Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-05-03
DUTY OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

During the SeCOllu SeSSlOU Ol the
legislative assembly of the state OF
Montana an act was passed providing
for the election of a county auditor in
all counties having an assessed valua-
ton of eight millions or over. At the
same time an effort was made to have
the law apply to all OF the counties OF
the state, but it was then thought
that the duties of the Office could he
as well performed by the county com
missioners, thus saving the smaller
counties h expense oil an extra OIL
Ger. We believe, however, that it was
u mistake % limit the operations OF
the law to iirst-class counties. There
are many duties which might very
properly he performed by IN auditor
of the county, if VT had one, which
are now wholly neglected. or sighted,
To say the least. Among these duties.
examination OF the books Of the vari-
Gus county officers ut least o%nceevery
year. Only twice, or at most three
times, since the organization OF this
county have the books of the officers
been examine I 10y II disinterested per
son appointed for that purpose. 1t
is IN old adage that ''short settle
ments make long friends and the
idea conveyed by the old saw is as
applicable to public as to private
business.
Without pretending to know or as
Stunning to assert that everything is
not rs it should he in this county. we
are OF the opinion that this matter
has been too long neglected by our
county commissioners, and that steps
should lie taken as Don as possible
to have "a thorough and impartial ex-
animation of the county books made.
II all is right, il is well to know it, and
so shut the mouths OF those who say
that our county is being robbed. II
all is not right, then the people OF the
county should know it now.
There is one thing about the last
annual statement of the county
finances which lends p~lausibiliuy to
the claims OF many, and that is that
all of the county officers combined
only turned into the county treasury
the sum of 81 ,632.11 for the year
ending March LIST. This seems extra
ordinary, to say the least, in n county
which had the reputation of payingits
officers very literally under the old
fee system, when the officers paid their
own deputies. Then too while it does
not state the matter explicitly, the
last grand jury report implies that
some, if not all, of the officers are be-
hind on the amount OF fees to be
turned in to the treasurer, and recon-
mend that the commissioners take
steps to compel all county officers to
turn over all fees due the county
within three months. One month OF
that time has already elapsed and
nothing has been done. We do not
know, of course, what evidence the
grand jury had before them upon
which to base this recommendation,
but they must have had something
Tangible. Just how the amount OF
unpaid fees is to be arrived at is a
matter for the commissioners to de-
termine, and it should be done with |
out delay; but in the absence OF an
auditor, IT would seem that the only
way left open il 10y the appointment
of a competent expert to make the
examination and report to the board.
As this work would require consider
able time, the matter should be taken
up at once. The interests OF the peo-
pie demand it, and the interests OF
the officers as well would he subserved
Ix. . la ~ min a Inn /