Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-04-10
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.


The commissioners had lively time
last week and, of course, all of their
acts cannot please everybody.
The question involving the county
superintendent mix-up consumed more
than an entire day and 1t was a knotty
problem. During the past few months
several district courts have held that
a superintendent appointed to fill the
term between January and May is not
| not entitled to compensation because a
legislature cannot create a vacancy,
| that the old superintendent is entitled
TO hold over until the regular term of
the newly elected officer begins. hence
| the old superintendent is the proper Of
fetal. A. l.. Noble represented Mr..
Lake and G.. M. Martin represented
| the other side. The Board was unan-
imous in the opinion that Lake holds
the office illegally. but Commissioners
| Rankin and Grouse voted to allc-
Lakes bill. Commissioner Walker
voted to take the matter under advise
| ment until the supreme court passes on
| the custom. 1t is now pending IN that
tribunal. Mr.. Shell did not file a bill
but counseled the Board to await the
action OF the supreme court. The
grounds upon which Commissioner
Grouse voted to allow Mr.. Lakes bill
were that Mr.. Shell forfeited his right
to the Office by yielding possession
when the old Board illegally appointed
Lake in January.
The INDEX was awarded the con-
tract to do the county printing at 20
per cent of legal rates. This is 10 per
cent below what the Cresset received
last year and 25 per cent below what it
received in 1899. The Cresset discover
ed that we have been made the county's
purchasing agent. The discovery Is
only a nightmare not uncommon to its
editor. The commissioners have only
requested that the job work be ordered
from home office where it can be Sc
cured cheaper than by sending to for
eign concerns. The county printing
contract does not make any reference
to the INDEX as purchasing agent.
In the matter of tax compromises
and redemptions, there seems to be an
erroneous impression. The commits
sioners have been charged with reduc-
ing taxes and penalties on tracts of
land, but such is not the case. They
made ruIigg that nothing excepting
vacant town lots are subject to COM
promise by reduction, and the Board
has uniformly refused to grant rebates
on tracts even in cases where land was
of small value. The old Board has fire.
quently given large rebates on choice
farms and the practice became so gen.
eral that it rather encouraged delin-
q uencies for the purpose of private prof
it by compromise, and the new Board
decided that it was necessary to call
halt for the protection of these who pay
their taxes when due. There can be no
objection to compromising vacant town
lots against which there are great
amour IS of taxes and penalties aggre-
eating more than the actual value of
the property. By compromising these
WV AOSo "a y oS3oih PioSCd OA LILO tdA
rolls which materially assists both city
and county.
The commissioners made a trip to
Elm Mills township Monday and in
spected the two bridges. They decided
to sell the bridge up at the mill and
not rebuild as there is no demand for a
bridge up there. 1t is probable that
contract will be made to repair the 9th.
or one. The bridge west of town and
the one on Mule Creek west of Kiowa
will also probably be repaired soon.
The report of G. S. Heskett on the
condition Of +. E. Reads books and
funds entrusted to his care will be filed
today. Mr.. Reads bill of $500 for un-
collected fees was rejected. Commls.
sioners Walker and Grouse held that
the county had no right to take such
action-that Mr.. Read like other retir-
ing officials must secure the fees when
they are paid in or take steps to collect
them himself. They held also that
since the fees of his office for the past
year amount to more than 5000 they
have no power to allow him additional
salary. Commissioner Rankin favored
allowing the bill.
The Board will adjourn today. On
account of lack of space we cannot give
an account of the less important bust.
ness.
Clenmie Mccoy was released from