Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1894-11-01
RECORD RESEARCH.
EDITOR HURLEY HERALp:-In tile Par

EDITOR tHURLEY HERALD:-1n Tile FFdrker
Democrat of October 5appears the following:
Hon. d. Myers, public examiner for South
Dakota; was In Parker about a week checking
up the books and accounts of County Treasurer
Heeren and Auditor Fancher. Mr. Myers was
sent for by the county board for this purpose.
Not that there was thought to be anything ir-
regular III the management of the finances of
the county. but merely for yeriiication Of their
own work III conducting settlements. Mr..
Myers checked up all tax and miscellaneous re-
ceipts IRON jan. I. 1898. that being the date Mr..
Heeren assumed control OF the treasurer's
office; up to Sept. l.. 1884,, period Of twenty
months. Mr.. Myers figures given to the Demo-
crat are as follows:
iotal receipts SAB ,92l TO-
Vouchers paid as per record. 22l, 92S9.
Balance Sept. i. 1891 s22,7s4. 81
Haiance shown by treasurers ledger. .22' i5
Difference in favor of Mr.. Heron stoS
lpresnme that MIR, Abeel is an adept at writ
Ing UP articles for his paper, the same as he
may be an adept at bookkeeping. He says,
MIR. Myers checked up the books and accounts
of Treasurer Heeren and Auditor Fancher.h
The Democrat very adroitly DOES NOT SAY that
Mr.. Myers checked up the paid off youchere and
receipts of Treasurer IIceren, which he did not
do. The Democrat says:
Vouchers paid as per record ........ .22l 1885
Whose record?
Was 1t the treaSurerS record? No. it was the
auditors record
When you come to foot up the treasurcr's
record the footingS do not agree with the
amounts in the column. But his amounts at
the foot of the columns do agree with the foot
ings OF the auditors voucher book-which goes
to; show that Mr.. Heeren copied the auditors
figures.
Now. since Mr.. Heeren employs an expert
bockkeeper, and perhaps has got the trade
down fine himself. why did he not make each
page in his cash book agree? Why does lie
have one page foot long and another short;
Does he and his expert have to force balances?
But then, he told Mr.. Wentworth-the deputy
state eXamner-that he would fix the books all
right. Is that the kind of bookkeeping that an
expert does, or should feel proud of? The
Democrat says and truly, that Mr.. Wentworth
is an expert bookkeeper, and Mr.. Wentworth
had to call in the treasurer and his expert
deputy several times to explain the books. Oh,
he could explain.
Why would not the democratic board allow
the committee appointed make a report of
the condition of the treasurer's books to them?
Were they afraid the papers would get hold of
it and the people know?
The fact IS, the democratic board, the treas
urer and his deputy got mixed, and the county
general fund and the sinking fund crawled into
the hole. leaving the county in debt to the tune
OF s6l5.73
Now. while the democrats are making asser-
tons about their economizing for the county let
us take the county records for that. Here is the
result under republican rule:
Assessed valuation of the county for the year
1889, 81 go, Consolidated tax for 1889. ten
mills.
oct. I. 1890, bs'ance on hand in general fund.
hand general fund, 1889 tax, SO 295.97.
Assessed value OF county for the year 1890,
81, 1s6, ,To5; consolidated tax for $780, ten mills.
December 81, 1891, balance OH hand in general
fund. 1880 tax, 81 530.93.
And here is the record under democratic rule:
Assessed value 1893. S3,95sS13; consolidated
tax 1895, ten mills.
Sept. 30, 1891, oyertrawn 1893 general fund as
shown by j. u. Heerens statement S134S3.
Sept. 80. 1e94, county warrants not called for
nor paid as per auditors statement S3212s.
Total indebtedness OF county general fund
Sept. 30, .S9I, S4561l
While we can take any year. or at any time OF
the year, during republican adminlstration-af-
ter the bonding of the county, July, 1887 and
find good big balance i'll the county general
fund, with a less assessed valuation of the coull=
ty and smaller levy for the general fund ap-
cording to the assessed valuation, and here are
the figures.
Year. Gen. fund levy. Total value of co.
1888. .........4 mills. s.. .033 $50.
$780,. mills. S................. 2.S9.705.
1891. ......... mills. 3.2DI, ,23l.
1892. 81 mills. 3.942,025.
1893. 3..........3 mills. 3.G53,3I3
1884. 4.........3 mills. S................ GOO.
Here is another straw that Indicates the
direction of the wind''
july 1st to Dec. 3ist, 1sS7-Casf on hand in
general fund $50 80: total value of county 1887,
81. .1oo.lI0 tax levy for county general fund, six
mills.
And now, Mr.. Voter ard Taxpayer what are
you going to do about it on election day? Are
you going to say that this is a campaign lie, and