The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-31
CODE PROVISION KEY
TO DOOR Of GRAFT
Law Would Permit Dishonest
County Boards to Boost
Own Salaries

sponsibilities of county commissioners
are fearful that the provisions in. the.
statute revision code relating to the
Ramsey county commissioners will.
open the doors to graft in these Of,
fees.
Section A, chapter ,eiof the new
code puts the salaries of county COM.
missioners on valuation basis, and it
Is pointed out that working with al
friendly assessor, or even by the in.
nocent action of the state board of
equalization, the salaries of the COM
missioners could be easily increased.
Under the present law the Ramsey
county commissioners receive $500 a.
year. The new law Immediately raises,
the salaries to 5000, and when the as
sessed valation of the county shall
reach s100.000,0O0 the salaries Of the
commissioners is boosted to $1,000
The new law makes the office of as
SCISSOR elective, instead of appointive,
but even with this safeguard, it will
be very easy matter for the assessor
to raise the valuation of the county
the very small amount necessary to
give the commissioners another $500 a
year each. The fact that Ramsey
y
100000 will, it is pointed out, always
be a source. Of uncertainty In the sal
aries of it's commissioners under the
proposed law, for once the necessary
valuation is obtained to give the COM
mlSSioners the maximum pay, it is not
certain that it will be maintained at
that figure. An assessor unfriendly to
the county board could easily manipu-
late the assessment to work a personal
spite against the county commissions
erS.
Plan Considered Dangerous
81 regard the whole plan of making
the salaries of the commissioners de-
pendent upon the valuation of the
county as a pernicious one,', one of the
best informed men in county affairs
said yesterday 1t is not The correct
theory, and 1t opens the door to graft
By increasing the county assessment
less than one-half of 1 per cent an as
SCISSOR on the state board can increase
the salaries of the commissioners $500
each and should the assessor prove
accommodating the state board of
equalization can do the business for
the commissioners
Well Informed men contend that the
codes provision relating to care of the
poor may wipe out the county board Of
control IN Ramsey county so far as its
L
section of the code relating to the sys-
TENS of caring for the poor in effect
says that there shall be ,twotsystenns
the county and township systems. The
code says that eacha county shall
operate under the new code on the
system in effect on the passage of the
CODE
Ramsey county has neither system,
it's county board of control being the
of re Iii tn I,a lot
Ramsey county board has'been inexiste
eilce for thirty three years, it's MEM
bers being appointed on the concurrent
action of the judges of the district
court. Since the county owns two
thirds of the city and county hospital
and two-thirds of the almshouse, any
legislation which will cripple it's powers
VIII meet with the strongest opposition
from local taxpayers.
Easy for Commissioners -ss+
A provision of the code arbitrarily
increases the amount which county
commissioner may grant in relief. I'm
der the Old law commissioner had au-
thOrity to grant $50 relief without af-
firmative action by the other members
of the board. By concurrent action of
the members of the board $50 might
be granted in relief. The code removes
the minimum sum and gives any COM
missioner the right to grant $50 relief
in any year. stiss - $50 .
While the increase of latitude given
county commissioners in the disburse-
ment of relief funds does not affect
Ramsey county, under its board of con-
troll law, it is said that an effort will be
made in the present legislature to
transfer to the members Of the county
board the duty of distributing relief to
the poor.
There are, according to the records of
the board of control, 1,200 persons in
the county receiving relief, and the
provisions of the code extended to these
would mean maximum distribution Of
100000 year. The opportunities for
indiscriminate disbursement of the
public funds to undeserving mendi-
cants is apparent.
A strong sentiment against confer
ring on the county commissioners pow
ers of granting relief is said to exist in
business circles. sfu9
Gae Cononapv Off;eore De aIa~k.I