-
lerly ana monthly sessions and days
in which the commissioners were
either together or separately EN-
plOyed In the work for the people. they
charge III their account one for IL days
another for 6O days, and the other for 81
days. In this time they Travelled 1914
1898 and 1881 miles, respectively. In this
quarter they gave III all ii days to what
is known as Peter Neff road;' 8 in what
they call cross -SectlOning" said road
They met at Cash hill, Futhey bridge.
Crews lane, BrOckuniers culvert. at
Cats run and Niggers run, at many
other places, and went to Wheeling to
confer with Mr.. Brackunier about mat
ter in which he had sufficient interest to
have taken him to the commissioners
office. The charge for mileage allowed
by law is five cents per mile. Much of
their travelling is upon the railroads,
where they may pay but two cents per
mile; and, if they have passes, as most
county officers have, it costs them moth
ing. To reach the county seat they
charge, respectively, st, 62 and 60 miles
A profit of at least three cents per mile
and five cents, if provided with passes,
furnishes quite an inducement to travel,
and hold meetings at other places than
the county seat. AS there is an item of
800 for livery hire for commissioners
during the year. paid out of the county
fund, it is possible that the people pay
the cost of their travel twice when livery
is used. There seems little if any reason
for all of the commissioners to meet at
such an unimportant place as Futhey's
bridge, or other places where they have
met during the year. In fact in cases
only of the very graveSt Importance
should their meetings be held away from
their office. This perniciOus practice that
has grown up in the last ten years is the
source of not only a heavy charge on the
people, but of work that rests under a
strong suspicion of j0bbery The statute
requires all the meetings of the commits
Sioners to be open meetings, and conduct
ed as far as possible in accordance with
parliamentary law. They are required
TO keep record of their proceedings that
is public property. The auditor is clerk
of their board. When meetings are held,
and the business of the people transacted
at such ont-Of the Way places as "Cat's'
or "Nigger's" run, or in the city of
Wheeling, or under tree, at Futhey's
bridge, with no clerk present to make
record, and with no watchful eye of the
public to sean the proceedings, there is
not only doubt as to the legality of the
meeting and work done, but there is
suspicion that there is something con.
cealed This practice can not be too
strongly condemned, and of piece with
it, and deserving the same strong con-
demnatiOn, is the custom of the commits
sioners appointing themselves to super
intend the construction of bridges and
other work 1t would be an easy matter
to find equally competent superintend-
ents close to the work, and the mileage
and expense of the commissioner super
intendent would be saved
JAMES F. ANDERSON.
JAMES F. CHARLEswoRTH.
February 3rd, 1894.