Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-25
COUNTY AUDIT PLAN POPULAR
Proposition to Make Clerk Practically
Comptroller Meets No Opposition,
URE'S SCHEME OF BUYING SUPPLIES RAPED
Some officials Believe Thus to Em-
power Board Would BE Like
Placing a Club in
Its Hands.

No opposition has so far developed to the
plan proposed Thursday afternoon at the
meeting OF county oficials to make the
county clerk auditor of county accounts
with practically the same powers and du-
ties IN county affairs that the city comp
troller has I'm city affairs The recon-
mendation was made by County Clerk Hav-
eriy, with an additional recommendation
that the salaries i'm the Office be placed on
the same basis as the help in the other
offices. Tho same proposal to combine the
two offices was made by Mr.. IRE when the
Joint meeting of county officials was first
proposed several months ago and il Is en-
dcrsed by County Auditor Smith.
County Clerk Haverly declares Il is the
clear intent Of the law to make the county
clerk auditor of all bills filed for payment
and his recommendation is merely for leg
isation to carry out and make more spe-
cific the evident purpose of the present
law. Those who have examined the stat
utes differ as to whether the county clerk
or the county board is really empowered to
audit bills. The county board has claimed
the power and under the claim has ap-
pointed a county auditor to do the work for
1t. The law is said to be rather indefinite
and number of county officials would like
to see it changed so as to provide an cleo
tive official responsible to the people alone
to go over all bills as they are fled and
the accounts of the various Offices in which
money is collected for the county
Opposition to One Plan.
Some opposition has been aroused to one
recommendation of Commissioner IRE in
this connection. One of his proposals was
to prohibit the county clerk from ordering
any supplies or employing any help with
out the consent of the county board. Those
who oppose the plan declare It would give
the county board a club TO WELD over the
head Of tho county clerk II his appoint
ments had to go through the hands Of the
members of the board.
County Auditor Smith has a proposal
which may be presented at the next meet
ing OF the officials. He proposes that al
certified copies of official records be coun,
tersigned by the county treasurer before
they are delivered to applicants for them
At present there is no way by which the
county can check the number OF these rec
ords furnished by the different offices OF
the amount of fees that ought TO be col,
lected for them. II the treasurer were re-
quired to countersign them before they
were delivered he would have a check or
the Office furnishing the record.
w. l. IIierstead's plan for an insanity
commission, composed of the county clerk
county attorney and county physician
which would save the county about $500 q
year in fees paid to the insanity commits
sion under the present law, was objected tC
in one detail by II. T. Clarke, ir., at the
meeting Thursday Mr.. Clarke declared Il
he ever had to be examined for insanity
he wanted the examination made by al
expert in mental diseases and not by the
county physician, who might or might not
be an alienist. Mr.. Kierstead says his plan
might be revised I'm this one detail and still
effect a great saving to the county.