The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-02-27
GRAND Jury REPORT.

/ Culs uukCs
We, the Grand Jury, acting under
your instructions respectfully submit
she following report:
JAIL: We find the jail well kept
and credit to the county and fur
ther she prisoners seem TO be well fed
and their quarters In fairly good
condition.
We recommend that the fues be
retopped, the jail painted and the lot
fence repaired.
COURTHOUSE: The gentlemen's
closet in the court house basement lie
In an unsanitary condition but bet.
ter now than Is was a few weeks or
months ago. We recommend that
Is be kept in good condition during
the whole year.
The ladies rest room we find kept
in excellent condition and strongly
recommend It's continuance.
The east front door OF the court
house opens inward. We recommend
that It be changed TO open outward
We find that she roof OF the court
house is in bad condition and recon.
mend that il be repaired immedi.
ately.
According to the evidence before
the grand jury the opening OF the
Butler Sewer into Mound Branch lie
very annoying to the public who
travel the road south from town and
we recommend that said opening be
moved farther down the creek and
the nuisance abated.
According to your instructions the
Grand Jury report that they have
returned a number OF indictments
under Section 2257, Revised Stat.
utes OF 1899 for failing to give in
correct tax lists. There may be some
doubt whether the said indictments
should not have been based on SEC.
tion 9l50 for felony and We recon.
mend that should any defendant to
these indictments raise any technical
questions or make the point that he
should have been indicted for a iel-
ony instead OF a misdemeanor that
the Prosecuting Attorney nolle his
indictments and proceed against the
parties for perjury.
We recommend that the township
assessors make strict inquiry OF the
parties listing property Tor taxation
and more diligently search Tor mon
eys and notes and also that she
township assessors be more careful
when assessment list is signed by
persons making It TO swear him or
her to the same not only by giving
his mental assent and understand.
ing that Is is an oath, but In each
case r, quire the party TO hold up his
or her hand and go through the out.
ward formality OF taking an oath.
Poor FARM: We beg to report
that the county poor farm Is dis.
grace to Bates county. The build.
lngs are dilapidated and totally un.
fit to be inhabited by human beings
The bedding is poor and inadequate,
the meat rottlng in the smoke house
and an air OF mismanagement per-
vades the whole premises.
We recommend that the county
court dispose of all the farm except
forty acres and take steps towards
erecting thereon suitable building
to accommodate the uniortunates OF
the county. And we further recon.
mend that the county court submit.
TO the people at the next general
election proposition TO levy tax
sufficient TO cover the cost OF the
same.
We find that the county has out
standing protested warrants to the
amount OF about $4,000 for which
there are no available funds and we
recommend that the county court
take steps, either by direct levy or
curtailing expenses to provide funds
to Fquidate the same.
We find that the aforesaid dee fit is
brought about largely by the fact
that the expenditures OF our county
are naturally increasing while the as.
s7ssed valuation does not increase IN
corresponding ratio.
We recommend that the owners
and trustees Of all public buildings
make them conform to Sections
9036, 903S and 0052, Revised Stat
utes OF Missouri.
We beg to report that there are
numerous instances where parties, il
is claimed, have built levies across
natural drains preventing natural
drainage and rendering thereby the
public roads unfit for travel, and
that certain parties have been guilty
Of throwing garbage and other waste
In the drains at the sides of the pub.
lie roads, and that signs have been
painted, tackled, nailed and suspend.
ed on bridges and public buildings
and that treetops have been thrown
into streams 80 as to obstruct them
and endanger bridges during high
waters and that water gaps are sus.
pended from bridges which lie snnual.
! ly causing damage and where there
is not at this time enough tangible
evidence to warrant an indictment,
we recommend that the road over.