The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-05-27
COL, FRANKLIN
MAKES A REPLY
-
JUDGE WHlTFIELD'S LETTER
REPLIED TO BY THE COUNTY
ATTORNEY.
Asks the Judge Some Questions as
to Previous County Com
missioners.
lditor Brunswick News.

Editor Brunswick News:
From your issue of Friday last. in
which appears card from Judge
Whitfelds under Tire flaming head
lines. Whitfield talks of the commits
rsioner5 in plain English" it seems
that the judge is still uneasy about the
county treasury.
As counsel for the commissioners, |
take tne liberty of offering one or two
thoughts suggested by Judge Whit
fields card. OF course it should be
matter OF public congatulatlon when
a citizen Of the judges ability and
prominence constitutes himself a
watchdog Of the public treasury. 1t
i5 TO be regretted that the Judge and
many others of like prominence witn
him did not assume this roll several
years ago Had they done so the
county would now be better off by
some two hundred thousand dollars.
Better latte than never, however.
Tae commissioners are advised as
to the law touching their expenditure
Of small sums OF money for tha pur-
pose of aiding the Board of Trade in
l'@ work ot development WlHc this
1stsnihcand expenditure was. rc-nals,
without express authority of law. the
commissioners felt that they were
confronted by a condition rather than
a theory. that this condition called
for the prompt exercise of heir dis
cretion, and they believed that tneyl
had the endorsement Of the tax payers
/ of The county in tneir action Since
then they have had a very pronounced
expression Of public endorsement in
/ the form of reelection, and no kick
/ er5 have been heard from except the.
! Judge. OF course, if the Judge must
nave it. and nothing else will satisfy
his solicitudc for the protection of the
public funds from the ravenous inroads
of these very naughty commissioners.
why lct the Judge bringg an action
for the recovery of this little sum Of
three hundred dollars from the indivi-
dual members of thd board. If the
courts dec.4e that they must put it
back in the treasury, possibly they
would be able to raise it. The present
board OF commissioners represents at
least two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars Of property, and we think
they might be, able to raise Julgei
Whitded's part of this three hundred
dollars in cash, though they might
need a little time on the balance.
Whenever we begin this business
Of recovering back money illegal
ly paid out Of the county treasury
however, judge. We would prefer to
make a Wholesale job of it. There
might be others
BY the way, while we are OH this
subject Of authority Of law for the ex-
paniiture of county funds perhaps the
indse might advise us by what system
Of legal gymnastics the commission
Ws, during the judges incumbency,
OF tine office Of county attorney. Let
contracts for some three thousand dol.
lars worth Of bridges ard public re-
pairs on public buildings without TAX
ing the bonds required by sections 344
and @f6 Of the political code.
We notice that, during the judges
term as county attorney, the commits
sionsrs made a contract with the clerk
Of the superior court to copy certain
old execution dockets for the very
modest compensation o. fifty cents per
pags Judge did you advise your
clients at that time Of the very salus
tary provisions Of the law contained
in civil code section 43G1. subsection
., making ii the official duty Of the
clerk OF the superior court to do this
work In fact if we are going to
have discussion of treasury raiding
would it not be good to go back ana
take it UP from the beginning ?
A. L. Franklin.