The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-10
BOOKS ARE COMMENDED
EXAMINER REPORTS ON OFFICIALS
 OF MONTGOMERY.
Accounts of all County Officers Were Found to he Kept Correctly, but Some Criticism of Merchan-
 disc Violations.

Upon examination by Assistant State Examiner W. F. Wilkinson, on which | a report was made yesterday to Gov | ernor Jleks, the books of the officers of | Montgomery County occupy a place among the very first in the State. With the exception of calling the Governor S attention to an undervalution of mer- chandise stocks, there was no criti- cism made of any of the books, ac- counts and vouchers of the county of ficers.
 Of Probate Judge J. B. Gaston, Ex- aminer Wilkinson says his books were kept neatly and correctly. Judge Cas- ton has conducted his office in a busi- ness-like way. His collections for the year ending March 31, 1905 were as follows: Licenses. $57.466.S6; corpora ton fees, $375; lands redeemed. $154.SS; dog tax, $17 and mortgage tax, $3,- 44630 Not all of this money has been paid to the State. there being $2, 900 which is withheld on account of a contest of the mortgage tax law on the ground that 1t is unconstitu- tional.
 The report on the other officers was as follows:
 G. w. Halls, Tax Collector--The books and accounts are perfectly cor rect and balanced as kept by Clerk Teasley, whose methods were com pllmented. The following amounts have ben paid to the State for the year 1903: General taxes, $52,SSS.s9; special soldier, $21.074.50; special school tax, $63, ,1S010; total, S137,13S.59. All these amounts represent deductions of commissions to the Tax Assessor, Collector and Tax Commissioner.
 A H. Eubanks, Tax Assessor-His books were found to have been cor rectIy kept The total assessments for 1904 were as follows: Lands and Improvements. $3.425,O10; town proper ty, $12,O64,346; personal property, ST. PAS, 1852; five per cent. penalty for non- The value of merchandise stocks Is given at $1.42o.269. This, the Ex- aminer represents, is much too low. He says that in the opinion of conser- vative business men this assessment is not more than 30 per cent of the actual value s ..-. --. .-- < , -
 The Examiner reports that business houses are given in in Montgomery County at about 40 per cent. of their value and the land averages little less than $7 per acre.
 The Assessor and his assistants" says the Examiner, 'are doing every thing they can to get a just and equita- ble valuation of the property of Mont gomery'
 HI H. Matthews, Clerk of the City Court of Montgomery-He has vouchers for all money paid out in hand and his books and accounts were correctly kept For eleven months ending March 31, 1905, MT. Matthews has re- ceived from the State $3,S0e.34 of cost bills in penitentiary cases. Such bills and removal bills for prisoners of the county were found to be correctly kept and all executions were issued there for.
 w. R Waller, Sheriff-His books and accounts were found to be neat and accurate. For feeding prisoners dur ing the year ending March 21, 1905, Sheriff Waller expended $s,455.60, all of which, accordinging to the Examin- CT, is accounted for properly.
 J. A. Thompson, County Superinten- dentent of Education-His books and accounts were reported as correctly kept in every way. When he relin- duished his office to his successor, G. w. Covington, he turned over a balance of $441S.11. He had paid teachers from October to January 20 last $3S,- 97273