Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-11
COUNTY MULCTED ON BOOKS
Pays More for Supplies Than Other
, Counties for Same Goods
BOARD MEMBERS WEAKEN ON CONTEST
Salaries of All County Omcers Except
Clerk of the District Court
Are Fixed for the
Current Year.

Current Year.
The members Of the Board of County
Supervisors are accusing one another of
lack of stamina and backbone in the mat
ter of awarding the contract for furnish
ing the several departments OF the county
with blank books. printed supplies etc. for
the ensuing year without first advertising
for bids. Several months ago the super
vlsors decided to investigate the cost of
such supplies in adjoining counties and a
committee was appointed sub rosa to carry
out the investigation. Supervisor Spencer
was the chairman of this committee and
he reported back to the other members that
the investigation had developed the fact
that In Harrison county the same class
of supplies was being furnished the county
at greatly lower prices than paid by
Pottawattamie county. For instance, the
committee reported that certain blank
books which cost Pottawattamie county
SH and SIS each. were furnished Harrison
county for $40 less. In another instance it
was stated that certain supplies for which
Pottawattamie county paid $40, Harrison
county paid only $780, with these facts
before them the members of the board at
a caucus Tuesday morning decided that
advertise for bids would prevail. Such a
motion, however, did not prevail. Victor
E. Bender general manager Of the New
Nonpareil company appeared before the
board with a hastily written bid Offering
to furnish the supplies on the basis of the
previous years contract.
Chairman Setz opposed awarding the
contract without advertising for bids and
called upon Supervisor Spencer to state
what the committee had discovered In its
investigation. Report has 1t that Mr..
Spencer failed to respond, and Mr.. Bender
then told the board of the number Of en-
ployes who drew pay from his company
and the amount of taxes the company
paid, urging that the company was en-
titled under these circumstances to the
contract whether other firms got a chance
at 1t or not. Mr.. Benders eloquence car
ried the day and the contract was awarded
to him, Chairman Setz alone dissenting
Needless to say the action of the board has
invited more or less criticism among the
taxpayers of the county.
Action on Salary Question.
Much of yesterdays session was again
spent by the board in discussing the sal
aries of the county officers and when ad-
journment was taken last evening the men,
berB had failed to arrive at any conclusion
as to the compensation of the clerk of
the district court Mr.. Battey, clerk of
the court, appeared before the board and
explained the need for extra clerical help
in his office, but the board decided to
postpone action until Mr.. Battey had filed
his report for the last half of the year.
The salary OF the county attorney was
placed at 5000. the same as before. and
his assistant was allowed $50 per month.
The salary of the sheriff is placed by
statute at $780, out of which he has to
pay the compensation OF one deputy. leav-
ing him $500. This amount has to be
earned out of the fees Of the office. The
salary of the other deputies was placed
at 1900 each, as before. and is to be paid
by the county. The sheriff also receives
$500 for maintaining the county jail and
l21t cents meal for each prisoner, as we'll
as 1914 cents lodging for each night each
prisoner is in his custody. The county
TALLER receives no salary from the county.
Bailin Matlock of the district court, in
addition to the 81 per diem allowed him by
law, was given SO a month extra A.
Johnson, bailiff of the district court at
| Avoca, was allowed $50 a year as janitor
in addition to his compensation OF 81 a day
/ while court is in session.
The salary of County Treasurer Mitchell
was increased from $500 to $500 on ac-
count of the fact that he will handle
considerable drainage district funds this
year. Out OF this sum he has to pay his
| clerk hire.
The salary OF the county auditor, who has
to pay his own clerk hire, was increased
| from 5000 to S. 100. In addition the aud
itor receives certain fees of his office
George T. Miller was reappointed over
seer OF the poor of Kane township, includ-
ing the city OF Council Bluffs. and his COM
pensation was fixed at $50 a month. His
duties since the establishment OF the county
poor farm have been materially hghtened.
No action as to the salary OF the county
recorder was taken, as the law fixes his
compensation at $500. with one deputy at
salary not 10 exceed s9O0. and this was
allowed at the session Wednesday
The following papers filed applications
to publish the official proceedings of the
board; The Daily Nonpareil, Council
| Bluffs; the Gazette-Reporter. Nicola; the
| Journal Herald. Avoca; the Tribune
Avoca; the Acorn. Oakland. The board set
January q for a hearing as TO the lists
OF subscribers Of the several applicants.
The board also set January % for re-
celving bids for county medical attendance
for Kane township. outside Council Bluns,
Garner and Lewis townships and the county
poor farm.
NO BAR AT THE JARVIS STORE.