Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-08
MERCER COUNTY PHYSICIAN
Commissioners Ratify the Decision Of the
Caucus.
CHANGE IN BOOKKEEPING FAVORED
Chief Clerk Antilles writes n Letter
on the Subicct-LiveIy Debate
over dill of the County
Surveyor.

There was full attendance at the meet
ing OF the county commissioners yesterday
Afternoon.
The resignation Of DR.. Blythin as county
physician, accompanied by a graceful note ex-
pressing his good will toward the members
Of the board and his appreciation of the
treatment he had received at their hands,
was received and accepted.
DR.. 8. ID. Mercer WAS unanimously elected
county physician, and his bond approved.
A communication was received from Judge
.Fawcett, notifying the board that Charles
II. Leslie had been appointed to succeed
Thomas II. Leslie as bailif OF his court.
A letter from George Antilles, chief clerk
In the county treasurer's office, was read.
II recommended a radical change in The
state revenue laws. 1t suggested that when
ever a new tax list was turned over TO the
county treasurer the outstanding accounts
of the old tax list be amended, and that a
new column be added to the books for keep
ing account of delinquent taxes. The writer
maintained that were the changes suggested
adopted, one book would do where thirty-six
are now required. Commissioners Stenperg
said that II was q well known fact that the
methods OF bookkeeping employed in Douglas
county we're crude and antiquated, and that
this was a favorable opportunity for the COM
missioners to recommend a change. Ihe
communication was referred to the judiciary
committee.
Resolutions endorsing the Transmississipp
and international exposition were unani-
mously passed.
The report OF the superintendent OF the
county hospital, showing a total OF l32 IN
mates, was received and ordered filed. Appli'
cations for the position Of county physician
were received from Drs. Cornell and Bacon
Chairman Kierstead Of the judiciary com
mittee submitted a report {
reduction in the assessment of two and Q
quarter miles OF land in the Fifth ware
owned and occupied by the Omaha Bride ant
Terminal company. He said that this prop
erty had been taxed doubly and that the com
mittee had agreed to act with the city ju
dietary committee in reducing the assessment
to the rate Of SO, 900 per mile for two and
quarter miles. This would reduce the valua
ton to 81, $50. The report tina
the excess charge be cancelled. The repor
of the committee was adopted.
The judiciary committee reported tina
Luther l.. Thomas had escaped taxation OIL
his business for several years back. TIL
chairman stated that he thought it was du
to the negligence of Assessor Carpenter. o.
motion Of Hector it was resolved to ask tn
opinion Of the county attorney in the matte
and, IL he thought advisable, to request MI
Thomas to appear bc.ore the next meetin
of the board to show cause why he shout
not pay the back taxes.
A bill of S129 from w. Scott King, tn
county surveyor, brought forth a turbulen
discussion, which continued for nearly tw
hours. The, official was late in filing hi
bill for the month Of February. Commits
sloner williams wanted the rules suspende
and the bill approved. To this %Stenberg vic
lently objected, maintaining that it had bee
agreed that reform in the matter of approx
Is ing bills should be instituted, and that now
at the very first meeting, some of the boar
te wished to suspend the rules and approve
bill which the committee on roads had NJ
n even Investigated. Kierstead declared hin
self as emphatically opposed to a suspensio
Of the rules and a hurried approval of tn
bill. The debate waXed warm on the subjec
and the original motion became lost sigh
of In a discussion as to. whether or not unar
imous consent was necessary for the eusper
sion Of the rules. Chairman Jenkins Ell
gagged in the debate and announced that n
one commissioner could thwart the will 4
the majority while he presided over the de
alterations of the board. The chairma
vainly endeavored to shut off continued dis
cussion Of the measure, but Stenberg wa
not to be turned down. He said that b
had the consent of his colleagues to talk q
long as he pleased, and that a ~presidin
officer could not very well object. Jenkir
promptly called Williams to the chair an
then made his objection from the floor. Ma
tiers had cooled down considerably, when
was brought out that Surveyor King ha
charged the county at the rate of "a pc
day for the use of his own team. Kierstea
said he thought that was an outrage, an
then there was another edition of the d,
bate. Finally a vote was reached, on til
matter and the bill was approved, Kierstea
and S~tenberg voting in the negative.