The Anaconda standard., 1895-03-05
AS To COUNTY AUDITOR
MiSSOula Has One and It's Hard 10 Say
Where He's At.
HENRI HASKELL'S IDEA OF 1T
He Thinks an auditor Once an Au-
dltor Is Always an Auditor If the
Majority of the Votes Are Cast
for Him-A Great Dispute.


regular meeting of the new board and
they iound plenty of work ahead of them
when they got down To business this morn
ing. The affairs of the county received a
general discussion when the board was
called to order and means and measures
for economy were proposed and carefully
considered. 1t is the plan of the board to
keep the running expenses of the county
at as low a point as possible and there
may be some changes made IN the pres
ent order of things, if they arc found to
be practical. The board started in on its
routine work by considering the salary
bills of the county officers.
When the bill of County Auditor Ham
ilton was reached the commissioners, in
accordance with their decision, made IN
January, refused TO allow 1t, as there eX-
lists some doubts as TO whether Missoula
county, being n county of the second
class, is entitled to the luxury of an au-
ditor. County Attorney Dixon was called
in and instructed to prepare n statement
of the case and to present IT to the dis
trict court for n decision, the commis-
sioners agreeing to abide by the courts
action.
Mr.. Dixon informed the commissioners
that the attorney general had rendered
an opinion in regard to their question,
which was prepared for the guidance oil
county auditors and of comm ssioners,
and he referred the board to this opinion.
One of the commissioners remarked, IN
raply to Mr. Dixon. that the board had
had consi lerable experience with the at
torney Generals opinions aud had learned
that they are not always correct. Mr..
Dixon was therefore reques ed to bring
al. h,f fh for n
The opinion of Attorney General Has
kell in question was sent to Mr.. HamIl-
ton in accordance with the lattcr's re-
quest, and covers the situation in
Mssoula and Deer Lodge counties and
others which were affected by the county
divisions made two years ago. In this
opinion, the attorney general refers to the
act creating the Office of county auditor
as follows:
"The Office of county auditor is hereby
created, and the same shall exist in all
counties in the state of Montana which
now have or those which may hereafter
acquire total assessment of not less than
eight million dollars"
Mr.. Haskell thon goes on to say: "Ihe
foregoing section has the effect 10 con-
tinue for all time, unless repealed by the
legislature, the Office of county auditor in
al. counties which had a total assessment
of SS,OO0,0OO at the tlmo of the passage of
the act"
In accordance with this opinion, Mr..
Hamilton has been performing the duties
of auditor for the past two months. A
STANDARD reporter has seen several at
torneys in regard to this question. and all
have been unanimous in the opinion that,
under the law, Missoula county is entitled
TO an auditor. The evident intention of
the trainers of the auditor bill was to limit
the office of auditor to counties having an
assessment of 100000 and over, but they
neglected to provide Tor the dropping of
county from the first to the second class,
and this omission makes the office OF
auditor fixture wherever it has once eX-
isted
While the office of auditor is generally
considered an unnecessary one, there is
no doubt that a faithful, conscientio us
man IN this Off C can save his salary to
the county many times over. 4 county
commissioner said not long ago to a
STANDARD reporter: 81 believe that any
county is benciited by an auditor if he is
the right kind OF n man and l think that
the commissioners of counties who have
had good auditors will endorse my state
ment."
The salary bills of the other county oiIi-
cials wero examined and ordered paid.
Until March / Treasurer Cave, who has
been filling the uneNpircd term caused by
the resignation of eX-rreasurer Bailey,
drew the salary of the treasurer of first
class county. He Is now entering upon
the regular term for which he was elected
and his salary will now be second class.
August Anderson was appointed janitor
of the court house and jail and landscape
gardener of the court yard at n salary of
$50 per month.
To iill the vacancy in the list OF con-
stables, caused by the resignation of Tom
Corbett, who Is now deputy sheriff. T. J.
Powers was appointed 10y the board. Mr..
Powers rs well known here. having been n
railroad man for years on the Northern
Pacific. He was the populist cand date
for police magistrate last spring and had
the support of that party as well as tho
endorsement of many other citizens for
this appointment. lie is a good man for
the Office and the election of the board is
satisfactory to everybody.
Commissioner Rankin was Obliged 20
leave the meeting at 3 o'clock and the an
pointment of road supervisors and the
letting of the poor farm contracts will not
be taken up until tomorrow.
These appointments we're: District l,
Joseph Berchell, Bonita; >, ". II. How
ard, Bonner; 3. W. II. RAYMOND, Mis-
soula; /, j. II. Coburn. Missoula; ,, q.
MaTcean, Missoula; 6. Adam Ia Lonle.
Missou,a; :, Napoleon G ole. Nine Mile;
Z. A. Perrier. Nine NJ le; Q, +. G.rlan, Su-
perior; 10, J. l. Smith, Missoula; II,
George r. Reed, l. Lo; i. James Wills.
Plains; Is, W. r. Russell, Thompson; "A.
X. Il. SchUder, Ncrmiilou; l5, 4. p
Heacklc, Cedar.
The contract for printing for the county
of Ravall was to-day awar led TO the
RaUdHi Eepub icIH al ~tcycusvillc. The
contract prices are 3.is per cent. OF the
legal rates on blank books ana a. per cent.
Of the legal rates on other work.
When so many people are taking aul
deriving benefit from Hoods ~arsaparilla.