The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-25
COUNTY DADS Will
WAR FOR ROAD FUND
TO THE LAST DITCH
Decide to Ignore County At
tOrney's Opinion and Allow
the Matter to Be Tested i'm
COurt-ROad Work Is Tied Up.

At the fourth meeting held within
two weeks for the purpose of coming
to some agreement regarding claims
against the county for road repair
work, which claims the county attor-
ney declares to be illegal, the county
commissioners yesterday decided that
it was useless to try further for set
tlement, and ignoring the opinion of
the county attorney, agreed to have
the matter tested in the courts.
Commissioner Powers, in behalf Of
his constituents, announced that prep
arations were being made to commence
suit against the county to compel the
payment of these claims, and the board
decided to await the outcome Of the
suits before taking any action in the
matter.
While the suits will be in the name
of some of the persons holding the
claims against the county, they will
practically be backed by the county
board, and some attorney other than
the county attorney will be engaged to
prosecute the cases, which will be de-
Tended by the county attorney.
Ties Up Road Work.
missioners means that the formers who
have already done work for the county
will not be paid, If at all, until after
the question has been settled by the
courts at the fall term, and in the mean
time all road work in the county will
be at a standstill. Unwilling to abide
by the decision of the county attor-
ney, who holds that the road work
must be let to the lowest bidder by con-
tract, the commissioners will not order
any more repairs on the county roads
until the matter has been settled Ie-
gally.
The attitude assumed by the board
yesterday simply means that the COM
missioners will fight to the last ditch to
prevent being compelled to let the
county road work to the lowest bidder,
which is in accordance with a law pass
ed by the recent legislature.
While the commissioners have as yet
failed to give any reason why the work
should not be let to the lowest bidder,
it is we'll known that some of the mem
bers of the board at least, object to
waving their right to handle the road
andi bfidge~fund personally.
1t is the desire of the commissioners
to have the road work done by day
labor, and the law requiring all jobs
amounting to more than 5000 to be let
by contract has been evaded by divid-
ing a piece of work into pieces where
the cost will be less than this amount.
This is what Assistant County Attor-
ney O'Neill declared to be illegal, and
claims amounting to $500 for work of
this kind were turned down.
Much Money to Expend.
In the bridge and road fund there is
something like $4,000 to expend an
nually, and heretofore the commission
ers have had individual charge of the
greater portion of this amount. It has
been customary for them to hire some
farmer to do a piece Of work and pay
him for his labor by the day. Objec-
ton was made ito this method for the
reason that there was no way of telling
whether the farmer did the work in a
faithful manner or not, and for the
reason that it3was charged that the
| commissioners having charge Of the
fund used it for the purpose of paying
political debts."sc.,
1t was to do away with this system
that the law requiring all work to be
done by contract was passed, and it is
the legality Of this law that the suits
against the county will determine.