The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-04


commissioners yesterday afternoon
was characterized by q clash between
County Auditor Mrs. Game and two OF
the members. The contest ended with
honors even and referee would have
declared the affair a draw. 1t came
about in this way.
THE REFUND.
Mrs. Game is the busiest woman
ever elected TO Office. The refunding
of the illegally collected school tax re-
quireS the issuance of several thou
sands of warrants and this takes time.
A force of four clerks during the past
ten days has been engaged in making
out the certified lists of amounts to be
refunded to the several thousand tax
payers entitled thereto, and the work
has progressed with all possible speed,
at least so claims Mrs. Game.
The auditors plan was to make out
all the warrants before handing them
out, thus avoiding the Interruptions
and delay attendant upon having peo-
pie call during the progress of issuing
the warrants. as it would necessitate
going through the entire list for every
caller to ascertain if his or her war
rant had been drawn. So far only about
1,5O0 warrants have been drawn and
are ready for delivery, but none have
yet been handed out, excepting pos
sibly in a few emergency cases where
claimants could not wait for the money
and as a personal accommodation have
received their warrants.
CALLING FOR WARRANTS.
When taxpayers filed their claims
for a refund al the clerks Office they
were told the warrants would be out
in ten days or two weeks. The ten
days have now expired and the result
is that scores of people are calling
every day for their warrants and
making life a burden for the auditor
and her assistants. And the troubles
did not end when they were told no
warrants would be given out before the
entire issue was ready for delivery. The
claimants went to the members of the
board and made life a sad, discordant
song for them by inquiries as to
whether the country ever expected to
pay out the money which the courts
had decided was illegally collected. 1t
was this state of affairs that caused
the board to cite Mrs. Game to appear
before them Yesterday.
COMMISSIONERS HALL OPENS.
Commissioner Hall opened prelimi-
naries by asking the auditor what
progress was being made, at the same
time stating that the board desired to
have the warrants delivered with all
possible speed. 1t would mean the
turning into circulation of a large
amount of money which, at this par
ticular time, would do an immeasur-
able amount of good.
MRS. GAINES SIDE.
Mrs Game told the board in effect
they did not know what they 'were
talking about. IF the clerks office
told the claimants the warrants would
be ready in ten days" she went on,
Il cannot help that. 1 am proceeding
as fast as I can under the circum-
stances"
Hall retorted that he did not doubt
the latter assertion, but the members,
he complained, were made the objects
of questions from nearly every tax
payer thew met.
Mrs. Caine-Well, I don't see why
they should. The board has nothing
to do with the ministerial duties OF
my office. 1 am responsible for my
acts, not the board.
ARMSTRONG TAKES A HAND.
This statement from the auditor
moved Chairman Armstrong to speech.
He began in a firm tone:
well. now, L think you are mis-
taken, Mrs. Caine. This board is re-
sponsible for every officer of this
county. And 1 want it understood
right now that no officer need come
into the presence of this board and say
anything to the contrary. If we, as a
board, in the interest of the countys
welfare, desire an officer of the county
to do a certain thing. we shall expect
our orders to be obeyed.'
Mrs. Game demonstrated and en-
deavored to show the board the great
loss of time the delivery of the war
rants would involve. But the members
insisted that they must be handed out
and if any additional help was needed
it would be furnished. Mrs. Game
finally intimated that the orders would
be carried out. AS parting shot
however. she said the public would not
appreciate the accommodation.
II know what it is to accommodate
people. A few days ago a prominent
attorney of this city came into my
office and represented himself as the
agents of several claimants. I made
the warrants payable to him and the
result was he went and gambled them
all away before the next morning, and
payment had to be stopped
CALLED IT OFF.
Whether it was the latter statement
or a desire on the part of the members
to bring the seance to a close could
not be determined. Sufficient to say,
however, that both Hall and Arm
strong, who were the only members
present at the session, began looking
over papers.
And so a portion of the taxpayers to
whom warrants for school tax refund
have been issued will undoubtedly be
accommodated today.
FROM SENATOR BROWN.
A letter was received from Senator
Arthur Brown, stating he had sent the
board 1000 packages of assorted vege-
table seeds, which might be utilized at
the county poor farm.
The bids for stationery supplies, as
advertised for by the auditor, were all
rejected, for the reason that the ad-
vertisement was not specific in desig-
mating basis for the bids. The board
decided to have the auditor re-adver-
tiSe.
JURORS AND WITNESSES.
A resolution was adopted authorizing
the treasurer to pay all jurors and
witness certificates issued prior to
Dec. % on account of criminal business.
The state has turned over to the
county it's half of the amount. and
upon proper presentation of claims in
the regular manner, all holding GER