The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-07-11
COUNTY COURT
PROCEEDINGS.
Trustee CRANBERRY Given a One
Thousand Dollar Bonus.
A Committee Appointed to Investi-
gate the County High School
Proposition.

the compensation TOT TAX dsseeSoiS Va
various districts.
e. t. Estes and Z. II. Nixon were
re elected notaries public.
B. S. Thomas. Allen Holt and Z. Y.
Denton, the committee appointed TO
rebuild the bridge over Fountain creek
at Thomas Mill, reported that the con-
tract had been let and the bridge com
pleted for the sum OF 81, 600.
B. S. Thomas, S. 5. Craig ana
Allen Holt, the committee appointed
to build bridge at Scribner' Mill, re-
ported contract let and bridge compile
ted for sum of $4,000.
J. C. Nelson, F. M. Ricketts, and
w. A. Lindsey, committee appointed
to build bridge over Pugh creek, 18th
district, reported bridge completed
contract let etc at expense $300.
J. b. Cranberry, Trustee, submitted
the report showing amount OF delln-
uuent taxes for 1901 to be 81, Az. w.
The amount of errors and lnsolvences
81. 074. 90.
This being Mr.. Granberry's last
official report before retiring from the
office of Trustee. he took the occasion
to thank each member of the court FOR
their co cooperation in maintaining the
credit of the county. County warrants
he stated had been raised from 30 cents
to par valuation. He stated further that
during the past few days outstand-
ing funding warrants of So, 600 had
been cancelled and the county debt
proper had been reduced to 81, 600.
Funds are on hand to liquidate this
amount, but it is best to have reserve
to meet current expenses. The school
and road districts he said, are in
highly satisfactory condition. MI.
Granbery. for the benefit OF the court,
compared the populations OF Maury,
Giles. Rutherford, Gibson and Madl-
son counties, and showed the amount
of money received from the State by
the school fund of each county. While
Maurv leads in population she receives
less money for the school fund, with
the exception of Giles county, than
any of the five counties named. tie
thinks the scholastic population OF the
other counties is given in too large,
or Maury county's scholastic popula-
ton Is given in too small.
| The greater part Of the afternoon was
taken up with road case from the 18th
dist. The case grew out of the question
of the removal of some gates across
road on Henry Jones place. The road
was declared public highway, and
the gates were ordered removed.
Trustee Granbery Voted Bonus.
| Squire T. H. Nixon of Hamp-
shire moved the Court that bonus OF
81 900 in addition to the regular salary
be allowed the retiring trustee D. d.
Granbery, as part compensation TOT
clerk hire for the four year tenure or MS
office. Upon the vote OF the magis-
trates being taken thirteen out OF the
forty-six voted against the motion,
upon the ground that such approprla-
ton would be illegal, and. therefore
void under the Statute Of Tennessee.
Judge Gordon ruled that while the
regular salary was all that could be
legally allowed, still this extra
amount, which is $3.50 per year, had
several times before been given the
trustees.
Squire Geo. w. Hayes very vigor-
ously opposed the motion claiming 1t
to be in direct contravention to the
Statute.
Mr.. Granbery says this has always
been the custom and is simply S25O
per year allowed trustee reimburse
ment for clerk hire.
| Statute of Tennessee, acts OF len
nessee 1899, Sec. 70. says:
"Be it further enacted, that the
COMPENSATION of the county trustee
for receiving and paying over TO the
rightfnl authorities all moneys recie-
we'd by HIM, shall be so on all sums
up to ten thousand dollars, and 40 on
all sums above ten thousand dollars
and up to twenty thousand dollars,
and a commission Of 30 on all sums
above twenty dollars.
| Provided further That the trustee
shall not be entitled to any commits
sion on money turned over to him by
his predecessor in Office. or on money
borrowed for the use of the county, or
upon moneys collected from county
offices on fees and paid back to them
on their salaries or on the school
fund received from the State: or on
money turned over to him by clerks OF
courts and other collecting officers.
The thirteen magistrates who OPP
nosed the measure are T. q. HardIson,
B. S. Thomas, w. E. Ballanfant }.
T. Petty, J. A. Mathews, J. A. Gray,
Geo. W. Hayes, G.. N. McKennon,
ST., JnO. Il. Aklu, ndluy onOJ,
n. Fitzgerald, w. S. Harris and Il.
S. Lamar. :,
Mr.. Hayes is so firmly OF the
opinion that this appropriation is I'M
lawful that he has written Attorney
General Pickle at Knoxville for his
opinion in regard to the question.
But Judge Gordon, after the court had
made the appropriation. considered
the carrying out OF their decree as
only ministerial act, and therefore
did not deem it necessary to await
the opinion of General Pickle. Ac-
cordingly he issued the 81, 600 warrant 70
Mr.. CRANBERRY Monday.
However, IL Atty. Gen. Pickle Is OF the
opinion that this appropriation is
| illegal there is some talk OF legal
steps being taken to recover the