The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-01-16
S2,400 FOR WAGES
Register Of Deeas Groenke Asks Biz Sum
Of County for Clerk Hirs for the
Past -Four Years.
Should the Commissioners Refuse TO Pay
He Will Bring Suit Against County
at May Term.
"reminiscences Of an Old Settler Concern
ing the apital Location in a Very
Early Day.
AN ECHO OF PoPuLlsM
a Ar 49, -
"reminiscences Of an Old Settler Concern.
AN ECHO OF PoPuLlsM
A. R. Groenke Presents a Bill to
County in Sum Of $4,000 for
Clerk Hire.

At the session Of the county COM
missioners Saturday morning a. r,
Groenke, the retiring register OF
deeds, sprung a surprise on the
members Of the board when he hand
ed in a bill for So, 400 for clerk hire
in his Office. The bill covers a
period of four years at the rate Of
$50 per month.
Mr.. Groenke secured the services Of
e. j. Spangler and III. @. Preston
to present the matter to the o
missioners,..With the idea in view OF
aiding them in seeing the legitimacy
OF the demand. The attorneys made
a very strong plea for their client
and brought up the precedent that
had been established by the courts
some eight or nine years ago when
suit was brought for clerk hire by
Or. q. Robinson, which he won in the
courts. From the records Of the
Office the attorneys presented the
fact that Mr.. Groenke's business in
The four. years had amounted to
81, 344. 95, and that he had TUNED
into the county treasury above his
salary Of s4,,7S4.84 for the four years
81, $50. II. They claimed that under
the administration of j. E. Wells
there was considerably less business
done, and the receipts were less, and
that by the courts he was granted
clerk hire for a certain period. all
though the commissioners at that
time refused to allow it.
Some years ago, perhaps eight or
ten, the populist party made a great
howl about clerk hire in this county,
and in the campaign OF 1894 the
abolition Of clerk hire was the war
cry. The populists nominated their
candidates for the county offices and
they pledged themselves to do the
work without clerk hire. Each sue
.ceeding year they have endorsed the
same resolution. The four years
they were in power it was carried
out and the same policy has been
continued by the republican party.
Last fall the populists declined, We
are informed, to endorse the resolu-
tion against clerk hire. When Mr..
Groenke was nominated in 1S98sand
again In 1900 by populists and demo-
Gratis of the county he agreed, SUBJ
stantiallY, to conduct the business
OF the Office without expense to the
county SO far as clerk hire was con-
cerned. But at the present time he
takes an entirely different view Of
the matter and now makes a demand
of the county for the sum mentioned.
During, perhaps, the greater share Of
the time that Mr.. Groenke was in
the Office he employed a deputy who
did most of the business and Mr..
Groenke drew the bulk of the salary.
There is much justice ir the prop
osition that clerk hire is needed in
county offices at certain portions Of
the year, but the populist party
established the precedent of not
allowing any such bills and a mem
Der Of that party is the first man to
make a demand for pay for clerk hire.
In the four years that the repub-
5licans have been in power there has
been no demand made for the county
to pay clerk hire, and whatever
help3 has been employed by the re-
publican officials they have paid for
out Of their own pockets.
The commissioners did not take
any action on the pill, but it was
deferred until the board could make
its settlement with MI. Groenke for
the months of November and De.
cember.
Would Banquet MI. Bras.