The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-03
Due to the county for
premiums and refund


Due to the county for
premiums and refund go -
With reference to the foregoing 1 am
informed and have reason to believe that
the neglect to collect premiums bid at
sale and the refunding OF premiums
which had been bid and paid In at time
of sale prior to redemption having been
made, was done by a subordinate ofhclal
in the auditors office, and without the
knowledge or approval of the county au-
ditor What degree of blame, II any,
should attach to the county treasurer Iot
his payment of the ORDERS to the amount
of $4,150.70, which returned premiums TO
the purchasers in advance OF redemptlonS
having been made, remains with your
honorable board to determine
After discovering the irregularities ana
pending the careful investigation when
is now completed I had instructed the
county auditor to withhold all payments
for tax redemptions from the pirIles WI, WIZ
were involved in the improper account
ing [ have now withdrawn those IN
structions and place the matter before
you, that you may take such acton TOT
the protection of the county as shall
seem proper.
You will. of course, understand that IN
case no redemption should be made upon
any of these descriptions upon Whlch
premiums were bid at the tax sale, the
county might be liable to the party whose
property had been sold for the amount OF
the premium I shall later have occasion
to submit to your honorable BODY an al
ditional report covering matters not re-
ferred to in this.
On motion of Commissioner Hardick
the report was referred to committee
of the board to be appointed by Chair
man Kiefer and then Gen. Pope made a
verbal supplementary report In regard TO
the sheriff's office. It appeared that dur
ing the regime of Sheriffs Bean and Chap
ell. as well as Sheriff Wagner, 1t has
been the custom of the office to collect
from the government so cents per day.
notwithstanding the law provides for the
collection of 81 cents, for federal prison.
ers without making any charge against
the county. The county allows the sher-
iff So 25 per week for maintenance, and
under the system the government has
profited about cents per day and the
sheriff 8 cents per day per man. Ac-
cording to the figures presented by Gen.
Pope there is due the county on this
account about $100.53 from former Sheriff
Bean, $69S3O from former Sheriff Chapel,
and from Sheriff Wagner $220.94, to-
tai of $1013.77. incidentally he submitted
a request for the allowance of a clerk
to assist in putting the records of the
office in proper form, which was referred
to a committee to be appointed by Chair
man Kiefer.
President Joseph Wheelock, of the
board of park commissioners, appeared
before the board and explained the con-
,templated action of the board in regard
to the improvements at Phalen park.
Inasmuch as the bridge over Phalen
creek had collapsed under a steam roller
he asked that the bridge be rebuilt, with
a sufficiently high span to admit of the
passage of boats underneath. The mat
ter was referred to the committee on
roads and bridges.
The county attorney submitted a COM
munication from the attorney general,
upon which no action was taken, holding
that the county surveyor was entitled to
receive his team hire from the county in
view of the fact that the work of the
office requires the surveyor to visit por
tons of the county that are otherwise
inaccessible. The bills of the surveyor,
averaging $50 per month, had been held
uo by the board for the months Of July,
August and September.
The board of audit reported that the
books and accounts of the auditors and
treasurer's offices had been examined,
covering the period from May Is to Aug.
81, and found correct.
The county treasurer was empowered to
hire three clerks for two months at $70
Der month for extra work and the coun-
ty auditor was allowed $3.50 for extra
clerk hire in order to expedite the work
attending the clearance sale.
A communication was received from
F1eener & Saylor offering to investigate
and report in cases where wrongful re-
turns had been made on personal taxes.
The firm offered to do the work for one
fourth of the amount recovered No ac-
ton was taken in the matter by the
bear