Evening journal., 1903-01-01
FOUND BOOKS
BADLY KEPT
Road Commissioners Recon-.
mend That There Be a
Charge in Laws
CODE HAS BEEN CLEARLY VIOLATED

Contrary to the Law the Commis-
sioners Have Appropriated a Salary
of 500 a Year--Also Acted As
Overseers
The report OF the auditors appointed
by Judge Spruance to audit the ac-
counts Of the road commissioners has
been issued from the Sunday Star
Press. Two auditors We're appoited
for each hundred, and nearly all the re-
ports state that the road commission
.ers' accounts were loosely kept and the
law disobeyed in other respects.
In their report for New Castle hun
dred Auditors Henry Nj. McMulln and
Albert II. silver say the books OF the
commissioners were badly kept They
report in part as follows:
1--WE most earnestly recommend
some radical change in the law in re-
lation. to the management OF roads in
this county. as great abuses have been
going On for years. and no material
Improvement is probable unless rigid
measures are devised.
I'VE found the books badly kept We
were unable to find from them the
amount OF the assessment or the
amount of tax levied. or rate laid as
required by law, the matter being left
entirely to the receiver of taxes and
county treasurer, who levied on his
own responsibility for the year COM
mencing July /, 1902; thirty cents on the
lone hundred dollars, while the commits
lsioners are limited by law to twenty
cents on the one hundred dollars. Del
aware Laws, chapter GA. We met
with the road commissioners and they
informed us they had not laid theii
lrate for this year. notwithstanding tn,
leollector had been collecting, the rate
laid by the county treasurer. viz, thirty
cents On one hundred dollars.
'The road commissioners have beer
lacting as overseers, taking unto them.
selves a section of road in clear viola
tion OF the law.
I'VE are unable 10 find any settle
lment with the county treasurer anc
j receiver of taxes for money paid {
.lhim by the collector Of taxes for the
wear ending juno 80. 1902.
'.The foregoing itemized statement OF
the receipts by the road commissioner
is correct, but we have not been abl'
Ito find the amount of the taxes for sai'
aforementioned year still due TO th'
road commissioners.
I'm violation OF the law the commits
Jsioners have appropriated TO theln
I selves a salary of One hundred an'
lfftv dollars per amman each. while IN
law specifically provides that thel
compensation shall be two dollars each
for each days attendance in the dls
lcharge OF their duties. Revised Code
lCbapter 60, Section IA.
'ln Justice to the present road com
missioner we would say that some o
1.-The irregularities above mentionel
have been going on for years, so ina
they have followed in the footsteps o
, their predecessors.
, William A. Talley and William II
1 Bird. auditors for Brandywine hun
ldred. report that the books in that hun
ldred are fairly we'll kept.
Colen Ferguson and Winfield Latte
e mus. for Appoquinimink hundred,
ltheir report, make the following state
lment:
We find that the commissioners haV
charged three dollars per day for view
ing the roads in said hundred whic
If we thing is an overcharge, as they an
Ie allowed only two dollars per day h i'
le each day of their attendance In the dl'
p charge of their duties.
y For Blackbird hundred Aoram Staa
L and Mortimer Records report that u
re hooks of the commissioner were we
e. kept -.
t. The other auditors who made repor
n are as follows: Christiana hundred
i. Perkins Groome and Joseph +. Chal
re ldler. Mill Creek, Henry Walker an
Ie Phillip Chandler; Pencader. J. Wiki
Ccoch and Samuel Airichs; Red Lio
al I. Thomas Price and James A. MIL
n gan: ST. Georges, Daniel w. CorDit al
If lanes T. Shadlcross; White Clay CIee
a George w. Williams and George
Of Kerr.
~ mao prINc pEcICTERF0