The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-03-16
COUNTY COM NIMTSSTONERS RE
PLY.

Report of County Board
of Audit and Finance Replied
to by Board of Commissioners
Of County.
To THE PUBLIC:
It is with regret that we have
to again ask the indulgence of
the public for the purpose of
correcting certain statements
contained in the further report
of the board of audit and finance"
which was filed on February 29th,
1908. We have no desire to re-
hash any of the matters refer
red to in the original report of
the board Of audit and finance,
or in the reply of Sheriff Mcleod
and the board of commissioners
thereto, as we think the public
are in possession of all of the facts
and fully understand the matters
embraced therein. There are
certain things, however, which
are contained in this further re-
port" Of the board of audit and
finance which we're not touched
upon in their original report.
and inasmuch as our board is
again unjustly criticised and the
facts incorrectly stated, we fee
that it is due to our board and to
the public at large that these
things be set straight in the
minds Of the public.
The board of com missioners is
criticised by the board Of aud it
and finance for their action in
borrowing from the county
treasurer the sum of S., 900 from
the funds in his hands de
rived from the special taxes lev
led for the purpose of building
the new court house, and the
board also expresses the opinion
that both the treasurer and our
board violated the law when this
was done. They also state that
this money was borrowed to de
fray the ordinary expenses O.
the county and that the sum Dor
rowed did not bear interest unit
maturity. These statements a. I
incorrect. Not a penny of the
money borrowed was applied to
ward defraying the general ex
penses of the county and every
dollar drew interest from the
date it was borrowed at 6 pei
cent. The facts are these: Il
will be remembered that after
the act authorizing the bond is
sue was passed and after the
contract for the erection of the
new court house r ad been let and
the work start@A, question
arose as to the validity of the act
under which the bonds were is
sued and the purchasers of the
bonds declined to comply with
the terms of their bid for same
Thereupon it became necessary
to submit the question to the
courts and the com missioner!
caused proceedings to beinstitut
ed for the purpose of testing
the validity of the bonds. In tn
meantime, pending a decision
from the supremec court, we wer
compelled to make some al
rangements to secure the none.
wherewith to proceed with tn
work of building the new cou1
house. We could not afford t.
allow the work to stop, for tai
would not only have been inco1
venient, but We would also hav
> subjected the county to a
action for damages on the pal
: of the contractor. We foun
I that the county treasurer hs
not completed the investment
the sinking fund in his hanC
\ and that he had on hand $500
which could be used for thi
purpose. Therefore, on Decen
Der 10th, 1907, our board DO
rowed $1,000 for the purpose
paying for work done up to th
time on the court house, and (
February Srd, 1908, borrowed
additional So, 900 for a like pu
pose, for which the notes Of t
county were executed and tuf
. I'd over to the county treasure
IL The loan was only for tempora
purposes and was to be rep:
as soon as the proceeds from
q sale of bonds was in hand. T
" or three weeks ago the suprel
, court handed down an opin!
upholding the validity OF
bonds and after some delay
purchasers complied with
terms of their bid aud the boz
were issued. The proceeds