St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-10
BAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
HOW AUDITORS OFFICE WAS TURNED
OVER To KAiN
BONDS NOT PROVIDED FOR

! BOOKS were Not PoSteu-Every-
thing at loose Ends-Bondand
Coupon Register Not Posted
for Year-Fifty-T Thousand
|, Dollar Bond Issue Falls Due
Next March.
A special meeting of the board of
county commissioners was held yester-
ebay morning. The delinquent personal
( property list was gone over, and the re-
port of the committee striking off $50
names was approved. The names
struck off are assessed 81 or less, except
In one instance. where a man who owes
So is dead. The opinion is that it would
cost $3.50 to secure judgment against
the deliuQusnts, and most of the cases
would result in total loss in any event.
/. County Auditor Kahn made the fol-
lowing report as to the condition i'll
which he found the office upon taking
charge:
ST. PAUL, Mimi. July 9. 1891. -Hon.
Robert A. Smith, Chairman. and Menu
Ders Of the Board of County Commits
sioners of Ramsey Countv-Gentlelnsn
In assuming the duties Of county audit.
or, L find it necessary to communicate
with your honorable body touching The
condition of the auditors office. Upon a
very brief examination l find that the
record of the tax sale which took place
on the first Monday in May has not
been completed. there being at least
one thousand sales for which no certif-
Gates have been issued. No entries were
made i'll the Judgment books showing the
disposition made of some fifteen thou
Mt nE nal ianH
pencil n0tatl0ns being the only indica-
tionS when property was sold TO an
actual purchaser. The certificates of
sale must be issued and the tax judy
meDt record completed at once, thus
necessitating about 10000 pOstings. The
records of daily receipts and dtsburse-
ments are behind, no entry has been
made in the cash book, Journal or
ledger since the 30th day of April. the
last balance having been taken Oft on
that day. The bond and coupon regis
ters have not been posted for a year;
400 state assignment certificates which
were paid for last December by the Ma
tional German-American bank have not
been issued. lwOuld respectfully call
your attention to the recommendation
OF tue grand jury relative to the tran
Scribing of the records of the tax levieS,
and also its recommendation to open o
tax register, showing the amount due To
each separate fund from the several
tax lists OF the county.
The poor fund has been exhausted,
and some temporary provision must DE
made for the maintenance OF the hos
pltal and almshOuse, and to care for the
poor Of the county. III 1893 the board
Of county commissioners passed reSo-
luton directing the county auditor to
levy S59.666 for the benefit of this fund.
That office, however, levied only S40,--
519, and by this unlawful act deficit of
about S2u.0U0 will exist. Unless SONS
temporary means can be devised to
raise this money our hospital. aims
house and the poor Will be obliged TO
Look elsewhere for maintenance.
am obliged to call your attention to
the fact that no provision has been
made for the payment OF $4,000 Ill
bonds which were issued March l, 1919,
due and payable March l. 1898, and that
there will also be deficit Of $4,000 i'll
the interest fund on Jan. next. Dur
ing this time of financial depression l.
wOulC deem it Il hardship to increase
the tax levy over that of the present
year, but il will be impossible to pro.
vide Tor the payment of these bonds III
next years levy without making an
increase in the rate of taxation. AS the
greatest part OF the taxes are not PAID
until the end of May and the bonds are
payable on the LIST or, March. l would
suggest that authority be obtained from
the legislature next winter 10 renew
these b0uds for thirty years.
At theneXt meeting of the board L
will submit estimates for the tax levy OF
1891, and if possible an ltemiZed state
ment showing the exact condition OF
each county fund: also statement or
the disbursements for the first six
months of the present year. With these
statements before you [ trust that you
will be able TO make provision for the
existing deficits and the current eX-
penSes of the county government. 49,,
The county assessor, upon returning
the real estate assessment books for
1894. states that many of these records
were not handed to aim by the auditor
until May 10, thus giving him but forty
five days in which to complete his as
SeSsiDcntS. .....
AS it is Impossible to make an accu-
rate and proper equalization of values
i'll that short time, it is highly important
that the matter be looked into fully by
the board aud proper adjustments ar
rived at. Respectfully,
r. Nj. L. KAHN. County Auditor. 4.
The report of the county auditor was
referred 10 the committee Oh ways aud
means.