The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-24
THE COUNTY SURVEYORS PLEA.

The G o b e has felt called on from
time to time to refer to the administra-
ton of the Office of county surveyor of
this county in terms not at all compH-
mentary. This it has done at intervals
for nearly two years past. 1t has not
been alone in it's criticisms of that admin
istration. Mayor Kiefer's references to the
same matter have been distinctly critical,
If not condemnatory, as have those of
a former deputy public examiner. Both
of these gentlemen, it IS almost needless
to point out, represent che party to which
County Surveyor Johnson belongs, and
to which the G l o b is in opposition.
No consideration of party politics, nor
any other consideration short Of its un-
Outstanding of the public well being,
could have induced the o b to print
anything rejecting in the slightest meas
ure on the official conouct of the county
surveyor. That gentleman has done this
paper the honor Of personal call with
a view to explaining the unfounded char
acter Of the prevailing criticism. He has
insisted that the only legitimate cause
Of public complaint lies in clerical err
ror which distinguished one of his bills.
In all other respects, he insists, his con-
duct Of the Office of county surveyor is
beyond all reproach.
1t is of course easy to be unjust toward
public official 1t may be that Mr.
johnson has never received a dollar or
enabled any other person to receive one
from the county funds, through his Of
flee, to which a legal claim did not exist
That is not really the point of the
matter, however, as Mr.. Johnson might
nave learned at any time during the past
two years had he thought the matter
worthy Of serious concern. The main
fault found with the present administra-
ton of the county surveyors office is that
1t is to marked degree a family affair.
No official with a becoming sense Of the
decencies of public life and Of his obliga-
tons to the general public, whose servant
he is by virtue Of his election or appoint
ment, will put his relatives in place, or
will so conduct his office as to make 1t
and his relatives. Mr. Johnson's father
is his first deputy, and he admits hiring
his own brother from time to time. The
teams about which so much has been
said, RIr. Johnson admits, are owned by
himself, and the use of them is paid for
by the county at the rate of 50 day,
while, as he insists, he Is authorized by
the county commissioners to charge for
each at the rate of So. 50 a day For this
folbearance we will leave the reader to
judge how much credit the county sur
Veyor is entitled to; but, granting him
the full credit of saving the county the
sum of so cents a day on each of those
teams, it does seem as If Mr.. Johnson
might let some other worthy taxpayer of
the county have a chance to draw even
So day from the county treasury for the
use of his team when needed 1t would
also seem as if good taste, if no more
serious consideration, might have in
huenced him to go outside his own i'm
mediate family for his assistants.
Il remains a. question which the county
attorney should determine whether the
hiring of his relatives and his teams is
within the scope of his powers, since
doubts have been expressed on this sub
Ject But, power or no power, there is
sufficient in the acknowledged facts to
Indicate that County Surveyor johnson
has succeeded in drawing quite a liberal
revenue from his office for his own and
his relatives use, and that the office has
received careful cultivation in that be-
half. Against any such tendency on the
part of any public official the Globe
will always be heard protesting, no mat
ter what the party politics of the official
involved may be.
The claim which the county surveyor
urges on this paper, that 81 a day is not
a sufficient compensation for the dis
charge of his official duties, if it were
we'll founded, might necessitate Mr.. John
sons resignation. 1t is certainly a very
unworthy plea made in any other con-
nection.