Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-02-21

help us in making a speedy and true examination
of said accounts.
ORRIN GRAY.
GEO. 7. ROWLAND.
THEO. SpRINGBoRN
State of Wisconsin
County of Wood. is
Orrin Gray and Geo. 7. Rowland and
Theo. Springborn being first duly sworn, each
upon oath, for himself, deposes and says that
having been employed by the Finance Committee
to assist in making examinations of the accounts
and books and papers and records of County
Clerk F. L.. Rourke, and County Treasurer P.
McCamley, and Clerk of the Circuit Court D.. D
Conway, say that they carefully examined and
checked through all of the accounts in said offices
from the first Monday in January 1898, to the
first Monday In January 1895, and that all pains
was taken in such examination to avoid errors
and to make such examinations true and accurate
without bias or prejudice and that the report
whereunto this is attached is lust and true to our
best knowledge and belief.
ORRIN GRAY.
GEO. 7. ROWLAND.
THEO. SPRINGBORN.
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 10Th
day of Feb, 1895.
PHILIP M. KsYck1, County Clerk.
Your Finance Committee would respectfully
state that they have used all reasonable diligence
and care in going over the reports and reviewing
the work done by the special committee employed
and, in their judgment, believe same has been
carefully and accurately done.
We would call your attention to the large
amount of illegal certificates cancelled by the
ex-County Clerk. The cancellation of these Ger
tifcates has made considerable extra work for
both the ex-Clerk and ex-Treasurer in apport1oning
them to the proper delinquent accounts. They
also furnished a complete and correct list of all
certificates on hand and saved the committee
several days work in that instance. They also
were present with the committee during most all
of the work and furnished complete lists of the
work done by ths Il greatly facilitating and short
ening the time, labor and expense that would
otherwise have been necessary to have completed
the examinations. In view of these facts we
would recommend that you allow ex-County
Clerk Thirty $4,000 Dollars and ex-County Treas
urer Fifteen ($15.OO) Dollars for service spent
with the committee as compensation for the extra
work done or aid furnished by them.
The County Clerks office is in need of a new
County Land Book. The one now in the office
has been used tor many years and is practically
filled up. Many descriptions have been sold twice
and in some cases the third time. This arises
from parties buying the certificates and then
letting the lands go back for taxes again.
There are a great many descriptions that should
be decided to the County. This would be a benefit
both to the Towns and County by making the
accumulations against the lands less when sales
are likely to occur and relieve Towns of yearly
entering up Taxes in the Assessment Rolls that
they cannot collect.
The list of Certificates on hand are scattered
through a large volume going back a long time
and covering many pages. For the benefit of
future examinations and listing of Certificates it
would be of great advantage to bring the COM
plete list of such Certificates now on hand forward
in a body in the new volume, if same is ordered as
asked, and hereafter in examinations of that
account the long lists of many years redemptions
would be avoided in making up reports.
We would therefore recommend that you allow
us to employ some one to make a new County
Land Book, revise the record of Certificates on
hand, and to secure a Tax Deed for the County
upon al. lands that are subject to such deed. Also
that you instruct your County Clerk to present to
the Board once a year, and at it's annual meeting,
a list of all lands subject to deed to the County
so the Board can take measures to furnish the
County Clerk with afhdavits of non-occupancy.
In this connection attention of the Board is called
to the report of the Finance Committee published
in the proceedings of 1891, for information and
recommendations on this line and that part which
pertains to the taking of Tax Deeds in the name
of the County for all lands on which they are en-
titled to receive such tax deeds, which reconme1l-
datlons we fear have not received the important
1OHSlu>A iSdu1Su IL ONS hh@~A@oI ="
Towns and County.
We desire also to call attention to the amounts
turned in to the County Treasurer from sales and
other matters by the Poor Farm Commissioners
There was nothing of record available in the
Court House by which the Finance Committee
could determine what the County Treasurer had
received from that source except the Treasurer's
own statement and records.
We herewith present to your honorable body, to
be destroyed IN accordance with the provisions OF
law, County, Court, Witness and Juror orders