The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-20


We report as 10 section Il:
We find that whilst Mr.. Chaplin was
commissioner he did hire teams to the
county for use on the road work, and re-
ceiyed therefor the same compensation
as was allowed TO any and ali other teams.
OF which q great many were used; we
find that this was done with the consent
Of the board. and with their full knowl-
edge, and his name appears openly on the
pay rolls for team hire, which pay rolls
were duly approved by the road committee
as correct. and then passed for payment
i'm regular form: IN this connection. we
find that there were other instances where
members Of the board were interest
ed In work done for, and supplies sold to-
the county.
Section Is Of the allegations reads:
also discovered that Chaplin was run
Minis, one man for two salaries one place
a SEQ and sandwiched in another place
al SIS. Then the cots. The best bid he
could get was 1885, We had them made
at sLS7i4.
We report as to section Is:
The minutes, on pages 3l6 and ST, show
that by resolution. Mr.. r. J. Wade was
discharged as a county employe, and was
instructed to turn over all books, accounts
and property to the quartermaster, Mr..
Stevens. Evidence shows that Mr. Ste
vens continued for several months 10 fill
both positions. receiving the regular sal
ary as uuartermaster, and S45 per month
additional for his increased work. and that
these items are plainly shown on the pay
rolls. which were duly approved and paid
in regular form. The testimony as to the
COTS varied as to whether the lower priced
cots were the cheapest in the end; the
price of cots submitted by Mr. Chaplin
was not a bid, but merely an open quota
ton for a particular make of cot.
Section 16 of the allegations reads:
also learn that there is quite a shaw
ing shop run in the superintendent Of
flee.
We report as TO section 16:
IT has been shown that J. w. Mcintyre
makes loans Of money to court house en-
ployes for repayment on pay day, charg-
ing about 10 per cent for fifteen or twenty
DAYS; Mr.. Ruben Butler also admits max
ing loans to county employees, receiving
compensation therefor and we recommend
that this practice be strictly prohibited.
Section II of the allegations reads:
The steam roller, Mr. Myers, who was
Mayor of the city at the time of the pur-'
chase, told Mr.. Dale and myself that it
should have been bought for $500 or 81, 400,
when we paid $500.
We report as to section II:
This IS simply an expression of opinion,
no evidence being offered that the roller
could have been secured for less than the
county paid for 1t.
Section IS of the allegations reads:
The county gave Mr.. Dale 5000 to 5000
each year to distribute in charity. He
never made any report or statement to
even the members of the committee, and
when the movement was made to distri-
butte through the Association of Organized
Charities, he cut the poor of the city off,
and made il $1,000 for the county poor
outside of the city, although 1 am quite
sure he did not distribute 500 in the
county.
We report as TO section 10:
The distribution of the poor
fund is in charge of
Mr.. ]. w. Mcintyre. and amounts to 1896. 90
cash per month, exclusive of cash paid for
groceries, etc; for this work Mr.. MeIn-
tyre receives SIS per month out of the
$4,000, making s171.O0 net in cash dis
tributed, a record of which is kept in
book used for that purpose. The chairman
of the board has authority to decide who
shah receive these aims. In this connec-
ton, we recommend that Mr.. Mcintyre be
required to keep a pay roll to be signed
by those who participate in the fund, as
under the present system there is no
check whatever upon the disbursements.
On Nov. 8, 1888, Mr.. Kehoe submitted the
following resolution, which was unani-
mously adopted, to-wit:
I'm the matter of the purchase of supz
plies for Chatham county, the following
order was passed on motion of Commits
s.oner Kehoe:
Resolved, That all supplies, etc, need
ed for this county be purchased by the
clerk of this court and that all requisi-
lions for said supplies be made on said
clerk in writing.
Resolved, That the clerk shall keep
stubs ia his order book which shall con-
tain duplicates of all orders given by him.
Resolved, further, That said order book
shall be subject to the inspection of any
member Of this board at any time during
Office hours"
Notwithstanding this rule, we find that
all of the gravel used by the county,
amounting to over $4,000 co. was ordered
out by Superintendent Chaplin by his own
direction and without any observation of
this rule, and we likewise find that 81 1889 SO
worth of lumber was purchased at diff
ferent times by Chairman Dale without
following the prescribed rule.
We think there should be a change in
the system of bookkeeping better adapted
to the increased business of the county.
Nearly $500 100000 ninety thousand dol
lars have been expended on the roads of
the county yet this only appears in the
general ledger under a consolidated head
of "Roads and Bridges" This account
apparently is more for the purpose of
showing the amounts expended out of the
annual appropriation for these objects
than for any other purpose.
Recently there has been kept In the of
flee of the Commissioner of Public Works
a sort of sub-ledger showing the amounts
expended on the different roads and
bridges but as there appears no reference
to any book or original entry, from which
this information is taken, It's value as a
source of information is greatly impaired.
1t is proper that the general ledger should
give these facts; II appears to us that
there is an immediate necessity for the
employment of a first-class bookkeeper
assuming that those who now do the
work have not the timel to reorganlze the
system Of keeping a record of the busi-
ness passing through the commissioner 8
office.
We have been afforded every assistance
by the County Commissioners and the en-
ployes of the county, and we are indebted
to the solicitor for his valuable assistance
at all times. Respectfully submitted
George w. Tiedeman, Chairman,
Walter S. King,
Charles II. Dorsett,
John II. Hunter,