The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-10-31
REPORT
OF THE
Committee on Examination Of
Commissioners Report.
To the Hon. Jas. 1. Allread,
Judge OF the Court of Common Pleas,
Darke County, Ohio:

To the Hon. Jas. 1. Allread,
Judge OF the Court of Common Pleas,
DRrke County, Ohio:
Your committee heretofore appointed to
examine the annual report OF the County
Com IN issioners of Darke County, beg leave
to report as follows:
We have examined all of the items Of eX-
penditure made on the authority or allow
ance OF the said County Comm issiOueTS,
have verified each OF the items as set forth
In said report and mud that they tally with
the bills allowed. Upon examination Few
minor errors were found In the making up
OF the report as to certain expenditures, but
upon reference to the bills as allowed they
were readily corrected. " have also found
that a few OF the btlls allowed by the COM
missioneTs were somewhat indefinite in the
manner in which they were drawn in not
stating suf1cient facts. as for instance some
were defective in not showing the amount
labor or the character OF material used on
certain works; although this objection oc-
CURED in only few instances yet we think
md therefore recommend that all bills pre-
sented TO the Comm issioners for allowanc :
should indicate exactly the amount and
character ofthe labor and mater ial furnished
upon which the amount OF the hill Is based 20
that the only question which could pOsslb bly,
arise thereafter would he as 10 the necessity
OF the labor performed or the reasOnsbleness
OF the price Of materials furnished, as the
case may be.
We wish to commend the Commissioners
upon the system IubJ nave lOI uduulluB all
claims against, and transacting the business
of the county, and their requirements for
the making out of bills, and presentation
for allowance, is excellent. Also the man
ner in which contracts are let for labor and
material in the county's constructions, de-
serves commendation. In some Instances,
when necessity requires II, as for example
when property OF the county Is suddenly
destroyed and requiring immediate repair,
such work is dOue simply upon the order of
the Commissioners, but all of the greater
improvements involving an expenditure OF
money above certain reasonable amount
are entered into with the county by con-
tracts, aud in all Instances such contracts
were found to be properly drawn and defin-
ite as to the amount and character OF labor
and material to be furnished and the price
OF same.
We further wish TO com mmend the Comm is
sioners relative to the manner in which the
contracts for the construction Of bridges,
substructGreS and superstructurts have been
let When a proposed improvement has
been granted by the Board, II orders the
Ounty Surveyor to prepare profilts and es-
innate the cnSt OF the improvement. This
estimate OF the surveyor shows each item
OF expense IN the construction OF the i'm.
proVement as material etc, and Is estimat-
ed at the prevailing market prizes OF such
material, etc These profiles and estimates
are then open to the examination OF con.
tractors and on the day the work is sold
the contractors engage in spirited bidding,
and we find that it re uIts in the work gen
orally selling for price below the engin-
eer's estimate.
In wears past it has been the custom of ex-
amining committees to criiicise the Com
misSioners for allowing bills for supplies for
County Offi GERS, especially the Probate Judge
but we find that the present Board is simply
following the custom OF previous Boards.
Such matters as these are beyond our powers
as an examining conn ittee, for they in.
y0Iye a construction OF the statutes and the
Prosecuting Attorney desires to wait upon
the opinion of the Attorney General.
The committee further wishes to state
tnat considering the area of this county, Its
population and wealth and the enormous
amount OF busine which is yearly increas
ing and transacted by its Board Of Commits
sioners, that they do not believe there Is
another county in the state where It's bust
ness is transacted in more economical anC
busin ess-like manner. In order to show tht
great amount OF busi ness transacted by the
county during the past ear, we submit The
following, as gathered from the protiles
contracts, ETC., we find that the county dur
| ing the past year has constructed twenty
seven bitches, aggl egating forty miles IL
| length, aud at a cost OF Sl90OQ0.OO. We tinC
that seventeen miles of roads were con
structed or are under construction, costing
| S6l, $4,000. We further find that bridge re
pairing has been done at a cost OF Sl4,0COUO.
| We wish to thank the Board of Commits
| sioners ana its clerk, Mr.. A. T. Marker, ant
also the County Auditor for the court eou
| way in which we were assisted in the per
| form ance OF our duties.
| II. l.. YOUNT,
Prosecuting Attorney
| ALBERT E. EOUTS,
T G. MILLER,
Oct 81, l9O7wl Committee