The age-herald., 1899-01-22

Expenses to Montgomery 500
 Iotal .,.. ........ .......... ........$l ,420 9
 w. P. STAMFORD.
 Salary and mileage to May.... ....$1 ,035. %
 H. W. CROOK.
 Salary from May to September. <. $50 %
 The total amount paid this year was $6,l125 Of this amount S35775 was for horse hire and car fare. The total amount drawn by the commissioners for the two years is $12, ,S303S Of this amount $709 so was for horse hire and car fare inspecting roads, which was drawn without any sanc- tion of law. In connection with this I de- sire to state that MT. w. s. Morrow has shown me a receipt from the county treas urer under the date of January IA, 1899, for 5000 refunded on account of horse hire.
 Upon interrogating the commissioners as to the duty of the commissioner who re- mained at the court house all the while, and the necessity of his remaining there, l ascertained that he was variously engaged in giving orders for stationery, orders to the almshouse, orders to applicants for charity, etc. One of the commissioners testified that if the supplies for stationery, etc, for the county were made monthly or Quarterly, there would really be no necessity for any of them to remain all the while, but as the law permitted it and they were paid for it, one could always find something to do.
 GENERAL BUSINESS.
 Upon examination of the vouchers passed upon and allowed by the court I find a very irregular and unbusiness-,ike state of affairs have existed. The vouchers al lowed were passed upon in a grossly care less and reckless manner. No regard was paid to the plainest mandates of the law. The statute requires that before an account is audited and allowed it must be item- ized and sworn to.
 Of the many hundreds of accounts exam ined, find that only about thirty have ever been sworn to, and very few are itemized, as the law directs. Many of them are made out as follows: Merchandise for county" Drugs for county Coal for county" "Work on roads" "Vaccinatng people," etc., the amounts being simply given in gross.
 The statute requires that all accounts for "ex-officio'' services shall be itemized and sworn to before they are paid. I find scarcely any of these accounts, with the ex- ception of those of Sheriff O'Brien, are itemized and none of them are sworn to. During the epidemic of smallpox many &C., counts amounting to large sum were sent in from all parts of the county for vacci- nation. Some of these accounts gave the number of people vaccinated, some did not; none were sworn to, but all were paid. I find that considerable amounts are paid each year for clerk hire to commissioners court or for typewriting for the same. This, I think, clearly unauthorized by law. The only statute I can find upon the subject is section 9eO of the code, which provided that in the absence of the probate judge the commissioners shall employ clerk, who shall be paid by the probate judge. For the two years I find that the sum of $515.47 has been paid for clerk hire and typewriting. Upon interrogating the commissioners as to what typewritng was done, they replied that it was for copying the jury list. One of the vouchers was for typewriting a road law find for the two years J. B. Francis, tax collector has been allowed $175 for making abstracts of escape taxes. The statute requires that the probate judge shall enter these escapes upon the assess ment books and furnish an abstract to the auditor.
 I find many contracts for work for the county have been given relatives of the commissioners, notably by Commissioner Lacey. These contracts will be referred to later on in this report.
 APPROPRIATIONS.
 For the two years covered by my exami- nation the following appropriations have been made by the commissioners: Mercy Home, $25 per month. ........$ 600o0 United Charities.... 465.00 To build Mercy Home.... ............. 250.90 For exhibit at Omaha exposition.... 200.00 To agent of Commercial and Indus-
 trial club. .......... ...... lIO00.00 Total ....... $2,5150O
 FUEL.
 find for the year ending September, 1897, there was paid for coal for the use of the court house and jail the sum of s974.60. For the year ending September 1898, there was paid the sum of $1 ,370.4S. At the contract price of $1.4O per ton this is nearly 1000 tons. It will be seen that there is difference of $395SS for the two years. It is proper to state that included in these amounts for a each year are a few orders for charity. There is also included small amounts for cinders from the court house yard.
 From the proof before me the Birming- ham Coal and Coke company had the con- tract for furnishing coal to the county for the two previous years at the price of $l4O per ton. No complaint was made as to the quality furnished nor to the weights. In September, 1897. when the bids were adver- tised for again, this company put in anoth- .- ,>ta at tho aame price. Mr. A. R, MOr-