The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-15

The Report PigeOn-HOted by Gov.
Elemental Examination of the
County Commissioners Methods
Shows That What the Document
Contained Was Correct.
Public Examiner Pope some days ago
transmitted to Mayor <iefer, as chair
man of the board of county commission
ers, report upon the condition of Ram
sey county. The document was original
ly prepared by J. p. West, deputy public
months before the latter went out Of
office but never got any further than one
OF Gov Clough's pigeon holes Subse-
quent examinat tons of the matters touch
ed upon in the report have been made
by Gen. Pope, confirming the conclusions
reached i'll the report made by Deputy
West. The suppressed report contains the
following statement of irregular methods
employed by the county commissioners in
doing business:
The manner of expanding money on
roads and bridges IS certainly contrary to
the general law l am informed that
there is no special law In relation to the
matter; at least none contrary to the
general law.
Instead of appropriating money for a
particular location it is appropriated to a
certain commissioner district and that
commissioner will have the same worked
out wherever he may think best. There
seems to be a foreman who draws pay as
q foreman. Who appoints this foreman
does not appear from any records l could
find. The following is bill of a foreman.
May 10, II and II, three days with
team, 50.
May 10, II and u, three days as fore
man, S.
There seems to be a large amount ex-
pended on roads which Is expended by
day work for man, team and foreman
sioner showing the amount expended on
any particular place, or how much 1t has
cost to expend the same.
There are contracts made and appro-
priations made for the expenditure Of the
same, but even with these contracts 1t
takes the county surveyor and large
force with him at the expense Of a large
sum every month to look after these, to-
gether with the other roads and bridges.
The work is so urgent that he works on
Sunday and Thanksgiving, and his horse
which draws pay for several days each
month for services performed for his
master, amounting to as high as $66 per
month. He is (the horse) allowed to work
for the moderate sum Of So per day, and
pittance to get pay for two days work
performed in one day.
1t is not the duty:neither Is it legal for
the county to furnish the surveyor con-
Veyance or teams to assist him in the
performance Of his duties.
The commissioners have appropriated
and expended large. sums for building
cycle paths which is contrary to law.
They also appropriated (but have not
paid the same) money to assist in build
ing good roads at the state fair.
If the county commissioners are to APP
propriate money for purposes other than
those mentioned in their assessment and
levy, and for VIII CHI no tax has been levied
and connot be legally then there is no
use of law limiting them in such mat
ters.~ So :
1t makes no difference how worthy and
popular the project may be for which the
appropriation is made. the legality of the
GER should never 4be asked to violate his
oath of office in any case whatever, even
if the object seems worthy
The commissioners sometimes appropri-
ate Inoney4te be used blythe county at
torney or some other officer for some par
ticular purpose. and called a. contingent
fund.- which, money. is idisbursed by that
officer to parties who are supposed to be
entitled to the same. [ do not know OF
any law for any such proceedings The
county treasurer Is supposed to be able
proper persons The county attorney or
any. other officer is not entitled to any
contingent fund in addition to the legal
salary without there be some special law
for the same Bills are allowed for. ezl-
penses in what was called the Lambert
lake matter. A large portion of the bill
was for money claimed to have been ex-
pended by the county, yet there was
nothing about the bill to indicate that
the county was liable in any way.
Large sums of money werse paid to 9TH
er parties, yet not "a voucher was pro-
# these were legal claims against the
county the parties should have put in
their bills, to the county board and the
The law provides how all legal claims
are to be paid, and there can be no other
way The county surveyors bills are
very large and are not tented as they
| I was Informed that q person who
drew pay In January. 1887, from the coun-
ty and who was reported by the sur
veyor as having worked for the county
or for the surveyor twenty-five days that
month worked also twenty days for a
railroad as a brakeman, alsa ten days in
same time for the county: Also that a
person drew pay from the county for
February, 1898, and did not work a single
day.
grand jury will have q little work on
hand. I am satisfied from the bills and
the manner in which they are itemized,
and the fact that the work is claimed for
Sunday and Thanksgiving and all kinds
of services on days when other people
can't work and two days being claimed
i in one, e. that some one should make a
thorough investigation and that no one is
paying any particular attention to the
manner in which money is being expend-
ed in this direction.
The examination referred to in Mr..
Vests report was made Nov 26 and
transmitted by Bank Examiner Kenyon
without any comment whatever. The let
+oy vUao &c follows.
Gov. D. NJ Clough-Sir: I have the
honor to enclose herewith a report of eX-
animation of Ramsey county. made Nov.
&c, 1885, Respectfully, M. D. Kenyon.
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