The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-28
Statute Requires Reports to
Be Submitted Every Six
Months, But Some Officials
Are DiIatory.
FINES COLLECTED GO
THE SCHOOL FUND
There Are All Kinds of Con-
fIicts in the Law and This
In a Manner Accounts for
Lax Methods.

Justices OF the peace IN wayne
county are as fragrant In the dilatory
practices resorted to in making re-
ports as those in other counties. The
law requires reports be made every
six months, but 1t is impossible to
find any reports from some OF the
justices. An inspection Of the file
case in the county auditors office this
morning revealed the loose manner In
which this part of the county's inter.
ests are attended to.
The money derived by fines be-
comes a part of the school tuition
fund Justices are supposed to make
January and July. They are required
to make settlement when the amount
of fines collected equals three times
the mileage at 10 cents per mile. Be-
, cause the amount of fines they have
collected, does not equal three times
the mileage. several of the justices
have neglected to make the reports.
Not Auditors Work.
It is not the business of the county
auditor to hunt up the Justices and
tell them to report. He receives the
reports and files them and his con
nection ends. The city court judge
has to file a report, also. and this hal
been done annually by Judge Con
verse. The city court in Richmond
pays several times as much money
| to the fund. as all the other crimina
courts in the county added together.
There are AL kinds of conflicts II
the law and this in q measure &C
counts for the lax methods that exist
lone law says mileage is not to be al
held, mileage is not to be paid unles
the reports are made on the days spet
flied But in Wayne county It ha
been the custom to allow mileage t
be collected and reports to be made
whenever the convenience of the jui
tices may be suited.
i. Not all Offenders.
Not all of the justices are offender
, against the laws. But with probabl
; one or two exceptions, all justices ar
) holding back money which ought I
be in the school fund and drawing II
( terest for the county's educations
r purposes.
, The justices file reports at vii
: One of the states representatives hs
r not filed a report for four years. n
report could be found today for th
last six months, which are TO be e
ipected from Squire Abbott and SquiI
Beverley of this city. 1t may be nett
er of these justices has collected an
fines in criminal cases. but there n
lno reports to show whether they hav
or not.
l. Expect . Shakeup.
Cyrus Saxton. justice At Whitewa
er. reports he is holding one dolla
Thomas Fraser. of Ecpnomy, says
lhas 81. H. c. Benson, Of Hagerstow
retains possession of 81. Martin Boz
master. justice at Cambridge Cit
/ has sent in report dated July
It shows him to be in possession
I$66. collected for fines. Judge Co
verses report shows there was pa
into the city court for the year endiI
July 1. in excess of the costs. &76z.
It is expected that when the state
inspectors begin to make their round
visiting the county seats and ase<
tanning what kind OF settlements u
;. justices are making. a shakeup "
follow The matter is one difficult
control